"Desperate Enough"

(Read Luke 8:43-49)

The 16th of March we spent touring the Galilean shore and hillsides. Everything was unusually green due to the recent rainy season, and as our guide Yoni said, almost subtropical. Not really the context we imagine for Jesus in that area; but perhaps more realistic for that month. That time of the month…Yoni took us to Luke 8 to explain a little more about the lady that never got out of that time of the month as it were; a lady that had been subject to bleeding for 12 years! Levitical law prevented women in menstruation from touching others due to being unclean. A woman in menstruation would never touch a man much less a rabbi or priest! The woman in Luke 8 does just that, she not only touches a man in her unclean state; she touches a rabbi in a large crowd and not only that; she touches the Son of Man in her unclean state.

The hem of the robe: it is very likely, Yoni explained, that the woman touched Jesus’ prayer garment. As an observant Jew, Jesus would have worn at all times his prayer garment which according to law had four tassels on the four corners of the garment. These tassels were tied in knots with spaces in between that represent the 613 laws of the Old Testament.

I have a new heroine in the lady in Luke 8! As a physician assistant this story breaks my heart like few others! A woman who has had uterine bleeding for 12 years; obviously no cure was given her; and she becomes desperate enough to break the religious law of the day to touch the very Giver of the Law on an intimate part of his clothing that actually symbolizes the laws that would keep her away from her Healer. The best part in my view is that Jesus knew IMMEDIATELY that power had flown out of him and upon finding the recipient of His power and the need for His healing says:” daughter your faith has healed you. Go in peace”, (emphasis mine).

Subtropical climate…beautiful day on the Galilee…friends…new sites…walking where Jesus walked…learning about Jesus…these are memories I will treasure forever. This morning however, my prayer is that I will never get in the way of someone’s healing because of Religion or Protocol. In fact, let’s ALL RUSH TO TOUCH HIS GARMENT AND RECEIVE HEALING!