Another look at the bleeding woman
Last semester we studied the story of the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years continuously in Luke 34-48. We are studying Leviticus now and it has struck me in a new and fresh way.
Now there was a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her haemorrhage stopped. Then Jesus asked, ‘Who touched me?’ When all denied it, Peter said, ‘Master, the crowds surround you and press in on you.’ But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me.’ When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.’
According to the law in Leviticus 15:25-30, this woman would be considered unclean until her blood stopped discharging. The law showed the woman what rituals would show that she was cleansed and clean, but the law is surprisingly silent about how this woman was to be healed. It just says, “If she is cleansed of her discharge…” and gives the recipe for ritual cleansing. The account in Luke tells us that this woman tried everything for 12 long years to stop her bleeding. She wanted to stop her bleeding because it was slowly killing her and keeping her from being a part of worship to God and relationship with him in the Temple. This continuous bleeding is symbolic of our sin, it is killing us – and most importantly keeping us from relationship with God. The law told this woman to wait. The law did not tell the woman how to be healed, but showed her what needed to happen in order for her to be healed. Wait… wait… wait for God to provide the sacrifice.
Jesus has the power to cleanse us – restoring us to relationship with God that was shattered in the Fall of humankind. The law could not purify us, it merely told us to wait for Jesus.
Waiting is important for believers – Abraham waited for the promised heir in Isaac, the slave nation of Israel waited for deliverance from Egypt, the Jews under the Romans waited for the Messiah, and the disciples waited for the Holy Spirit. So we should wait for the Spirit of God to set us free from sin and its bondage – wait and pray for the sanctification in our lifes that doesn’t come through programs and strategies (laws) but through the working of the Holy Spirit.
Pray for sanctification – wait for its fruit that only comes from Christ. Jesus is the purification.
