No need to steal

       It always amazes me ( yes, praise Jesus! ), at the realness of the scenarios the Gospel stories convey.  How would you approach a cure for yourself or perhaps more so, a loved one? The cure is so close you could touch it! What if you could touch it? What would you do, to what lengths would you go?  Of course your mind probably went to cancer or some other seemingly hopeless disease. What would you do in the presence of a cure?

       The woman in today's Scripture passage knows because her faith tells her so, she knows that her only and real possibility for healing is in Jesus Christ. She has endured all the other human possibilities. She didn't just pray, she also paid. She paid and endured for years, doctors, tests, diagnoses.  But as with anything, we do our best, whatever we can do, then leave it to God who is the ultimate and true healer. So, desperate, she reaches out to touch Jesus, a stolen brush of her hand. He'll never know. Except he does.

        The real gotcha here is that Jesus knows and most importantly for us ( besides the healing ) is that Jesus understands.  In tears she weeps because she has stolen a cure from the power of our Lord. Jesus stops and looks at her and says as much as ' I understand'.  Your faith is true and I love you.  Go now and be well. 

         All I can do is think of whatever illness or whatever sin, however horrible, that you or I could possibly commit, any mortal sin, and Jesus will forgive us and cure us. That is if we do so much to help ourselves and have faith in God. That is a real start. Maybe it is the whole journey for us. We try to help ourselves, we do, we pray and ultimately leave it in God's hands. No need for stealing. 

Mark 5:25-34

Now there was a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.’ Immediately her haemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, “Who touched me?” ’ He looked all round to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’