12 Long Years

I did not think it would be a week between posts. I also didn't think I would get the flu this week! But I did. Now I know why people get flu shots. Even though they are not recommended for my age, I might look into it next year.

Sick as I was, I was not as sick as the woman discussed here in Mark 5. 12 years of bleeding woulkd have been immensely uncomfortable. Yet, it was not only physical discomfort that plagued this woman for 12 years. For a dozen years, this woman also would have been spiritually unclean. Under Jewish law, a woman who was bleeding was considered unclean. In other words, she could not worship at the Temple. Technically, she could not even live at home in her own community. Bleeding like this woman experienced meant that she was to live outside the camp, away from other people.

You see, in ancient Israel spiritual contamination was considered contagious. That is why the woman here is so afraid to admit that she has touched Jesus. Under Old Testament Law, the woman would have just made Jesus unclean. But the woman doesn't understand who she has touched. She cannot make Jesus unclean. Instead, Jesus makes her clean. The great lesson of this story is that there is no spiritual uncleanliness that is beyond Jesus' touch. Even the most corrupt under the Law can be made holy by Him.

12 years of spiritual corruption is gone in a moment. Thankfully, Jesus does the same work today. Even today, His healing touch wipes away years of spiritual corruption. What a great Savior we follow!