"Your Faith Has Made You Well"

(Today's reading - Leviticus 13-15)

Today's reading deals with health regulations for the children of Israel. In the vernacular of our time, it is Israel's national health care plan. As a nation, they needed guidance in dealing with health issues. Things we take for granted today, were new to them. God provided them with instructions to limit the spread of disease and even the introduction of bacteria into their lives. I heard Patrick Meade call this the Buick in the pyramid. In other words some outside force with much greater knowledge and understanding had to introduce these ideas to the Israelites. Of course you and I know that was God, but for those that don't believe, this provides real difficulty for them.
The people are instructed on isolation of those with infectious diseases, the cleaning of items exposed to these infections and the disposal of items that could not be sterilized. They were given instruction on general cleanliness, both of themselves and their environment. Everyday stuff for us, but rocket science for them.
Leiticus 15: 25-27 deals with women with ongoing discharges of blood. They were viewed as unclean and as such had to yell "unclean, unclean" as anyone approached them. Additionally, they were required to live outside of the camp. Imagine the shame and the humiliation of being excluded from the social fabric of a society and being seen as "unclean".
This gives new context to a story that we read about in Luke 8. "Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?" When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me." Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace."
Twelve years of shouting "unclean". Twelve years of living with lepers. Twelve years of shame. This woman gives me hope. She and her family had gone to every specialist and spent their entire bank account and still "unclean". She shows up in town because she hears that Jesus is there. One last hope, one last chance to recover her life and move back home. One last grasp for a cure, a reprieve from the humiliation of exclusion. She reaches out her hand to touch the great physician.
I imagine her trembling hand, a hand that had been rejected for twelve years just reaching to touch the edge of his garment. I imagine her face lighting up as she immediately is healed, the total joy of the moment. Never again "unclean, unclean", back home with her family. And then, in the midst of the joy, "Who touched me?". Fear again, shame again, humiliation again. Somehow, she, trembling comes forward and tells her story to Jesus. I imagine His eyes meeting hers, tears in both, as he tells her "it's alright". HE calls her daughter! I love that! He tells her that her faith has healed her.She goes home whole, for the first time in twelve years, she goes.... home.
What can I learn form this? What does this do for me? I know that Jesus is the great physician and that nothing that I am facing is beyond His ability to fix. I learn that I must reach out to Him. He is right there, waiting for my touch. I learn that my uncleanness is what is separating me from him, but that uncleanness is easily removed by Him. I learn that He loves me, that He calls me son, that He restores.
Today, are you outside of camp? Are you living among the lepers? Do you long to go home, clean and restored? Jesus is right there, waiting for you to touch the border of His garment. He is in town today, in fact He always is! What are you waiting for? Sent me your email address and I will send you a study that will lead you to this healing. Why wait any longer?
If you have already been touched by Jesus, may you determine to live like it and lead others to Him for healing. God bless.