This One Thing

Good morning…

She texted me the photo above after enjoying yesterday’s post, Power Drained Out Of Me. Having gone with her church to the Holy Land the day after our group returned from our trip in March, she wondered, “Did you guys go to this church (please don’t ask me where) in Israel with this painting of the woman touching Jesus and the power going out of him? It was beautiful and powerful.”

“This is Magdala,” I replied. “I love this huge wall-sized painting. It is humbly in the basement of the church and so so profound! It makes me think that being ‘spent’ might be less of a drain for Jesus and more of a ‘spark’ of healing power released. It’s like playing tag in the dark with socks on, shuffling across the carpet, electricity building up. With one tiny touch of the fingertip, we experience touch-shock-spark! A ‘spark’ of warm light emanates, power goes out.”

“So interesting to ponder,” I mused.

“I love that analogy!” she replied. “And yes, I thought the same thing about it being placed humbly in the basement while all those other paintings were hung upstairs with such ornate rooms.”

Now we return to the story of this humble, brave woman as it is told in the Message translation.

In the crowd that day there was a woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with hemorrhages. She had spent every penny she had on doctors but not one had been able to help her. She slipped in from behind and touched the edge of Jesus’ robe. At that very moment her hemorrhaging stopped. Jesus said, “Who touched me?”

When no one stepped forward, Peter said, “But Master, we’ve got crowds of people on our hands. Dozens have touched you.”

Jesus insisted, “Someone touched me. I felt power discharging from me.”

When the woman realized that she couldn’t remain hidden, she knelt trembling before him. In front of all the people, she blurted out her story—why she touched him and how at that same moment she was healed.

Jesus said, “Daughter, you took a risk trusting me, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed!” (Luke 8:43-48).

Aren’t we like this woman? We have spent every penny of ourselves on worldly solutions which have not healed our ongoing affliction. Humble and brave, might we finally do this one thing?

Risk trusting Jesus.