Then he told her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."
Luke 8:48 (NIV)
One of my favorite stories on healing is about the woman with the issue of blood. God's power healed the woman physically, emotionally, and spiritually. When she touched Jesus' garment, her body was immediately healed, but that was not enough for Jesus. He stopped in the middle of hundreds of people and asked, "Who touched me?".
When the poor woman admitted she was the one who had touched Him, He did something that, in my opinion, was better than healing her body. He healed her soul. He called her daughter. Because of her physical illness, this woman was considered unclean. The Jewish law stated that any person she touched would also be considered uncleaned. It was illegal for her to touch people, hence her hesitation to admit she had touched Jesus.
After twelve years of rejection, I am sure this poor woman felt worthless. If Jesus had kept going, her body would have healed, but she needed more than physical healing. By calling her daughter, Jesus restituted her into society; He restored her self-esteem. Child of God, sin and society can strip some of us of our worth, but love heals. Some of us might look healthy but live with emotional wounds that hurt more than physical ones.
Let the love of Jesus heal those wounds today. Let Him call you son or daughter. No matter what you have done or how far away from Him you feel, His love can reach you. Sometimes, we can be surrounded by people, bleeding internally, acting as if all is well. Even if no one else notices your pain, He does. Cry out to Him today. I promise that if you call on Him, just as He heard that woman's cry, He will hear yours. Let His love heal you.
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