A secret meeting with the Lord, would change her life for ever, from unnoticed, to always remembered.

She was a lady of mystery keeping herself to herself. She would go about her day interacting with very few. Her illness restricted her life and meant that she was not able to do or go where she needed or wanted to go. She had been comfortably well off but over the years in her search a cure she now had barely enough to get by on. Also her search had lead her to many dangerous and dark places placing her life into the hands of strangers many of whom were very unsavoury. She had believed each time would be the time,each time would be the last time,each time would mean the end to her misery and she could reclaim a normal life.

During her daily life of coming and going from this place to that she had heard stories about this man. As time passed it seemed he became more and more famous. However like most stories or gossip it seemed to have 2 sides to it. He was only the son of a poor simple couple, conceived out of wedlock and born far from home and yet now fame and good fortune seemed to follow him everywhere he went. The more she heard about him, the more she wanted to hear but she didn't like to mix too much with others and they didn't like to mix too much with her. She had no family but herself and so she had to listen carefully to get any scraps of news she could about him.

The stories that were told about he were amazing, miraculous and in some cases unbelievable and yet somehow she felt deep down inside her that she could believe, should believe them.

The ladies would tell of this handsome young man who had gentle hands, caring eyes and a loving heart. The men told of a man who could convince other men to follow him, walk long distances never settling down always on the go, only stopping to help others no matter what.

But from both men and women and even the children she heard the unbelievable stories of how he could heal the sick. He had healed those who were blind, those who were unable to walk and those who were tortured by demons. He spoke with a calm, loving voice, using nothing more than his words or his touch to heal. No tools of any kind that injured and hurt in the hands of those who claimed they were only trying to heal you. He didn't ask for payment and it seemed he didn't expect your servitude as repayment.

Who could this man be and why was he doing this but she knew this one thing and this was it, she had to meet with him.

But how could this happen,most people stayed out of her way encase they would catch her illness would he want her near him?

The day had come when she heard that he was coming her way. But the crowds were overwhelming. Men and women packed so tight, children being carried, young people having to push just to get space to walk in safety. There he was in the middle of the crowd surrounded by his followers who seemed to be guarding him, protecting him, keeping people away from him. How was she going to manage this. She had dreamt about this moment when she would get to meet him, what she would say, how she would say it, what he would say to her, what he would require of her. Her hands were sweating, she was shaking like a leaf, her mind was working out a plan and then reworking it out again and again. Then out of no where like a whispered voice in her ear she saw her opportunity and with confidence she took it.

She stretch out her shaking arm and her clammy hand touch his garment and almost at once she knew, she could feel it, it was like instinct, she was made whole. Joy rose through her, like prickly heat all over her skin, like boil water on a hot fire, she was healed.

But then she heard the words she had not expected, who touched me?

He kept asking the question even though everyone was saying things like, what is he talking about, such a crowd pressing against each other, how can we tell! But she knew she had to tell, she knew she had been healed by him and now she believed. So she threw herself at his mercy and trembling with fear told him her story. About her illness of 12 years and how no one or nothing thing could heal her but how she had pushed through the crowd just to get a bief touch of his garment as she felt sure that if she did just this that she would be healed. Then she heard him say something she had not expected, daughter, your faith has healed you, go in peace and be freed from your suffering.

The retelling of this event was of such importance that it was written by 4 of the apostles into each of their books. She was not named and very few details were told about her expect for the important bits that made this event important. She was a lady with a terrible illness, one which caused her to seek healing in anyway possible using up her money in the process. We hear nothing of a family neither parents, husband or children so her illness may have meant she was a loner. However we are told she had this illness for 12 years and that it was off the blood. This could have meant that she was in some way treated as an outsider. But we do know that she had heard about Jesus,which is no surprise and wanted to met him. We also know that she believed that if she just touched his clothes she would be healed. What made her believe that this would be the case we can only imagine but it was this small amount of faith that not only healed her of her illness but freed her from her suffering. The suffering of her sin. Jesus healed her and set her free, what a wonderful day that was for her.

Mark 5 24-34

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. ²⁵ And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. ²⁶ She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. ²⁷ When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸ because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” ²⁹ Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

³⁰ At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

³¹ “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

³² But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. ³³ Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. ³⁴ He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Reformation Study Bible tells: 5:30 Who touched my garments. The touch of faith is felt by Jesus, even though in such a dense crowd many people were touching Him. The phrase “power had gone out from him” occurs only here. It is amazing to know that Jesus is away aware of us when we come to him in faith even if we think we are not noticed.

Matthew Henry's Commentary tells us that her case was such as she could not in modesty tell him publicly, as others did their grievances, and therefore a private cure was what she wished for, and her faith was suited to her case. How wonderful to know that Jesus allows for us to seek him privately and will reward our faith.

In The Bible Panorama we are told that Jesus asks who touched Him and causes her to make a public confession of her faith. We are new believers are all encouraged to make a public declaration of our faith so that from the start we learn how to share our faith with others.

This story of this unnamed lady with a blood related illness was healed and set free and her story teaches us much. It teaches us how a little faith can go a long way. How Jesus knows everything even the lightest of touches on his outer garments. Plus if we seek him in faith he will know and look for us just as he did when the lady lightly touched his garment. But we can also know that he will not be angry but will be pleased with our faithfulness to him and will assist us in whatever we need. So be brave, be bold and seek him in confidence and faith and you will be rewarded with him looking around for you to help you. Amen