MOVING THROUGH THE CROWD
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the woman who was healed from her bleeding condition by touching the robe that Jesus was wearing. I think it is one of the greatest examples of faith and endurance. A woman so desperate for Jesus to heal her that she risked everything to push her way through the crowd in hopes of just touching him.
“She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, if I can just touch his robe, I will be healed. Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.” Mark 5:27
And while this story is mostly known for the great faith this woman displayed; I want us to step back and focus on the crowd. Everywhere Jesus went he had large crowds following him. Thousand and thousands! Back in my college days I experienced a very crowded downtown city event. It was honestly frightening and very intimidating as we made our way through crowds of people. I can only imagine how this woman must have felt.
Many people in these large crowds following Jesus did not truly see him for who he really was. Just because they FOLLOWED Jesus didn’t mean they KNEW Jesus. They were often curious about the miracles he was performing and seeing transformation in others; yet they never moved beyond their own curiosity. They just wanted to be in the crowd.
Today’s culture is no different. It is often easy to get caught up in religion and just being part of the crowd. These crowds can be intimidating. And unfortunately these crowds can often be judgmental. I thank God for navigating my family to a welcoming crowd of believers!
In this story that Mark shares we see a woman so convinced of who Jesus was that she fought her way through that crowd. A crowd that had condemned her and had turned their backs on her. Yet she kept going and she kept fighting just to touch his robe. She could have easily been so intimidated and said, “I’ll just come back another day.”
In a society with so much division and hatred we (as believers) should be waving a white flag and shouting: “run, everyone! Tax collectors, sinners, prostitutes; come and hear the Good News of Jesus Christ! Listen to what God promised you! You don’t have to fight the crowd, we will help make a path for you!”
Love Heather & Lisa
