Emmanuel Day 6

Emmanuel, God with the invisible

“But as Jesus went, the people were crowding against Him [almost crushing Him].

And a woman who had [suffered from] a hemorrhage for twelve years [and had spent all her money on physicians], and could not be healed by anyone,  came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His outer robe, and immediately her bleeding stopped. Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” While they all were denying it, Peter  [and those who were with him] said, “Master, the people are crowding and pushing against You!” But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, because I was aware that power [to heal] had gone out of Me.” When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came up trembling and fell down before Him. She declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith [your personal trust and confidence in Me] has made you well. Go in peace (untroubled, undisturbed well-being).”

Luke 8:42-48 (AMP)

Have you ever found yourself wondering why bad things happen to seemingly good people? We know of course Biblically that there is none good, no not one. But doesn’t it sometimes feel just the tiniest bit confusing when life gets difficult for the ones who are trying to live an upright life by loving God and loving people? We know that we live in a fallen, sinful world. We understand that many have chosen to turn their backs on God. We know that Satan is the prince and the power of the air here on earth. But we also know that God is love, that He’s sovereign, and that He says He alone does wonderous things as He works all things together for good in our lives.

Do you think this sweet little woman with the issue of blood wondered the same things? I really wish she could at least be known by her name rather than by a title that magnifies an embarrassing condition that I’m sure she would have preferred to have kept hidden. It would be nice if we knew just a little more about her. How old was she and what did she look like? What was her family like, how had she grown up, and how did she get this terrible disease? We read that she spent all her money on doctors, so how did she eat, live, or buy all she needed? Had she been left in more pain by the unsuccessful medical procedures that she had dared to try in her desperation? Did she have a warm, comfortable place to sleep? Friends and family couldn’t touch her without becoming unclean, but was there anyone who still tried to let her know she was loved, seen, and not-alone? I hope we’re able to find out the details of this precious woman’s story when we get to heaven, but honestly, maybe for now it’s better that we don’t know too much about her. Maybe her ambiguity leaves room for all of us to climb into her story and find a few identifying markers of who she was, so we can find hope within our own stories.  

Had she wondered why this was happening to her? Did she wrestle with sovereignty of God in her heart as she sat within the prison walls of these circumstances that she herself did not create? If you want to be brutally honest, she had this chronic ailment because God allowed it. She was despised and looked at with disgust because of an issue that she had no control over. But if she knew the One who was in control, and knew that He could heal her at any moment that He wanted to, how many times, in that approximate 4,380-day period did she wonder why He hadn’t? You could almost think that you’d rather be anyone else in the Bible but her. That is, until Emmanuel, God with us enters her story and she finds all she’s ever looked for within His healing, love, and acceptance. In one moment, her life was changed. All that she had wrestled through, every tear she shed, every moment of feeling cast out and all alone was wiped away in just one encounter with Jesus. As He rejoices with her over her healing, He calls her daughter, making me wonder how long it had been since she had been called by that title. In one moment, did Emmanuel, God with us, heal her emotional scars as well as her physical hurts?

“But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise

With healing in His wings”

Malachi 4:2

In the Messianic verses of Malachi 4, healing is promised to those who fear God. The word translated wings here is the Hebrew word Kanaph, which can also be translated as corners, referring to the tassels on the corners of the garments worn by the Hebrew men. For hundreds of years, as the nation eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Messiah, the Hebrew sages would teach that when Messiah came, He would rise with healing in His Kanaph. They taught that there would be special healing powers in the corner tassels of Messiah’s garment. Maybe this precious girl had heard those teachings somewhere, and maybe her faith was set on finding out if the tassels of Messiah’s garment truly could bring healing to those who were desperate for it.

Maybe, like this precious girl, you’re suffering the consequences of circumstances that you didn’t choose. As we march on through the holiday season, I know many have family they didn’t choose and possibly wouldn’t choose. Amidst the joys of the season there might be moments where you speak of your family’s unchanging quirks with phrases such as, “They always…” or “They never…” or “I wish they would just…” Or maybe your struggle has nothing to do with family. Maybe like our precious friend we’ve read about today you’re dealing with health problems or financial troubles. Regardless of the struggle, the answer is the same. Emmanuel, God with us has come. Reach out in faith to Him. He’s come to heal, to save, to rescue, to restore, and to redeem. God’s timetable might feel a bit too long for you, as I’m sure it did for this precious girl many times. But I think if she could write us a little note, she would let us know that this one encounter of Emmanuel being with her was well worth the wait. I pray today that we would notice the hurting all around us; those whose backs are bent under the heavy burdens they bear. May we find strength and courage, knowing Emmanuel, God with us, will rise with all of the physical, emotional, mental, financial, relational healing we desperately await, and may we spread that encouragement to all who need to hear it today.

Emmanuel; with us IS GOD