Blessed
Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed is the man (woman, boy or girl) that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.”
Blessed means twice your happiest moment!
And we are blessed the nearer we come to Christ Jesus our Lord.
But this “nearer” is of the heart and will, not just of word.
Mark 5:24-28 “And Jesus went with him, and much people followed him, and thronged him.
And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
For she said, If I may but touch his clothes, I shall be made whole.”
Here was a woman in need. She had done all she could, and gone to others who did all they could; but she was none better, but worse.
Hearing of Jesus (all the great miracles He had done,and the many He had healed), she came after Him.
Seeing the crowd (for they all were pushing to be around Him), she thought she would come up behind him and just touch His clothes.
She came, not just to see, or hear Him, but to be near enough to touch His clothes, to be healed.
She thought that if she could just touched the hem of His garment (Matthew 9:21), she would be made whole.
So she came, pushed forward, and leaned down and touched the hem of His garment. (Some say, that she was crawling through the crowd to get to Him)
Mark 5:29 “And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.”
(Luke 8:44 “immediately her issue of blood stanched.”)
Finally, wellness!
She touched His garment, and she felt the fountain of blood dry up, and that she was made whole. She was halted with joy and wonder!
But then she heard Jesus say:
Mark 5:30 “And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?”
I want to take a moment here, and point out exactly what the disciples are going to say:
There are many who are “touching” Him. There is a large crowd, pushing to be around Him.
(It is an interesting point that none of them were healed.)
But the Lord knows those who really come to Him in faith…….and they will always be blessed.
Mark 5:31-32 “And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, who touched me?
And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.”
Jesus was not looking for those who follow for position, or for curiosity, or to see the next greatest thing.
He was looking for her, who had come to Him, believing that He could meet her desperate need.
That is faith. And faith in Jesus always brings us near in heart, and will.
And again, faith in Jesus will always be blessed.
Although right now she is afraid, she does not run away, or try and hide in the crowd: but came, again, in honesty, and told Him all.
Mark 5:33 ” But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.”
She did not know what He would do. He might revoke His healing. He might be angry at the way she had been healed.
She does not know; she fears and trembles: but she comes to Him, and tells Him all the truth.
She should not have feared; the One who heals, saves. The One who saves, receives us again and again, despite our weakness. And so He does here.
Mark 5:34 “And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace (always a sign from God that she is saved), and be whole of thy plague.”
The Lord always rewards faith. His first thought is, for her peace with Him (salvation); then He doubles the healing by speaking, “be whole of thy plague.”
He heals body, soul and spirit. He heals mind, heart and will.
Blessed is twice happy; and she was. Both saved and healed, because she came to Him; first in secret faith, and then in honesty.
Her faith was given the healing that she sought.
Her honesty was given blessing; To be brought near to Jesus in Salvation, and to be made whole.
(The God of peace will sanctify us wholly: body, soul and spirit: 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, and who makes their hope in the Lord.
DIt is in our coming to Jesus Christ, that we are blessed. We shall be satisfied as we abide with Him.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 