Friday 2 Mar 2012

Friday Reading: Mark 5:25-34

Key Verse: Mark 5:31
31  And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

Devotion:
“OK, own up, who did that?” How many times have you heard that or said that yourself? Sometimes we find it hard to identify just who has done what when we are with a few people, never mind in a crowd; but that was not a problem with Christ. Even though Jesus was here as a human being He still had the power to be able to identify many things and to know many things – after all, He is God. (Another stumbling point for many)

This woman had pushed through the crowds to get close to Jesus just so that she could touch Jesus’ garment in the hope that she would be healed from her problems. Her single hope was that just by touching His clothes, never mind Him or even talking to Him, she would be able to be healed – such was her hope in the situation that she pressed forward just for that cause. If we read our Old Testaments we will find that people were declared as unclean for various reasons and in that state they would not be allowed to enter the temple. Her hope of being able to find someone to come to her instead of her being able to go to them must have all but dried up. Little wonder then that she was willing to try this stunt.

But her hope was a real hope. Within her heart she knew that Christ was special and that she had a chance. Her hope was not in a random chance but rather in the power of God that was being displayed in Jesus in human form. But as soon as she had done her deed, Christ knew that something that God had declared as unclean (because of the Law) had encroached on His domain. If Jesus was able to know that as a human, how much more do you think God knows as God? We do not have any hope of taking our unclean selves and sneaking into heaven whilst He is looking the other way! God is Just and will not abide sin, so being able to sneak in is never an option!

But because of Christ’s love for us and through His infinite mercy, He was willing to allow this deed to happen. He allowed it to make sure that this woman would know the truth. He allowed it to make sure that we would learn the truth. He allowed it to show that He is willing to forgive us, even when we are in a state that God has called unclean! What an Awesome God we have that He is willing to show us such mercy every day of our lives – where would we be without His love and without His care?

Points to Ponder:
Did you do that?

Have you asked for His forgiveness?