“…a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind [Jesus]. She touched the fringe of his robe, for she thought, "If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed." Jesus turned around and said to her, "Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well." And the woman was healed at that moment.”  Matthew 9:20-22

It is New Year’s Resolution time for me. Say what you will about the futility of making resolutions for the New Year, I am personally sold on the practice. So I have been pondering new beginnings in the last few weeks. And as 2010 stretches before me with all of its fresh, clean, not even out of the package hours, days and months, I am feeling a stirring of hope for what God might have for me in the New Year.

And oh, how I need it. Hope I mean. Hope has been in short supply in my heart for some time now. Whether my discouragement comes from the critical events happening around the globe, from money issues, or just challenging personal questions I have been wrestling with concerning direction for my life, I am not sure. I just know that I am waiting on the Lord for a breakthrough in 2010. And I am welcoming the sparks of hope I sense the Holy Spirit is sending out in my spirit.

I have been meaning to write about the Bent Woman for several months. The notes on it catch my eye every time I go to my computer. As I have been praying and meditating on new beginnings, she came to mind again. I think her story has a vital message for me – and maybe for you - in the New Year.

The Bent Woman… She doesn’t have a name. We know her by the label that was fixed on her because of her condition. She had suffered from a menstrual disorder for twelve years. That debilitating condition brought an even more damaging consequence to her. By law she became an Untouchable. (Leviticus 15:25-27). Anyone – man or woman - touching her would be defiled – ceremonially unclean – for the day. So for 12 years she had been ostracized from normal social relationships. We can add another name to our Bent Woman: “Untouchable”.

I have been trying to put myself in her shoes as I write this. She was a strong person I think, in more ways than one. She had to have been pretty tough physically. She had survived her medical condition for 12 years. I think she had to have been tough mentally too to have endured the isolation of being an Untouchable.

But after 12 years… Words that might describe her would be discouragement, despair, worthless, downtrodden, and yes – hopeless. Hopeless that is, until Jesus dawned on her dark days. God put a new spark of hope in her. “If I could only touch his robe…”

This is a miraculous story on so many levels, friends. The healing of her longstanding medical problem was a miracle of course, but I feel like there are even more profound miracles to think about.


No Jew would risk defilement by having anything to do with her. As a general precaution against any possible defilement by women, Jewish men carefully avoided touching, speaking or even looking at women in case they would be contaminated by one experiencing her “time of the month”. And our Bent Woman’s case was even more serious. Do you see what a miracle of grace it was when our Lord Jesus risked public censure by addressing her that day? Amazing.

The Bent Woman should not have even been in that tight crowd, being jostled by elbows and bodies. She knew she was breaking the law. It was a miracle that she dared to respond to the hope for healing that God put in her.

I love a phrase that Craig Keener uses when he talks about the Bent Woman’s story in his New Testament Background commentary. He said, “In an act of scandalous faith…” she dared to reach out to Jesus. In an act of scandalous faith she dared to follow her faintly flickering flame of hope and go to the One, the only One, who held her hope in his hands.

And Jesus rewarded her. He simply said, "Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well." And the woman was healed at that moment.”    

I feel like I am the Bent Woman as I look at 2010. How can this year be any different when I am the same person I have been in 2009? What hope do I have for a future with “plans for welfare and not for evil, to give me a future and a hope”? (Jeremiah 29:11).

The Bent Woman is my hero, my role model of faith for the coming days. I am going to dare to follow the spark of hope in my heart, and in an act of scandalous faith, reach out to Jesus and expect him to heal me, bless me, and lead me, and open doors of opportunity for me. Will you join me on this journey of faith?

The Bent Woman was a label she has carried for 12 years. In a real sense she was imprisoned by her name.

• Have you ever felt "bent," bound or restricted in some way?
• Have you ever felt weighted by a label (or shame, or doubt or even despair?)
• Have you ever felt invisible? To those around you? Or to God?

Will you join me in daring to hope that as we courageously make plans for 2010, Jesus will miraculously provide what we need? Will you believe him for healing, victory over besetting sins, supernatural provision for following the path he is calling you to take? “Scandalous Faith” is a daring, risky label to claim, friends. What is he asking you to believe him for in 2010?

Dear Friends,
This is an amazing story. In my somewhat lengthy devotional this week I hope to give you fuel for thought as you enter into 2010. The Bent Woman’s story is not just for my women readers, it is for men and women alike. Meditate on the Fresh Bread scriptures every day, and see the amazing grace that our Lord offers to all of us, regardless of our broken condition.

My husband and I are convinced that the courageous, risky, scandalous faith exhibited by the Bent Woman will be what God expects from his people more and more as the world darkens around us.

Have hope in a good future, friends! Jesus is calling us forward, and speaking courage and blessing and healing over us! He can set you free in 2010!

Reaching out in 2010,
Joan Tyvoll
Norwegian Ridge Retreat

Comments

Add New

Kaaren Tyvoll  - hopeful   |Jan 09, 2010 Hopeful for my friend that she can have this faith in God one day so as to be healed from the hurt and judgement and lack of trust that she has felt in her lifetime Reply 0   0

Joan Tyvoll   |Jan 09, 2010 I will believe for her too... love and hugs, Joanie Reply 0   0

Marilyn Blumer   |Jan 09, 2010 What a wonderful challenge and hope!! Thank you for sharing. :) Reply 0   0

Write comment
Name:
Email:	do not notifynotify
Title:
	Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."