Jesus Speaks to Women - Matthew 9: 20-22

I continue in my quest to hearing Jesus speaking to me by searching and pausing at passages where He spoke to women in the Gospels.  Today, I'm stopping at the first instance of recorded words that Jesus spoke to a woman in the Gospel according to Matthew: 

Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment. Matthew 9: 20-22

This is another scene when Jesus performs a healing to a woman...while getting on His way to raising a young girl back to life after she was pronounced dead, by the way...but this time, there are words spoken by Our Savior, precious words that we can cling onto.  But before we get to His words, let's look at His actions.  

We have the woman, who, filled with faith and hope, dared to touch His cloak, even if only the very edge.  Scripture gives us a detail about this woman's condition which is very important:  she had been bleeding for twelve years.  Lord, have mercy!  This condition was not only debilitating and potentially lethal (actually, it's amazing she survived that long!) but it also made her unclean, and as such, unable to go to temple.  She was an outcast.  This was her chance to plug herself into the Power of the Most High, and she took it!  She knew, she ran a risk of being tossed away, but, fueled by faith, she went for it.  

What did Jesus do?  Did He shush her away?  Did He have His bodyguards get her our of the way?  Of course not!  He turned to her.  Can you believe it?  Jesus actually TURNED. TO. HER.  WOW!

And He saw her...

Nobody is too small.  Nobody is too far away.  Nobody is too unimportant.  Nobody is too unclean.  Nobody is too insignificant that the King of Kings may not stop, turn and see him or her.

Then, as if that weren't enough for an outcast woman (NOT an oxymoron in Jesus' time), He speaks to her:  “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.”

Blessed be the Name of Jesus!!!!

Don't you long to hear Him say that to you?  I know I do!  With all my heart, I do!  

So, let's grab these words as if spoken to us, because they are, indeed!  Let's push through the crowd of unbelief, of busyness, of entertainment, of activities, of our circumstances, of our fears and anxieties, like Jon Courson says in his Application Commentary, and let's be like this nameless woman, and reach out and touch the hem of His cloak.  He is waiting for us to do so.  She is nameless, because she is every woman who needs His healing power, His presence, His eyes on her, His words spoken to her...

Sigh...

Dear Lord, may I recognize that I am your daughter.  May I know that You know me.  May I realize that You see me.  May I accept that You heal me.