THE HEM OF HIS ROBE | People of the Second Chance

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By Alece Ronzino:

The woman bled for 12 years straight. Physician after physician shrugged his shoulders. She’d given up all hope of ever getting better. But then she heard about Jesus: the miracle worker. Desperate, she knew she had to get to Him.

As she clawed her way through the crowd on her hands and knees, she carried with her much more than her illness. She carried shame. As if in a bag over her shoulder, she dragged along a heavy burden of rejection and fear. She’s referred to as the “woman with the issue of blood”, but her issues ran much deeper than that. Her physical ailment made her an outcast in her own culture. Her emotional hurts and scars were far worse than her physical ones.

Finally catching up to Jesus, she reached out and frantically, yet faintly, grabbed the hem of His robe. Immediately, she was healed. Jesus turned around and faced the crowd. “Who touched Me?”

She told Him the whole truth. She told why she had touched Him and how she had been instantly healed. Jesus cared enough to listen to her story. The long version. He just let her talk. He was on His way to heal a dying girl. People were rushing Him. Pressing Him. Insisting He keep going before it’s too late. He silenced them long enough for her to tell her story.

When she finished talking, He responded by calling her Daughter. It’s the only time recorded that He addressed someone that way. The love she felt in that one simple word must have been overwhelming. After pouring out her heart, He’d responded with pure affection. Gentle but aggressive love.

If Jesus’ aim was simply to heal her, He would have kept walking after she touched Him, for she was healed instantly. If that was all He was concerned about, He wouldn’t have stopped, turned around, asked the question. He wouldn’t have looked straight at her, talked to her, listened. But He did all those things. He wanted to let her talk. To tell her story. He wanted to call her Daughter.

For that is when her heart was healed.

He wanted to heal more than her body. His aim all along was to heal her heart.

I can picture Him looking her in the eyes as He talked to her. And making her look into His. The healing began as, face-to-face, His love was visible, and it resonated within her soul. It broke down walls. Shattered barriers. Smashed through the defenses she’d lived behind for so long. His love broke through with a simple gaze, a listening ear, and undivided attention.

It wouldn’t have helped if He healed her physically, but left her to still carry the hurt from her 12 years of rejection and disgrace. Despite her physical healing, she probably would have continued to stay holed up in her house. She would have been the same cowering little girl she always was, still dragging her bag of shame behind her. But as Jesus looked into her eyes, He saw the woman He created her to be, and He wasn’t content to leave her drowning in her pain.

The greatest healing isn’t the miraculous cure of her incurable disease. It is the passionate healing of her heart.

God’s primary concern is still the condition of hearts. Physical health and a blessed life pale in comparison with a restored soul. God’s heart hurts for our hurting hearts.

He still brings love, grace, and healing through a touch of the hem of His robe.

And we are the hem of His robe.

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http://www.eileenknowles.blogspot.com Eileen

“God’s primary concern is still the condition of hearts.” Beautiful. Thank you.
http://twitter.com/modernreject Nicole Cottrell

Alece,
I so love and appreciate this. This year I have been dwelling on similar thoughts. I had a friend ask why it was that Jesus didn’t just heal the masses or the crowds when they were gathered. He was certainly capable.

The answer is that He is a personal and intimate God. He met people face-to-face, as you point out, to not only meet the physical need but our emotional and spiritual needs.

He is not in the business of mass-production faith, but rather genuine, individualized experiences with the One True Living God.
http://twitter.com/AshleyASmith ash

I love that as we experience that generous, scandalous grace- we get to be the hem. I think I have always looked at that story as passive, that it happened because she touched his robe. I did not look at it as intimate, relational, connective.
http://flowersandmusings.blogspot.com/ Tanya Fleenor

Reading this gave me a picture of her walking with her shoulders back and head raised high. She is a daughter of the King.

thanks.
Anonymous

He restoreth my soul… He is good like that. I’m feeling the warmth & beauty of this story today. Thanks for sharing it so eloquently my friend.
Gena

Man, I LOVE this. What a great picture described by Jesus’ desire to be in relationship with us. Thank you!
Staci

Wow, I remember reading this same post on another one of my favorite sites, Relevant. I’d love to see something fresh from you Alece.
http://twitter.com/stephindialogue Stephanie S. Smith

Beautiful reminder Christ heals our tattered souls, and He is not put off by any of our physical maladies.

I also find immense grace in this passage because in the Old Testament, women had to leave the community during their menstrual period. It was considered “unclean” and therefore they were temporarily exiled. But here, Jesus allows a woman who is not only bleeding but bleeding continuously because of her condition..to touch Him. And He calls her daughter! To me, as a woman who still sometimes feels that God is the Father who had hoped for a son, this is grace upon grace.
http://twitter.com/stephindialogue Stephanie S. Smith

Beautiful reminder Christ heals our tattered souls, and He is not put off by any of our physical maladies.

I also find immense grace in this passage because in the Old Testament, women had to leave the community during their menstrual period. It was considered “unclean” and therefore they were temporarily exiled. But here, Jesus allows a woman who is not only bleeding but bleeding continuously because of her condition..to touch Him. And He calls her daughter! To me, as a woman who still sometimes feels that God is the Father who had hoped for a son, this is grace upon grace.
http://karenhammons.mobi Karen Hammons

A fantastic post that shares how He cares about our complete healing from all the simple and complex things that knock us down. He wants and desires to make us whole. Thank you, Alece for such a beautiful post to remind us of this!! You are such a blessing to me and others!!!!
Anonymous

This was exactly what I needed to read this morning. Our Redeemer does far more than address what everyone around us can see. He restores and makes better that which no one truly sees but Him. That is real intimacy.

Thank you, Alece, for writing this breathtaking post.
http://twitter.com/desirae_dawn Desirae Schneider

I love this line “The greatest healing isn’t the miraculous cure of her incurable disease. It is the passionate healing of her heart.” Amazing.

Jesus didn’t come to just cure our incurable disease aka sin but to pour deeply into our hearts… he didn’t come to fix the sin but to heal and love on and cherish the sinner… Our God is an awesome God…
http://twitter.com/AnaMunzinger Ana Munzinger

Way to really bring it home with that last line. It’s so important that we realize that the love we have received, we must also share.
http://www.gritandglory.com/ Alece

perfectly said, Ana.
Anonymous

oh my. yes…this resonates with me today, alece.
http://www.gritandglory.com/ Alece

that realization came to me too — that it wasn’t only active on the woman’s part… it was active on Jesus’. gives me hope.
http://www.gritandglory.com/ Alece

a. men.
http://www.gritandglory.com/ Alece

thank you for reading and chiming in, Eileen.
http://www.gritandglory.com/ Alece

“grace upon grace”… such beautiful, powerful truth….
http://www.gritandglory.com/ Alece

I’m so thankful He restores my soul…

Love you.
http://www.gritandglory.com/ Alece

mmmm! I love that! and I couldn’t agree more…
http://www.gritandglory.com/ Alece

love you, e!
http://twitter.com/gritandglory Alece Ronzino

so well-said, desirae! amen.
http://twitter.com/gritandglory Alece Ronzino

“that is real intimacy”…. mmmm… love that truth…
http://twitter.com/gritandglory Alece Ronzino

i write as often as i’m able on my own blog…

thank you for reading, staci.
http://twitter.com/gritandglory Alece Ronzino

i need to remind myself of this so often…
http://twitter.com/gritandglory Alece Ronzino

thank you for being such an amazing “cheerleader”, karen. i’m grateful for you.
http://www.gritandglory.com/potsc/ potsc : Grit and Glory

[...] I am People of the Second Chance. [...]
http://greaterthanknowledge.wordpress.com/ Andrew Ronzino

Amen! I love this, it’s so true! “God’s primary concern is still the condition of hearts. Physical health
and a blessed life pale in comparison with a restored soul. God’s heart
hurts for our hurting hearts.” I can’t agree more. That’s a wonderful way to put it! Thank you for sharing this, Alece!
http://taminprogress.com Tam

and her faith allowed her heart to heal… and He knew that.

so powerful.
http://bindubalan.wordpress.com Bindu

Alece…
Thanks for this post..it gives me hope.
Bindu
http://www.esauproject.com Julie Shreve

Intentional faith. Intentional grace. She reached out because she believed, and he healed because she was willing to believe. Always good stuff, Alece.
http://www.clearbrilliantcrystal.com Crystal

I never, never saw that before. He called her daughter. How many times have I read that? I needed this healing touch tonight…so so so much. Thank you Jesus! Thank you Alece!
http://twitter.com/gritandglory Alece Ronzino

wow, crystal. my eyes filled with tears just reading your comment. thank you!
http://twitter.com/gritandglory Alece Ronzino

love that, julie! intentional faith and intentional grace. so so good!
http://twitter.com/gritandglory Alece Ronzino

it gives me hope too, friend…
http://twitter.com/gritandglory Alece Ronzino

love the way you put that, tam. so good.
http://twitter.com/gritandglory Alece Ronzino

thank you, andrew. love you.
http://bernardshuford.tumblr.com Bernard Shuford

“…we are the hem of his robe.”

That’s startling. And true.
http://twitter.com/gritandglory Alece Ronzino

it gets me every time…
http://www.encounteringlove.wordpress.com Rachel

Love every word. Thank you Alece for your voice of hope.

Jul 5