When I first began to start a spiritual blog I knew I wanted to share insights that God led me to and insights from others inspired by God. How can I not share?

In The Art of Spiritual Listening by Alice Fryling is encouragement to listen to God and to others who may be in need of God’s help and compassion. Do we realize how compassionate God is to us? Do we realize how much we need compassion for ourselves and for others?

One of the examples of the compassion of Jesus is in Mark 5:21-34. There was a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. Leviticus 15:25-30 – When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period. Any bed she lies on while her discharge continues will be unclean, as is her bed during her monthly period, and anything she sits on will be unclean, as during her period. Anyone who touches them will be unclean; they must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening. I include the reference to the law found in Leviticus because it helps us see the difference between the law which had specific demands and requirements that ruled people’s lives and the compassion that Jesus showed toward this woman who had suffered for 12 years.

That got me thinking about what it must have been like for her to even consider going out to where she knew Jesus was. Verse 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. She was freed from her suffering…not by the law which separated her from other people…but by healing from Jesus.

Continuing is the amazing part…At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” Even the disciples were surprised by Him asking that because a great crowd of people were crowding around him and I would suppose jostling Him and each other. When I started to reflect quietly and allow the story to seep deep I realized that though others were touching Jesus, His power only went out to this one woman who touched his cloak….and He knew! He asked who touched Him and she knew she was found out. Remember, she is supposed to be isolated from others so they, too, will not become unclean and she must have been afraid of being found out by those who had the power to enforce the law. How would you have felt?

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Going deep again, I can’t help but imagine what it must have been like for her at that moment. She was looking into the eyes of a man so compassionate she was compelled to tell him the whole truth….not into the eyes of condemnation that the law keepers would have shown. They were still surrounded by a crowd who was probably wondering why they were stopping and probably still jostling each other impatiently. I can imagine in those precious minutes as she looked into the eyes of Jesus she felt loved. She found compassion. The crowd melted away and I can well imagine in those minutes it felt as though it was just her and Jesus and no one else. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.

For 12 years she suffered from bleeding. The law couldn’t heal her, the physicians couldn’t heal her and she was desperate. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2. Jesus freed her from suffering because He is the only one who can. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering…the Spirit who gives life has set you free.