The Answer for Your Issues
Sunday, June 26, 2011 – AM
By Pastor James May
Issues – we all have them. Whether its issues within ourselves or issues that are a part of our lives that are brought upon us from other sources. The fact remains that we all have issues to deal with on a daily basis. How do you deal with your issues? Where do you seek answers for those things which plaque your life every day? Where, or with whom do you find the help you need when there are issues on the job; issues in your marriage; issues with your children; issues with your health; or any of the other issues you deal with?
In our message for today there is a story of one woman who had an issue that had been draining the life out of her for twelve years. Let’s look at Mark chapter 5 and read about her.
Mark 5:25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
Mark 5:26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
She had a physical issue that she could not overcome though she had tried every conceivable means to do so. Under the Law of Moses she was considered as ceremonially unclean and anything and everyone she touched would also be considered as unclean. Leviticus chapter 15 tells us that she was considered as unclean for at least seven days after the issue had ceased. But her sickness hadn’t lasted for just a short time and then passed. For 12 long years she suffered. For 12 years she had lived a life of uncleanness and separation with no hope of being healed of her sickness. She could have very little contact with other people and was shunned because of her condition. She was cut off from main stream society; cut off from the worship in the temple; and according to the Law, she was cut off from God. According to the Law she couldn’t offer her sacrifices in the temple; and she was too ashamed to appear before people.
She had an issue of blood and it was an issue that would bring her to an early grave, but no one had an answer for her.
She had gone to doctor after doctor in Israel, searching for someone who had a cure, but none could help her. Just like it is today, the medical profession of her day was probably a self-perpetuating profession. By that I mean that it seems the doctors are supporting one another, one specialist feeding off another. If you don’t think that’s true just think about what happens when you get sick.
In recent days I’ve had some first hand experience at how it all works. I went to a Primary Care Doctor, who is very good and very conscientious. Of course there are certain areas where she lacks expertise, so then she begins to refer me to other doctors who specialize in areas where she lacks knowledge and experience. First there’s the Cardiologist who puts you through the ringer to make sure that you aren’t having heart and circulation issues. If you didn’t have heart trouble when you went in; you might when you come out because his tests can be pretty strenuous. Since he didn’t find anything wrong, I was then referred to a Pulmonary Specialist, who ran a whole battery of tests to see how well you breathe. He finds little wrong, no definitive results and so begins the long process of try and try again. It doesn’t end with one visit to each doctor. Now you are on the list to come back at regular intervals to make sure you stay well, or to try and find out if there’s really a problem that needs to be treated. Two trips to the ER, 3 days in the hospital, 6 or 7 doctors later, and still no one knows exactly what I had or how to treat it. They all give medications, but then tell me not to take what the last doctor gave because of side effects. I’ve only dealt with this for 3 months. I can’t begin to imagine what this poor woman dealt with for 12 years. It’s a never-ending, vicious cycle and it drains you physically, mentally and financially.
Every time you step into the door of a medical facility, whether it’s a doctor, a clinic or a hospital, you can just get ready to give them your paycheck. There’s no escaping the co-pays for the doctor or the pharmacy. And you better have insurance. I pity the poor folks who have none and there are a lot of them. Very few can afford the price to get treatment without insurance. The high cost of medical help is spiraling out of control with no end in sight.
What does this woman’s issue speak to us today? First, I believe it is an example of the fact that we all have issues with blood. Not so much in the physical sense; although that is true too. Since the life of the body is in the blood, any kind of issues with your blood can result in serious problems.
1. Blood has the role of transporting food and oxygen to the cells, and to remove toxic wastes, including carbon dioxide. Therefore, if your blood is flowing normally, or doing its job as it should, you can quickly become very ill. If oxygen isn’t being delivered, you soon die. If toxic wastes are being removed, then you won’t live for long.
2. The center of the circulatory system is represented by the heart, that pumps the blood. If your heart isn’t right, prepare to meet God because that’s where you are heading very quickly.
3. The contraction and the relaxation of the heart determines your blood pressure in the arteries. Too much and you could have a stroke; not enough and you become extremely weak and incoherent.
4. Atherosclerosis, or what we once called “hardening of the arteries” results from too much fat in the blood and not enough activity, among other things.
The fact is that the condition of the blood in the body will either make you healthy or kill you.
The Second and most important issue that we have with blood today is that we all are born with blood that is tainted by the sin of Adam that affects the entire human race. The poison of sin has made us unclean. We are born into this world ceremonially unclean, unacceptable in presence of our Holy God; separated from Him and unable to offer sacrifice of ourselves that is acceptable.
We try to find other ways, much like this woman had tried many physicians, but none of the things we try will make a difference. We can give offerings of time, talent and money, but none of those things will buy our deliverance from sin. We can shake the preacher’s hand, memorize the entire Bible, cover to cover, and that won’t free us from the grip of the poison of sin. We can go to church faithfully, spend our lives in service to the church and to our fellowman, but those things in and of themselves, no matter how good they are, cannot deliver us from the sin that has us in its powerful grip.
There’s only one answer for our issue of blood and it’s the same answer that this little woman in the Book of Mark found.
Mark 5:27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
Mark 5:28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
What issues are you facing this morning? Have you tried doctors, psychiatrists, lawyers or perhaps even the preacher or the priest and still have no answers? Your answers are not found in man; not in any man. Everybody you consult with to get help has their own issues that they are dealing with and can’t find a cure for. If they can’t help themselves, what makes you think that they can help you?
I don’t have issues with going to the doctor for help. I believe that God gives us wisdom to seek help and thank God that he helps other people to give you what you need to make you well physically. But there are no doctors, nor anyone else that can help you overcome the spiritual disease of sin in your heart. That help can only be found in Jesus Christ for his is the only perfect blood sacrifice that is necessary to cleanse us from sin.
This woman found her answer. She heard about Jesus and she knew that Jesus was her only hope of deliverance. She was desperate for answers. She could feel her life growing weaker every day and without help she wouldn’t last much longer. She could not die in her unclean condition for that meant eternal separation from God.
How desperate do we have to get sometimes before we seek the only answer that works? How far down into the pits of sin and despair will we go before we look up? What will it take to get our attention and turn us back to Christ? Only God knows. I’ve seen people come to the very brink of hell, to the very edge of the grave; before they will finally look over into eternity and see what awaits. For some that moment is too late and there’s no stopping as they plunge into the fiery pits. Life ends and eternity without God begins in an instant. But thank God, for some, that moment is a defining moment in their lives as they reach out, like this woman did, to touch Jesus in desperation.
It takes faith; faith born out of desperation sometimes, but still it’s faith that believes, that hopes, that cries for mercy and reaches out to touch Jesus.
She pressed her way in. She was determined to get to the Lord and nobody was going to stop her. I can only imagine the scene as she tried to press in. There was a crowd following Jesus that day. There were the disciple who surrounded him and kept the crowds back as best they could. There was a multitude of people following closely, some following out of curiosity to see what Jesus would do next. He was a miracle worker and the Jews were always seeking a sign from God. Some followed because they had issues of their own. One in particular, a ruler of the synagogue named Jarius, had come to get Jesus to go to his house because his daughter was dying. There were some serious issues among those who thronged Jesus that day, but only one of them reached out to touch Jesus.
Mark 5:29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
She pushed, shoved and crawled until she finally got within reach of Jesus’ garments. She was bent over in weakness and shame, but she wouldn’t quit. Everybody around her would recoil in horror as they realized that she was making them unclean, but there were so many that they were pushed against her and she against them, but she wouldn’t give up. They probably spoke harsh words against her, warning her to leave, demanding that she step back, but she kept pressing on in desperation until finally she was able to reach out and just catch the hem of Jesus’ garment. Just one touch of faith; one instant of contact with the healing power of the Son of God and she was made whole. She had her miracle and she knew it. 12 years of suffering gone! A lifetime of misery and rejection ended! She was made whole again and could now become clean under the Law and worship God again! What a difference just one touch can make – one touch from Jesus is all that matters.
Mark 5:30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
Mark 5:31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
Scores of people, perhaps even hundreds pressed upon Jesus. All of the disciples, and many of the people had more than likely been touching Jesus all along the way. They had reached out to touch him in friendship, in curiosity or even by accident. But none had touched him in faith as this little woman did. None of the others had received the answer to their issues, but she did. Jesus was and is very God. He knew who had touched him. He knew that someone had been delivered and healed, and he turned to recognize the faith of just one person in the crowd.
Mark 5:32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
Mark 5:33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
Mark 5:34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
It was unlawful for her to touch Jesus. He was considered a Rabbi, a man sent from God, a man who was above her in every way. In her condition it was unimaginable to come into contact with a man of God, and yet that’s what she did. As she came to Jesus, confessing what she had done, she came with a repentant and broken spirit. She was fearful of the mob and fearful that she might be punished for such a thing, but she was also grateful and excited and free at last.
I want you to take note of the heart of God as Jesus spoke to this woman. He didn’t condemn her for her sickness, or for touching him in her unclean state. He didn’t belittle her and tell her how bad she was for what she had done. He admired her for her faith and tenacity. He called her, Daughter, for he knew that his woman was truly a child of God through faith, and that faith in the power of God to heal had made her whole. Jesus told her to go in peace.
That’s what we need for all of our issues this morning – we need the delivering power of God to make us whole so that we may go in peace.
Jesus is not only our Deliverer but he is our source of peace; a peace that is beyond anything that man can give; a peace that is supernatural.
Do you have issues this morning? Are you plagued by sickness, emotional problems, depression, weakness or anything else? Jesus is here this morning, walking among us. Why not reach out and touch him right now? Why wait until the issues in your life bring you to the point of desperation? Reach out and touch the Lord right now as he goes by. Reach out by faith and receive the answer for the issues that you are facing. The Prince of Peace will speak healing and deliverance into your life if you will only reach out and touch him by faith.
