In Mark 5, in the crowds around Jesus, a woman with a long-term bleeding problem reached out to him, saying to herself, "If I just touch the fringe of his cloak, I’ll be healed." As her hand brushed the fabric, she felt the bleeding stop.
Jesus felt the power go out of him and turned to find a trembling woman. "Daughter," he says, "your faith has healed you. Go in peace."
In this story, I’ve always focused on the woman’s faith, trying to discern the role of faith in physical healing. This morning, I noticed Jesus address to her: "Daughter."
She seemed to want an impersonal relationship, content to touch his garments, unseen. But he wanted a personal connection. He wanted not only to heal her, but to love her.
Jesus, you invite us to be sons and daughters. Draw us from the fringes into your heart, where our deepest healing lies.