The best we can do is pray
“And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment” (Mark 5:25-27).
This woman, who had suffered many years of a condition that would have caused her to be ostracized from her community, had tried everything. She had seemingly exhausted all her efforts and had more than likely spent all her earnings. Then she heard of Jesus and came to see Him.
Is Christ our first instinct or our last resort? Many of us have heard the phrase, or perhaps even said it ourselves, “All we can do is pray.” We need to reframe our thinking; the best we can do is pray! Matthew Henry wrote that “It is usual with people not to apply themselves to Christ, till they have tried in vain all other helpers, and find them, as certainly they will, physicians of no value. And he will be found a sure refuge, even to those who make him their last refuge.”
The woman’s faith certainly wasn’t perfect—who’s faith is?—but she knew enough that if she touched Jesus she would be whole. At the time, if someone in her condition touched anyone, that person would be made unclean, just like her. But not Jesus. “For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole” (Mark 5:28). She didn’t say this audibly, but to herself. As Charles Spurgeon said, “Groanings which cannot be uttered are often prayers which cannot be refused.”
The woman with the issue of blood believed that Christ could heal her if only she could touch the hem of His garment. Matthew Henry wrote in his commentary that “Christ puts honour upon faith, because faith gives honour to Christ.” Like God provided the brazen serpent in the wilderness to heal all those who looked upon it, when we earnestly seek Christ, we can rest assured that He does indeed hear us, and He will honour our faith. First though, we have to come to Him.
The woman came to Christ, and she came in humility. There was nothing hid between her and Christ. “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 5:33). The woman came in fear and trembling, and fell down before Him, as there is no honesty with Christ without humility. The two go hand in hand.
To be completely transparent with Christ, we cannot try to cover anything up, and we cannot pray how we think He wants us to pray. We’ve got to show Him everything that’s in our hearts, after all, He knows it already! Nothing is hidden from Him, so it really is of no use to try to hide things from Him. The Lord knows every heart and every thought (1 Chronicles 28:9). While this may cause some to fear, it brings great comfort to the aching heart that is longing to be made whole. What a relief to know that we do not have to put on airs with Christ. Come as you are, and He will do the rest. You will never be the same.
“Do not despair, dear heart, but come to the Lord with all thy jagged wounds, black bruises, and running sores. He alone can heal, and He delights to do it. It is our Lord’s office to bind up the brokenhearted, and He is gloriously at home at it.” (Charles Spurgeon)