FAITH AND VIRTUE
 
In Mark 5:25-34 a certain woman had an issue of blood for twelve years.  I think it is very interesting that the story starts out with a certain woman.  We are all individuals in the eyes of God.  She had a problem.  She was trying to stay alive.  What made this even worse was in her physical dilemma she was also wandering around in discouragement because no Doctor could help her and she spent all of her money.  Physically ill, broke ( no money) and discouraged.  She had no control over her issues.  Sound familiar?  What do we do when we have to sit in a hopeless dilemma?  There is really not much we can do except have faith in God.
 
After twelve years Jesus Christ was walking through her home town and in desperation she plunged her way through the crowd and touched His garment.  God sees our desperation but it is up to us what we do with it.  The more we give it to God in faith the less it will be a burden upon us because God will be taking over.  Believe it or not we were never called to carry our own burdens.  Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.  1 Peter 5:7.
 
I like it when the Bible says " For she said, if I may touch His clothes, I shall be whole."  The word " may" implies a possibility.  She understood the authority that Jesus Christ had because many people were getting healed through Him.  All things are possible through God wherever we are if it is in keeping with His will for our life.  So right away she understood that anything was possible through Jesus Christ.  Not only could she see the possibilities but she used the word "whole" which means completion.  Just keep in mind she was probably in despair for twelve years but she was still thinking this way when she saw Jesus Christ and yet using these terms of faith.
 
The Bible says she felt in her body that she was healed.  When God does something in our lives we don't always know what He is doing but we will realize experiential healing whether mental, emotional or physical.  God must grant this type of healing.  We don't just automatically get it.
 
I find it very interesting that both our Lord Jesus Christ and the woman knew at the same time that healing took place.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that virtue had gone out of Him...Mark 5:30.  When a true transaction of moral excellence and righteousness takes place from God to man both will know.  Notice there was interest among both parties.  The woman " felt in her body" and Jesus asked " Who touched my clothes."  God desires not only to be good to His children but to express His virtue by experience in our spirit.  This does not have to happen in a physical healing.  We could have a mental, emotional, or circumstantial problem.  I believe through our faith God will somehow and in some way express His virtue through us because God is good by nature.  This is what He desires to do.  If you are not convinced moving down in the story He asked a second time " Who touched me."  In the midst of all those people Jesus was interested in one thing-to whom did My goodness go into?  Remember it left Him and went into the woman and healed her.  As Jesus Christ looked around they both met face to face.  Jesus Christ really does desire to meet us face to face.  He wants our full attention.  When God advances us to this level through His goodness we will feel compelled to tell Him the truth.  The Bible says " 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.  Who would have ever thought that the goodness of God included with fear and trembling would be in the same story?  When she experienced God's goodness fear and trembling before our Savior Jesus Christ was not only the very first thing she thought of but in this she told Him all the truth.  His goodness compels us to fear and trembling and in return we want to tell God the truth because He is our Father.
 
Even if the most hardened skeptic read this story they could not possibly get around the woman's faith.  Faith is the vehicle to God's grace.  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.  Eph.2:8-9.  Jesus told her " Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole"..., so in this case if she did not step out in faith she would probably never have experienced the virtuous healing of our loving Savior Jesus Christ in her body.  We must trust God.  There is no other mathematical substitution for this.  God will not allow anybody to approach Him through intellect.  He knows more than we do.  We approach God by faith and faith alone.
 
I think it is interesting that when all this is said and done Jesus said " Go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."  God desires us to walk in peace because Romans 15:33 says " Now the God of peace be with you all."  Peter tells us to seek peace and ensue it.  Maybe God allows us to war through all these problems so that when we get peace and walk in it we won't take it for granted.  The fallen angels did.  They had peace in Heaven and chose war.  We were born in a state of war with all our problems and if we truly become a child of God through His Son Jesus Christ we will eventually get God's virtuous peace by experience in our spirit.  Sounds like an ironic paradox to me.  If anyone reading this article did not accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior know that He is good by nature only having your best interest in mind.The more we step out in faith the more God will grant His virtue to us.  Praying for God's experiential virtue in your life.
 
Bob D.