Proximity Is Not Access

Mark 5:24-34

"Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?” His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”’

Faith is the catalyst in the solution to our problem. I’m sure the woman with the issue of blood was not the only one there with a problem. However, she is the only one the bible specifically mentions in this passage. I don’t believe that’s an accident. The crowd was pressing into Jesus. I wonder if you could even spot Him looking in from the outside. Instead of “Where’s Waldo” it’s “Where’s Jesus”! For as many people were pressing in trying to be close to Jesus, it was a woman with faith that stopped Him. Faith causes a reaction from God. It is a catalyst. It is the the match. It is the lighter fluid. We exercise faith and then God moves.

An interesting point I find in this portion of scripture is that proximity to Jesus does not equal access to Jesus. The crowds had proximity to Jesus, but the woman accessed Jesus. Case in point, Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples. He spent 3 years being in proximity to Jesus. He had a front row seat to all His teachings and miracles. He even had access to one on one time with Jesus. Yet in John 20, Thomas hears the crucified Jesus was risen and gives this response. In verse 25 “So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” I imagine Thomas speaking this with his arms folded and tapping his foot or wagging his finger to get his point across. Whatever tone he used or physical expression, it reiterates that proximity does not equal access. Thomas had close encounters with Jesus, but did not embrace all of who Jesus was. It takes faith to believe Jesus is who He says He is. It takes faith to believe we need a savior. It takes faith to believe the scriptures. Faith is the foundation. I think after all that time Thomas still thought Jesus was a good teacher, but doubted He was His Messiah. When a resurrected Jesus shows up to Thomas in verse 29 Jesus says “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” In contrast, Mark 5 says the woman with the issue of blood “heard about Jesus” and then went to find Him. She believed before she saw.

Secondly, desperation can push our faith to the forefront. The woman with the issue of blood suffered for 12 years and the bible says she spent years trying different treatments and exhausted her money. Oftentimes when we run out of options we realize God was our only option. This woman got to a point of desperation that just a touch from Jesus would be all she needed. Her desperation pushed her to believe the impossible. When life hits us hard that’s when we realize what we’re made of. When life deals us sickness, poverty, and strife, we realize what we truly believe. We have to make a decision to believe only what we see, or are we willing to reach out for Someone greater. When the doctors could not help her, this woman chose Someone greater. She chose faith in Jesus. Then her faith activated her miracle. Her faith was the spark she needed.

As Christians we can be close to the places we think Jesus would be and still not encounter Him. We can spend countless hours being in church, being in ministry, being in service and still miss Him. I would challenge myself and others to stop and reflect. Am I just in proximity to Jesus or am I accessing Jesus? Faith gives us access to Jesus. Faith gets the attention of Jesus and causes Him to act. Faith simply, is trust. Do I trust Him? Do I believe He is all I need? Do I believe He will do what He says He will do? God cares so much about faith/trust because of what it means. If I truly trust someone I am giving them access to my heart. When the woman with the issue of blood put her faith in Jesus, she put her heart in His hands. Jesus will not break our hearts. He is not a heartbreaker. He is a heart restorer. He will not break our hearts. He will break our chains of bondage. We can and should put our faith in Him.