Abracadabra… or Confession?

For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” – Mark 5:28

After hearing about Jesus and making up her mind, the woman with 12 years of issue of blood, confessed her faith.

Confession of faith. One of the most maligned Christian tenets. Both by its practitioners and those who don’t.

Confession of faith is not a ‘abracadabra’, where you keep saying what you want and you get it. It comes from a deeper understanding of Christ. This woman heard about Jesus and made up her mind and then confessed. And it would not be easy for her.

• She was an unclean woman.

She had an issue of blood and in Jewish culture, she was an unclean woman. It would not be easy for someone who was unclean to make up their mind to approach Jesus. Even for us, when we know that we had sinned, or made a mistake, it is difficult for us to approach the Throne of Grace. Guess the spirit of Adam and Evil is still present in us, that we hide from the presence of the Lord. She knew her problem. Yet, what she heard about Jesus convinced her to go up to Him and touch His garment. So, when I confess my faith, do I know my shortcomings? And am I convinced that I can go up to my Lord and touch His garment?

• She never forgot that she was an unclean woman.

She never forgot her status that she was an unclean woman. That was why she was behind the LORD and just touched the hem of His garment. She knew, being an unclean woman, she could not face our Saviour. Though she confessed her faith, she always remembered her humble status before the Lord. But what about me? As soon as I start confessing the faith, do I start to believe that I am the holiest of holy? Do I assume that because I confess my mouth, I can reach unto Jesus with arrogance, that He has to do this? Or, do I remember where I was taken from? Do I remember that even for this revelation, I am not worthy and it is His grace and His grace alone that has revealed this to me?

• She had lost all her savings during this time

Many times, when people who have been suffering because of certain ailments or bondages are asked to pray for deliverance, their response: “For what? I have nothing left.” This woman was wealthy to begin with and now she had lost everything. Yet, hearing about Jesus made her overcome her abject circumstance and made her believe that the slightest touch of His garment would be enough. But if in that situation, I would have probably asked like Ruth: Lord, please cover me with Your garment. Because for me, it looks like I have lost so much and only the covering with His garment would give me whatever I have lost. But she did not care about her wealth. She knew what she wanted more than anything else. When I confess my faith, do I know what is the one thing I want?

Actually I have wanted to write few more points. But the more I am writing, the more I am convicted. Not something I was planning when I started to write this blog. The Spirit of God moves in mysterious ways.