Spiritual Training Cycle: Connection (wk. 5/13)
Picture this: you get to the gym, all the usual crowd is there, people are warming up, putting their gear on, catching up from the long weekend. But there’s a new guy standing in the corner, a big guy, not an athletic guy, at least not anymore. He’s shy and nervous. He’s been neglecting his fitness and health for far too long. But today is the day he turns all that around.
What is going through your head right now? "Good for him. I hope he makes it. I was there once." Maybe a little shade creeps in: "How could he let himself get like that? I’m glad that’s not me."
Far from a gym, about 2,000 years ago, a woman started a similar journey. She heard that the miracle preacher, who loved sinners and was kind to outcasts, had come to town. And judging by the bustle, he was close. Quickly, she gathered herself, covered her face, and stepped outside. She hoped no one would recognize her. The Bible was clear that anyone bleeding was unclean and should keep their distance. Certainly, not press into a crowd. Certainly not come near a rabbi. But there was another verse rolling around in her mind. Micah 4:2, “there is healing in his wings.”
Jewish men wore a special kind of robe, with tassels (tzitzit). These came to be referred to as the wings of their robes. Hebrew sages had been teaching that when the Messiah would come, even the wings, the tzitzit, would have the power to heal. So after 12 years of bleeding. 12 years of painful and useless treatments. 12 years of being an outcast. This woman made Micah 4:2 a reality and grabbed the wings of Jesus’s robe. Immediately she was healed. Jesus turns to see who touched Him, or rather His wings. He finds the eyes of the woman and says, “Your faith has healed you.”
“Your faith has healed you.”
Now, here is where it gets interesting… Jesus doesn’t say healed (iaomai). He says “saved” (sozo). Central to the biblical concept of salvation is healing and restoration. After all, salvation is the healing of sin by forgiveness and the restoration of a relationship with God. But salvation is so much more than that. It is the healing of our minds, our hearts, our relationships, and even our bodies. In heaven, you are no longer broken – you’re fully healed. All the scars, wounds, fears, trauma, and anger are replaced with wholeness, joy, and love. The journey from here to heaven is a healing journey.
Back to our friend. He’s on a healing journey, too. His journey also requires faith. Faith that exercise will work. Faith that he can stick with it. Faith in the coaches. Faith in the system. It requires faith to confront his brokenness.
Now to you: Do you have faith to confront your brokenness? Do you think Jesus can heal you? Restore you? Can you learn from the woman 2,000 years ago? Can you be inspired by our new friend?
Can you say: Jesus, this is where I’m hurt? This is where I’m lost? This is where I’m broken? Jesus is the path to salvation, which is the beginning of our healing journey.
Questions for Reflection:
What brokenness have you learned to live with?
What parts of your life, relationships, or heart do you think Jesus longs to heal?
What keeps you from seeking healing?