Read: Mark 5:25-34
For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” (v. 28)
Years ago, driving home from a conference in Montreal, the driver of our vehicle fell asleep. We crashed into the car in front of us, slid off of the highway, and landed upside down in a body of water. I still remember being in the backseat, wondering if I was breathing my last breaths. In that moment, I didn’t have time to construct a well-formed prayer that was theologically correct. All I could do was cry out “Jesus, Jesus.” I was desperate, and in times of desperation, formality goes out the window. Miraculously, someone jumped into the water, pulled all of us out of the car to safety, and then—on that lonely stretch of highway in Canada—disappeared.
Mark 5 tells us about a woman who had a medical condition that had consumed her life for years. No doctor had been able to help her—in fact, things had gotten worse. Nevertheless, when she saw Jesus, she had hope that he could heal her. She pressed forward, touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, and was healed. This act was a clear violation of Jewish law, but the woman was desperate, and when you’re desperate, formality goes out the window.
Often, we imprison ourselves in customs and formalities that lack the life of the Spirit. I believe God longs for us to be desperate in our faith, longing so strongly for a touch from him that we will do anything. —Duane T. Loynes Sr.
As you pray, be authentic in expressing your desire for God.
About the Author
Dr. Duane T. Loynes Sr. is a professor of Urban Studies and Africana Studies at Rhodes College. He resides in Memphis, Tennessee, with his wife Ericka and their son Duane Jr., and is an active member of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
