Key Verse: The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed from your affliction.” (Mark 5:33-34 CSB)
One of the first people I ever had the privilege to baptize was a 16 year girl. She really wanted to declare publicly her faith in Jesus Christ and speak about all that He had done in her life. As she entered the baptism tank to tell her story, I noticed that she was trembling in fear. It was a huge step for her to take to go public about her faith in Jesus in front of her family, friends, and a bunch of people she didn’t even know.
For the woman who encountered Jesus, her life had been radically changed. As she reached out and touched his cloak from behind, the power of Jesus had instantly healed the health issue she had been facing for more than a decade. But the encounter with Jesus wasn’t quite over yet. As she touched his cloak and experienced His healing power, “Jesus realized in himself that power had gone out from him” (v.30). So He turned to the crowd and asked them, “Who touched my clothes?”
It was a bit of an odd question if you think about. First off, as His disciples pointed out to Him, Jesus was surrounded by a lot of people. “You see the crowds pressing against you,” they said, “and yet you say, “Who touched me?” (v.31). It would be kind of like stepping out of a limousine onto the red carpet in Hollywood and demanding to know who took your picture. The answer is everyone did! More significantly, Jesus is God, and therefore knows everything. He has the ability to know the thoughts and motives of people. So surely He already knew what had happened and who it was that had touched Him.
So why bother asking? Jesus simply wanted this woman to identify herself. He wanted her to let everyone know about what had happened. Why did people need to hear? From a physical standpoint, she would never be restored back into the community if people continued to think she was “unclean.” From a spiritual standpoint, Jesus wanted her to own her actions and go public with the faith that she had shown in Him.
So that’s exactly what she did. “The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her came and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth” (v.32). In front of everyone, she owned the faith that she had shown in Jesus. In response, Jesus graciously reassured her of her faith and sent her on her way in peace.
Jesus wants the same for us as well. If we are truly followers of Jesus, then we need to step up and identify ourselves. We need to take our faith public. The people that we work with, live beside, go to school with, and buy our coffee from all need to know where our loyalties lie. We are on a mission to be bold witnesses of Jesus to the watching world. Do people know that you know and follow Jesus? Would they be surprised to hear about your faith in Him?
It’s time to go public! Do not be ashamed. The gospel is the power of God for salvation. Today is the day to step forward and boldly share of all that Christ has done for you. It may not be easy. It might even be a little scary. But through the power of the Holy Spirit in you, God can give you the courage to be bold enough to speak about it as you should (Ephesians 6:20). Invite Him to do that work in you today.
Prayer: Jesus, I want to be bold and unashamed about all that you have done in my life. Grant me today, by your Spirit, a fresh courage to share my faith with others. Please give me an opportunity to go public with your good news. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
