Strange ways
by Chelsea Pietsch
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She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse (Mark 5:26).
In this passage, Jesus heals a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. He also raises a 12-year-old girl from the dead.
When we read these miraculous accounts, we can quickly forget the suffering that came before the glorious ending. Yes, it’s wonderful that people got healed. But why did they have to suffer so much in the first place? Why did God not spare or relieve them from their heavy trial?
Can you imagine 12 years of bleeding? The poor woman would have been anemic. She would have lacked energy and found her day-to-day life hard to manage, as those who suffer chronic conditions understand. The Scriptures also tell us that she had spent all of her money on doctors’ bills, so perhaps she experienced anxiety about finances as well. And that’s to say nothing of the shame and humiliation she would have felt for having such a condition in the first place.
And what about the 12-year-old girl? What about her parents? If Christ was going to heal her anyway, why didn’t he intervene before she was dead? Why didn’t he act before there had to be the ‘crying and loud wailing’ that we read about? Why didn’t he push through the crowd and come quicker? Why, Lord, why?
We all suffer in this life. One trouble passes, another rolls in. Sometimes our suffering feels bearable. Other times way, it feels way too heavy. While God doesn’t necessarily cause our suffering, he also allows it. Otherwise, why would he not swoop in and intervene before suffering befalls us? Is he just allowing the natural consequences of our free will to play out?
Despite the pain of suffering, the Scriptures remind us that it need not be in vain. In fact, it may even be the path that leads to transformation.
Had this woman not bled for so long, maybe she wouldn’t have ever been desperate enough to turn to Christ. Similarly, had his daughter not been dying, maybe Jairus would never have sought out the Lord for help.
Can you think of a time in your life where your suffering led you to cry out to God with desperation you’d never known before? Are you still in that dark place, or do you look back now and see how God mysteriously used your suffering to draw you closer to himself and to make you more like him?
Dear Lord, your word tells us that if we share in your sufferings, we may also share in your glory (Romans 8:17). Sustain us in our suffering, and help us not lose sight of your promised glory. Amen.
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