Deacon Myra M. Taylor

Mark 5:25-34 (NLT)

Reach For Your Reward 

There is a gospel song in which Rev. Clay Evans (Pastor Emeritus of Fellowship Baptist Church) sings with Fellowship’s Mass Choir, “Reach beyond the Break." At the beginning of the song, Rev. Evans offers a parable about a family on vacation. During the vacation the father and son go off to the beach. The son, while playing in the water, ventures out too far and is in danger of drowning. When the father notices he becomes nervous and excited while realizing that he (himself) cannot swim. Feeling helpless the father looks around and finds a rope on the shore. He throws the rope and yells to his son to grab hold of it. While being pulled back to shore the son cries out, “Daddy, my rope is breaking!” The father responds by telling his child, “Reach beyond the break and hold on!”

Much like the young boy in this parable, the woman with the issue of blood was also drowning in her own personal crisis. For twelve years she experienced alienation, isolation and mistreatment, from town’s people and doctors who took advantage of her and her money, with no cure for her condition. She was out of options, other than to hope that her faith would allow her to reach Jesus. I believe her desperation turned into determination which increased her faith. Perhaps when she heard about Jesus coming to town she began to sing out from her heart, “Pass me not O gentle Savior, Hear my humble cry. While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by."

How is it possible that this woman was able to press through an already intense crowd of eager people, and touch Jesus? It’s as if she had a rope of hope that pulled her through the crowd. With everyone clawing in the crowd, attempting to receive a healing/miracle from Jesus, I believe her rope began to break while she was standing there, pushing. Could she have imagined, "as long as I keep my eyes on the one who holds my reward, I won’t stop reaching until I get there." Of course, to touch the hem of his robe, she had to go down underneath the crowd! The Bible says, once she touched his robe she was healed immediately. She had reached her reward! Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” Jesus knew that healing power had left His body. Once she revealed herself, I believe Jesus used a term of endearment as this person of faith went from a certain woman, to a somebody, to what Jesus refers to her as, “daughter."

Prayer 

Gracious God, grant us the strength to “reach beyond the break” in life’s rope-breaking situations. Help us to keep our eyes on You (who holds our reward) as our faith guides us to our destination. Amen.

Thought for the day 

Hope is your rope!