Faith gets Jesus’ attention, he made that crystal clear. Remember the story of the woman who had been sick for twelve years? She had “suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse” (Mark 5:26). She had heard the reports about Jesus, about his power to heal, and now he’s in town. “If I can touch even his garments,” she thinks, “I will be made well.” And that’s exactly what she does. She pushes her way through the throng of people, the crowd surrounding Jesus. Finally, she’s within reach of her last hope. She reaches out and touches the hem of Jesus’ garments. “Immediately,” Mark tells us, “she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.” What must that have felt like? Sick for twelve years and then in a split second, healed. No more disease.

Jesus stops. “And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my garments?'” The woman knows that she’s been found out. She steps forward and tells Jesus the whole story.

What’s Jesus’ reaction? “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease” (Mark 5:34)

Faith, pleases Jesus. He responds to faith. It gets his attention.

Why? Why does Jesus love faith? I think because it reveals what we believe about God. This woman believed that if she touched Jesus she would be healed. She believed that Jesus had power. Her faith gave her legs. It was Jesus who did the healing, not her faith. But, her faith, what she believed about Jesus, took her to the healer. She acted upon what she believed. She wasn’t dissuaded by the crowd. Her faith took her through the crowd.

Jesus loves that kind of faith!

Does my faith give me legs that take me to the Almighty healer? Do I push past unbelief, fear, laziness, selfishness, and hopelessness? Oh, how I want faith like this woman. Let’s push into Jesus. What do we believe about Jesus? Let’s act on that belief. Do we believe that Jesus has the power to heal Ian? Yes. Do we believe that Jesus loves Ian? Yes. Do we believe that Jesus hears and answers prayer? Yes. Let’s push into Jesus.

Oh Lord, increase my faith! I believe, help my unbelief.

-David