Noticing
As I walked through my rather ordinary Monday, do you know what I noticed? That I noticed more. Perhaps that was the case for you as well. You experienced a heightened sense of noticing. For example, you may have noticed the number of times that you reached for the thing that you are intentionally pushing away, the object of your fast. Maybe you had a greater sensitivity to the day overall. You noticed that you were living in a sacred space in a way that is not always at the forefront of your attention. Hopefully you noticed God more. There was a greater sense of God in all things, both in you and around you.
In the Bible, a poignant example of noticing is found in three of the Gospels: Matthew 9:18-25, Mark 5:25–34, Luke 8:43–48. Mark's version is the most detailed and personal. A woman had suffered a disease for twelve long years. She exhausted her resources seeking a cure, but the condition only grew worse. Mark shares her deepest thoughts and desires: "If I touch even His garments, I will be made well." She is desperate, and her desperation drew her to the only person with an answer. Healing came immediately with the touch.
The next moments are rather intense. Jesus senses, He notices that something has happened. Mark says that Jesus perceived that power had gone out from Him. Can you imagine this? Jesus is being pressed from every side, yet His spiritual sensitive is at such a heightened level that He recognizes a touch that is unlike all the other nudges and bumps. Luke lets us know that Peter tries to reason away what Jesus sensed in the moment. Soon the woman steps up and admits what happened. All three Gospels record a similar response from Jesus: "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well. Go in peace."
Jesus wants this way of living for us. He wants us, in the middle of the whirling commotion of life, to notice a sacred moment. Prayer and fasting heighten our ability to notice, just like they did for Jesus. As you walk into this day, allow the practice of fasting and prayer to heighten your spiritual senses. See and hear God around you. In the middle of the noise, hear the still small voice. As the crowds presses in, notice the touch.
Today's Prayer
Let your prayer be formed by the woman's story. Twelve years is a long time to look for a solution, to long for a solution. She had consulted the experts of her time. She had poured out her resources looking for an answer. She just wanted to be normal again. As you think of your audacious prayer, or as you continue to form your prayer, how does it compare to the desperation and the impossibility of the woman's desire? She prayed an audacious prayer. She had been in pain for a long time, and had tried everything. That's the kind of prayer Jesus wants us to bring to Him during these twenty-one days. Go ahead, touch the hem of His robe.
Final Thoughts
You've heard the description of the story. Now let's take it in. Read each version out loud or listen to them on an app. First Matthew's version, then Luke's and finally Mark's. Here's the Dwell App Link. After listening, look more closely at each passage. Compare the way each tells the story. What did they include? What details are shared in all three? Which are exclusive, mentioned only by one? Spend time with the woman. Hear her desperation. Walk with her in the story. Let the response of Jesus fill your heart. Receive His message of healing and peace.