Last Resort

I love options. I suppose it has to do with the feeling of control. We’ve all heard it, problems are really opportunities in disguise. And opportunities beg to be addressed with constructive ideas, more alternatives, tenacity and grit.

So when the book of Mark exposes us to a woman that had been afflicted with a bleeding disorder for twelve years, it’s important that we draw ourselves into the details that surround this story. The gospel writer tells us that not only had this condition consumed her physically, but it had exhausted her financial resources as well. And to make matters worse, every medical opinion and every expert had simply made things worse. She had done everything she could do. She had visited everyone she could think of. She had chased every remedy she thought had a chance of solving her problem. Forget the language of opportunity, this was a problem.

So, when she heard the reports about Jesus, she looked for a way to intersect with Him. She was desperate. She was out of options.

Her urgency compelled her to risk public disgrace. She was willing to be spotted by those that knew that she was ceremonially unclean.

With a touch of Jesus’ cloak, God reached into her body through the gateway of faith, and provided healing and a profound perspective. God is not offended by being our final option. He’s not disgusted that we didn’t think of Him first. He doesn’t ignore us because we ignore Him.

He is the Lord of last resorts. He is God to those who are about to give up. He is the Savior of the solutionless. He is the deliverer to the desperate. Hope to the completely hopeless.

When options, alternatives, remedies, tenacity and grit simply aren’t enough, He’s waiting. His cloak is available. His power is limitless.

There will be no lectures before grace is dispensed.

Twelve hours, twelve months, or twelve years, faith still works. Our God is patient. Last resort and lasting results.

God be praised.