Veronica | One Touch to Fully Restored

As we talk about women of faith, particularly those who are not well known, the one who keeps coming to mind for me is the woman who had constant bleeding. While her name isn’t listed in the Bible, the church refers to her as Veronica. She’s one of a few women of faith who aren’t named in the Bible but whose story was so impactful that the church later named her. Her story is one of brokenness, faith, and miraculous healing.

Her story takes place during Jesus’s ministry, specifically while he is on the way to heal Jairus’ daughter (the girl who had died and he resurrected). Her story is recorded in several of the gospel accounts, which I have linked below. I would love to say that we will stick to one, but each gives us bits of information, and only by puzzling them together do we get to see the whole picture.

The Story

Here is the short version for those of you who don’t want to click on the links. Veronica has been suffering from a blood issue, think external hemorrhaging, for 12 years. She’s spent all her money, effort, and time on doctors and healing remedies, but nothing has worked. When she hears of the miracles of Christ, she seeks him out. She sees him surrounded by a crowd but knows that she must get to him. Maybe if she can touch him or the hem of his garment, she will be healed. Well, sure enough, she touches his garment and is immediately healed!

Context

Before we delve further into how we can apply this story to our own lives, let’s discuss context—because context is key (and I love a bit of research)!

About Veronica

Luke tells us that Veronica had suffered from this issue for 12 years. Mark tells us that she had suffered much at the hands of physicians, spent all she had, and it only made it worse.

I’ll be honest, I’ve not had to deal with any serious medical diseases in my life. I’ve not had to be so physically and financially broken as I can imagine this lady was. She was probably cast out of society, decent or otherwise, due to Mosaic Law (which we will cover in a moment), which would leave her isolated on top of all things. That’s a hard place to be. Isolated, broke, and unwanted. Honestly, my heart breaks for her.

Mosaic Law

How does this impact her story? Well, Leviticus 15 speaks directly towards uncleanliness. When it comes to women, they were to be removed from society until they were done with their period and had performed their ritual cleansing. For someone like Veronica, man or woman, who had constant bleeding issues, she would have been considered unclean until she finished bleeding and was able to do the ritual cleansing. The ritual cleansing consisted of waiting for 7 days after the bleeding stopped and then offering a sacrifice.

Unfortunately, she bled for 12 years consistently, which means that she would not have been considered clean during this time. The law also states that anything or anyone she touched would have been unclean by association. She would not have been allowed to worship in the temple with the other women or go to the well because of the law – speculation suggests that this is to prevent the transmission of “impurities” (think diseases) to others.

It seems harsh, but it makes sense, as they didn’t have the science we have to determine what is transmissible to others and what isn’t. It was for the safety of the community and also because we are called to be pure and set apart for God. But I’m not sure that made it any easier for her.

The Medical Facts

Hemorrhaging is best defined as excessive bleeding. Women typically carry about 4-5 liters (1.1 to 1.3 gallons) of blood in their bodies. Of course, this varies depending on factors such as body weight, height, hydration, and overall health. The average person loses approximately 5-20 mL per day (equivalent to 6 tablespoons) during their period. We could assume or estimate the amount of blood loss she would have daily, but the reality is that it doesn’t matter.

While her body would have created new blood, it’s safe to say she still would have felt the side effects. People aren’t made to lose blood daily like she was. Some of the common side effects of chronic blood loss are severe anemia, a weakened immune system, nutritional depletion, and extreme fatigue.

These symptoms would have impacted her life greatly, so much so that she would have been exhausted by normal day activities. The act of just getting enough water to stay hydrated would have been taxing. They would have also been physically visible. She would have had little to no strength, shortness of breath, felt cold, had pale skin, and struggled with mental fog. I’m not sure about you, but it sounds pretty miserable.

For these reasons alone, the risk of her going to meet Jesus was unthinkable. I want you to understand just how desperate she must have been to take this action. She would be broken, alone, and exhausted.

Takeaways

Do you ever feel that way? Just broken, alone, and exhausted by life? We have all been there in our own way. Maybe our story doesn’t look precisely like Veronica’s. Perhaps we are isolated in other ways, broken in different ways, and exhausted by the everyday tasks that we must do to live. But the good news is that we don’t have to remain that way.

Remember who you are approaching. Once she had received her healing, Jesus called her forth. He knew that power had gone out of him and wanted to know where it went. The gospels say that she came forth trembling and humble. She understood who she was approaching and did so with reverent fear and humility. When we approach the throne, it’s essential to remember who is seated on it and to act accordingly.

Barriers must be broken before God can work. When you have nothing left, there is nothing; that’s when God is free to work. I think Veronica knew this, and she knew that if Jesus was from God, he was the only one who could heal her. She had tried everything else, and nothing worked, so she was an empty vessel that only he could fill.

The length of your trial is not indicative of your sin or faith. Veronica had to wait 12 years for her healing. In a world where immediacy is valued, we forget that God will take his time completing a work in us. It’s a marathon, not a race. My pastor likes to say that God moves at the speed of agriculture— all the big things are made up of small moments. He didn’t choose to delay her healing due to her lack of faith or any sin she committed. He delayed it so when she was healed, he would have the glory, she would have a lesson, and others would come to believe in him. All that time she spent broken and her healing by faith were lessons. Don’t give up hope just because your lesson isn’t over yet.

No risk, no reward! Faith in God doesn’t just take risk. It requires it. Veronica risked everything to meet with Jesus. Not only would she have known that she was putting others at risk, but going against the law would have put her at risk for punishment.

The Great Healer. God is great at healing. One of the names given to him in the Bible is Jehovah Rapha (The God who heals). While she touched the hem or tassel of Jesus’ clothing, that wasn’t the source of power. Whether you are receiving a prophecy, deliverance, or healing, it’s important to remember that the person is just a conduit. The true source of power only comes from Jehovah Rapha, and it is to him that we must glorify for the miracle.

God can handle it. One of the aspects I like the most is that when Jesus called her to Him, she told Him the truth. Mark says that she told him “the whole truth” – meaning she got honest with God. He didn’t diminish what she had been through, he didn’t point out her sin, and he didn’t stop her midsentence. He let her pour out her soul and be honest about what was happening. He made space for her to feel her feelings. God is the only safe space there is when it comes to saying everything. He’s good at comforting and just being present. Sometimes, we get so busy talking to him about what we need that we forget just to be present with him. I encourage you to make time to talk to him about everything – both the big and the small. Take all your baggage to God; he can handle it.

All can come to God. Did you notice that after Jesus found out who had touched him, he didn’t squeal and make a face? This woman would have been noticeably unclean; she was probably known in that town as being impure. He didn’t look at her and see the exterior; he saw that she was broken and ready to be healed (physically and spiritually). He even calls her daughter! I find myself asking if I imitate Jesus with undesirable people. Do I make space and interact with people our society deems unworthy or unclean in the right way? Do I shy away?

Closing

We often overlook this story without truly considering its relevance to our own lives. Veronica never gave up on hoping to be healed, and 12 years is a long time to chase that. But God is great, and he is the ultimate healer. What are you still hoping for? Is it a dream he planted long ago, or is it healing? I encourage you to continue praying for it.

If you are reading this and thinking that you can’t be healed or that you aren’t worthy or clean enough to stand before him, I have some good news. You are wrong! Jesus came and died on the cross. He shed his blood for you and me. When we accept Christ, we are covered by his blood. I can stand before God, not because I’m worthy or clean enough (I’m not), but because he sees me through Jesus’s sacrifice. By this, I’m made clean, washed, and purified. White as snow.

If you haven’t accepted Christ, I want to encourage you to do so. It’s as simple as praying and asking God to come into your heart, admitting that you need him because you are a sinner, and asking him to come live with you. I would also encourage you to get plugged into a local church, but I would love to hear from you!

Remember whether you are a new believer or a returning reader – You are loved, you are worthy, and you are clean!

With All My Love,

Hannah