Tackling Shame with a Whole Lot of T: Two Women Who Touched Jesus

Remember the sinful woman who crashed a dinner party and proceeded to wash the feet of Jesus with her tears? This nameless woman, labeled "a sinner," turned to Jesus in faith. Instead of moving away from Him, she dared to reach out and touch Him. The unclean one touching the Holy One—or better yet, the Holy One touching the unclean one!

And what happens whenever the Holy touches the unclean? The unclean becomes holy! Shame is turned to honour!

Reach out and touch Him, everyone, and our shame will be turned to honour.

Just ask the woman who's been ceremonially unclean for years because of a bleeding issue. She dares to get close to Jesus. And somehow she knows that if only she reaches out and touches Him, she will be healed—or better yet, clean.

So when the unclean woman pushes her way through the crowd and touches Jesus, Jesus feels power go out from Him. His glory and honour goes out from Himself and unto this woman. Jesus has absorbed her shame and disgrace and transferred to her healing and honour.

Jesus turns to her—not to shame her, but so that she will know it's about her connection to Him, the Holy One! Her faith in Him has changed everything for her. Her shame turned to honour. Her isolation and loneliness to community and belonging!

Brothers and sisters, can you see yourselves in any of these stories? We need to be in the story and not just an observer of the story. Or are we still clinging to our shame?