Members Of The Press
30 x 48
Gouache, chalk, pencil, ink, and nail enamel on canvas
Jesus again crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee in a boat. A large crowd
gathered around him by the seashore.
A synagogue leader named Jairus also arrived. When he saw Jesus, he quickly bowed
down in front of him. He begged Jesus, "My little daughter is dying. Come, lay your hands on her so that she may get well and live."
Jesus went with the man. A huge crowd followed Jesus and pressed him on every side.
In the crowd was a woman who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve
years.
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
This is the scenario as the woman strains to keep Jesus in sight. Jesus is actually on his
way to intervene in a "code blue" type situation at the request of a respected leader in the community. In our modern society, an ambulance would be summoned, and traffic would have to stop and move to the side to permit it to pass. Contrast this with Jesus agreeing to go to Jairus' house, and people pressing in on Him so closely that progress by foot must have been extremely slow and frustrating (for Jairus).
INTER-DIMENSIONAL INTERFERENCE
Because the woman has overcome the mental obstacles Doubt and Unbelief, a hindering
spirit has arrived to resist her progress toward Jesus. Indeed, she may have conceded
that obtaining a direct audience with him at this point was unrealistic, and resigned
herself to just touching the hem of his garment. Her resistance to sickness—one of the
ramifications of man's original sin—is by extension resistance against Satan himself, for
it was acquiescence to temptation in the Garden of Eden that marred human creation,
opening the door to sickness and death.
INTER-DIMENSIONAL ASSISTANCE
But it is this same resistance against Satan that has prompted God to dispatch His ministering spirits—flames of fire—charged with the care of those who will inherit salvation. They outnumber the kingdom of darkness two to one, and will follow heavenly orders to assist her faith in manifesting that which she has been hoping and praying for.
How will the hindering spirit obstruct the woman? It could be through someone angry
that she is fighting her way past them, or someone who recognizes her as the 'unclean
woman' who should not be out in public touching others. The hindering spirit will work
through anyone it can to stop her by pushing, shoving, tripping, elbowing, even trampling
her, if necessary. The important thing to it is that she does not reach Jesus, and that God
does not receive glory in front of such a massive gathering of people.
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The hindering spirit is determined not to allow her to catch up to Jesus.
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She and the ministering angels are determined she will.
Battle lines are being drawn and strategic moves plotted. Unaware of the unseen realm,
the woman redoubles her efforts to catch up to Jesus...