This is part of a response I made on a blog post, and I wanted to expound more on it here:

Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made.

We all reach a level of desperation for relief that we are willing to try something bold. The woman with the issue of blood in the gospel reached that level. The story doesn't make much sense if you don't know the Old Testament and what her condition meant to her socially. She'd been menstrually bleeding for 12 years. She was ceremonially unclean. This meant she could not enter the city walls...she could not live with her family...she could not go to the temple and worship. Anyone who touched her would be defiled and unclean for 8 days. She had to shout "unclean!" if anyone came close to her so they didn't accidentally touch her. She experienced no human closeness for 12 years! She was desperate!

When Christ came to Jerusalem she entered the city, pushing her way through the crowd, defiling people as she went. Had anyone known what she was doing, it would have cost her her life...they would have stoned her to death. But she just needed to reach out and touch the hem of His garment...it was bold!

Her boldness earned her her healing. As soon as she touched the hem of His garment, Christ felt power leave Him, and He asked, "Who touched Me?" I'm sure He knew it was her (He is, after all, God). But He put her in a position where she had to speak up. She had to have faith that she would survive the experience as she proclaimed her condition and healing to the crowd. And Christ's response? "Daughter, your faith has healed you."

We will not all receive physical healings on this earth. There are miraculous healings, and healings through the hands of the physician. But when we trust in the Great Physician, we can rest assured that our ultimate healing will be joyful. For the Christian, death is the ultimate healing. We will have no sorrow, no pain. We will have glorified bodies. We must perservere in faith, knowing that not receiving a physical healing on this side of eternity does not mean that God does not know or care about our condition.

Paul asked three times for the the thorn in his flesh to be removed. This was most likely not a physical condition, but a sin condition. Remember, flesh is used to talk about our carnal nature. It was something he struggled with and he hated it. God's response to him was "My grace is sufficient for thee." Grace is for sin, not physical infirmity. Thus Paul had to perserve to overcome his carnal nature knowing that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." The struggle strengthens us. It refines us. It is not fun, but it is necessary. As we struggle, we are stripped of the things that get in the way of our relationship with Christ.

The question is...are we desperate enough to willingly struggle? There is a high cost to following Christ. We will be mocked and ridiculed...but our Lord was mocked and ridiculed. That woman was desperate for her healing, and she counted the cost and took the risk. That leap of faith brought her the healing she was desperate for. Are we truly willing to sacrifice all to follow Christ?