A Double Standard?

“...As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and ...could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” ... And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭42‬-‭48‬ ‭ESV

Today's blog chooses violence - so hold on to your pearls!

There was a double standard displayed in the Bible. *GASP!

Not to burst your bubble, but it was not by God or His Son Jesus but It was acted out by the boisterous crowd in this account.

The folks in the crowd would have almost IMMEDIATELY sounded the alarm that "the Woman" was UNCLEAN had they known she was present!

BUT-- what about all the ones she touched on her way to touch Jesus?

They were all technically "unclean" – whoever she touched, right?

But after she received the miracle, only her alone was healed & she alone was cleansed –

so why is it we don’t hear of anybody saying "hey she touched me on her way in?!"

I think this is one of those situations where it becomes a double standard;

being that it’s OK to call somebody else out when it’s them, but when it’s you,

you say nothing.

When it's somebody else, you judge.

It’s the old saying of throwing rocks and hiding your hands. 

So basically, whoever she touched was pressing in on someone else, who was touching someone else who was pressing in on Jesus - now all of us are unclean!

And only her faith got her clean and healed...

No one wants to be called out or ridiculed for being unclean-- OR HAVING A PAST.

Did it even enter their thoughts to say “hey she touched me so now I’m unclean - Why is it fair that she is healed when she wronged us!?“

So now you’re unclean and you say nothing...

Could it be that now you’re too prideful to ask for help & press in on Jesus for your own healing (and forgiveness, indiscretion, sin, etc)?

Are you so caught up in what others might say that you're too ashamed to ask for help?

You're to afflicted by guilt to face what you inflicted on someone else.

So you just melt into the background; like nothing even happened and yet still unclean.

Even though you were there and witnessed "The Woman's" miracle, when you share the account, you have to leave out the part where she touched you or people will be side-eyeing you and calling you unclean and giving you the ridicule that you once put out! 

We never read that these "infected" folks ever went and did any ritualistic cleansings or stayed away from others for a week; as was scriptural according to Leviticus for this day and time.

So all the infected just faded away with their silent pacts between each other to keep it on the downlow... and life goes on.

News flash!

We are all unclean!

Isaiah 64:6 starts by saying "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.."

At the same time, we all should be pressing in on Jesus.

We should all have faith that makes us whole.

We should all give someone else grace as they’re going through their unclean season. 

A double standard is 2 faced-ness! Excuse me as I make up a word.  

- it shows that it’s OK for you to be called out but not OK for me to be called out.

It shows partiality on your part. 

It lacks compassion. 

It’s giving thoughts and prayers, but five minutes later, not thinking about it and not having prayed about it at all.

Double standards are common place.

We are numb and used to them by now - unless it's exercised toward us.

In this world of double standards, will you be like "The Woman" and press in or be like the crowd and regress?