A TOUCH OF FAITH
A TOUCH OF FAITH
Mark 5:25-34 New Living Translation (NLT)
25 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.
30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
This sick, anonymous woman must have been emaciated after a hemorrhage lasting for twelve years, which rendered her legally unclean. She could not throw herself, therefore, at the feet of Christ and state her complaint. Her modesty, humility, uncleanness and pressure of the crowd made close contact well-nigh impossible, hence her eagerness to touch in some unnoticed way the hem of His garment.
Perhaps her touch had been unnoticed by the eyes of those around, and she must have been one of many who touched the Master that day as He proceeded on His errand of love, but a touch of faith could not be hidden from Him.
Quickly the Physician saw the patient, and trembling with self-consciousness but too glad and grateful to falter, she confessed to her touch of His robe. “She told Him all the truth”. She experienced that open confession is good for the soul.
What a glow of gratitude her countenance must have had, as she publicly stated that her burden for twelve years had rolled away!
She only touched the hem of His garment,
As to His side she stole,
Amid the crowd that gathered around Him
And straight she was whole.
It is encouraging to know that His saving power this very hour can give new life to all who by faith touch the hem of His garment