Touching Jesus

Luke 8:43-50 (NLT)

A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

   

I cannot imagine bleeding constantly for 12 years.  Perhaps women can imagine this better than men; it’s still incomprehensible.  It has been suggested that this woman suffered from anemia, certainly plausible since anemia is a deficiency of red blood cells.  Red blood cells contain hemoglobin and hemoglobin carries oxygen to organs and tissues so likely this woman was very weak, very desperate, and the only strength she had was to touch the edge of Jesus’ garment.

There are two phenomena in this story that intrigue me.  One is the fact that the woman only touched the fringe of Jesus’ robe and Jesus felt that touch.  The other is that such a slight touch caused such great healing power. 

Think about the fact that Jesus felt a slight touch of a desperate woman while walking or standing in a crowd of people.  As Peter said, a whole crowd was pressing up against Jesus, yet He felt the slight touch from a woman who had faith that such a touch would heal her.  To me, this teaches that it is not the quantity of faith, but quality that counts.  Now if the quantity of faith is all quality; that counts even more.  But, so often, sincere believers get into a spiritual rut where you go through the motions of faith without such faith meaning anything.  This happens especially when life is good and you don’t depend on the Lord for providing your needs everyday.  Lloyd Ogilvie, former chaplain of the US Senate, wrote an article entitled “Why Are Some Christians So Dull” that focused on “ho-hum” attitudes and lack of enthusiasm that affect so many Christians.  Three antidotes for escaping being a dull Christian are sincere Christian fellowship, active ministry of serving others, and sharing your faith with others. 

The significance of the woman’s slight touch causing great power from Jesus to heal her should hit you between the eyes.  Jesus is aware of everything!  Every faith-related activity in your life, no matter how small or seemingly unimportant, is known by the Lord and noteworthy to Him.  It may not seem this way to you or to others, but it is to Him.  Prayers and acts of simple faith result in amazing power from the Lord.  May your faith be like that of the woman’s in this story and that you may experience the same power from the Lord that she experienced.