Mark 5:25-34 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
Such a familiar passage - I have no idea how many times I’ve read it or heard sermons preached on it. But this morning, as is the way with God’s word, something hit me a little differently. I thought about this woman and how desperate she was, how long she had suffered. But, what gave her the idea that simply touching the hem of Jesus’ clothes would bring her healing? Why would anyone even think such a thing was possible? I believe she saw Jesus - saw him in a way that others did not; and, to this day, still do not! She must have seen his power, his holiness to such a degree that she somehow knew that even the clothes on his back were infused with this power.
What does it take to recognize that? I ask that question of myself! I want to have the faith of this woman - the sight that she had. I want to see Jesus’ holiness and power the way she did. I think, if I had been her, I would have been so desperate for healing that my touch of his garment would have been more like a grab - something to get Jesus to stop, turn around and pay attention to me. But this lady was so broken, so wounded; as the outcast in her world - unclean because of her disease - she was completely separated from her community. She didn’t want to be noticed. She felt unworthy to even approach Jesus face to face so she crept up from behind and below, so very hesitant but so full of the awareness of this power-filled man in front of her. She reached out and touched the hem as he passed by. How amazing!
No matter what we’re dealing with, all we have to muster up is enough strength to reach out - just enough to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. He knows our touch. He knew that power had gone out of him as soon as the woman touched his clothes. He knows. He sees. He responds. His power was released into her life just as in ours. He heals, restores, touches; his healing power is his love, poured out into our lives. Our meager, weak reach is answered by the greatest power in the universe - the Word of Life, God himself, reaching out to his. He calls us his son or daughter and brings life and wholeness into those broken, dis-eased places. Our tentative reaching out is acknowledged and responded to with “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Eph. 3:20).
I pray we can all have the faith and hope that this dear woman exhibited and that, no matter what we’re dealing with, can reach out to our Lord and watch as we responds to us in the power of his love.
