Jesus Responds to a Simple Touch

As Jesus was walking with Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue in Capernaum, to his home to heal his daughter, they were met by a woman who suffered from chronic hemorrhaging. For twelve years this woman had bled nonstop and was dying a slow death. Luke, a physician, wrote that she “had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any” (Luke 8:43).

The Jewish law declared such a woman “ceremonially unclean.” This woman saw many doctors, all who took her money and made promises to cure her, but after every appointment, she went home discouraged and her disease kept growing worse. At some point this woman must have thought, “It’s no use. My condition is hopeless. I’m going to keep suffering until I slowly die.”

Sadly, multitudes of Christians are doing just what this woman did. They run to any place that offers an answer and live under a cloud of fear because of their “uncleanness.” Perhaps this describes you. You’ve lived with a besetting sin for so long, you think, “What about my awful history of sin? If Jesus heals completely, then surely there’s something wrong with me. I don’t belong in the church. It’s a holy place, and I’m not clean.”

In Mark 5, we see this suffering woman reaching out one more time, persistent and full of hope. But this time, instead of seeing a physician who could not cure her, she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. As she touched Him, the Lord and Maker of heaven and earth paused for a moment and healed her instantly! He wanted to use that moment to publicly remove her reproach and show her that her faith healed her. Jesus wanted to relieve this woman of her sense of defilement.

Press in with faith and touch Jesus for yourself, as this woman did. He will heal you. If you are heavy with a grieving heart, unburden yourself to Jesus. Then commit all into His hands. Fear not, only believe!