Touching the Hem of His Garment


A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ “

32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Mark 5:24-34

This is an intriguing story because of how it transpired. True, the people were crowding around Him and touching him, some may have even been doing it just to touch Him. But the woman with the bleeding problems was intentionally touching His cloak. We know that Jesus had power to heal, but this is a first where the Scriptures talk about actual power going out from Him.

Presumably, power went out from Him every time He healed, but this was different. He knew it and the girl also knew it, not because she was healed but because He was calling her out. She didn’t know what He would do when He discovered who it was. Did He know already and just not let on, wanting her to confess, or did He not know? As the Scriptures tell us, He only knew what the Father revealed to Him while He was in human flesh so He didn’t know.

Still, He wanted to come face to face with her.

When He discovered her, she was very afraid.

But Jesus calmed her fears and put her at ease – the truly compassionate Savior towards those seeking His help.

I think a lot of people who don’t know God think He’s going to zap them for all the wrong they’ve done. They think the church will cave in when they enter because of all their sins. They know they’ve erred and sinned but they don’t know the compassionate Savior that this lady met. She too was terrified and I’m sure was pleasantly surprised and relieved that He didn’t zap her or condemn her.

What a Savior!


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