He Feels Our Touch

Can you imagine the crowd? This crop from James Tissot’s “L'hémoroïsse” gives a clue – narrow streets in the city, crowds of people following Jesus and Jairus. There’s a sense of urgency, too. Jairus’ daughter was dying.

And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. (Mark 5:22-24 KJV)

Here was a very important man coming to this healer, and the healer responds to the request. Who wouldn’t want to see this? If the child is healed, they would witness a miracle. If she was not, they would see a dramatic failure in front of a powerful ruler.

Instead, they are brought to a halt when He says:

Who touched my clothes? (Mark 5:30 KJV)

Twelve years she had suffered:

And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. (Mark 5:25-28 KJV)

She believed He was capable of healing her. She believed she was not important enough to gain His attention. She believed a simple touch of His clothing would make her whole. She was right:

And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. (Mark 5:29 KJV)

Imagine her shock when He knew and asked who touched. In that crowd, who could know? His disciples were their usual, helpful selves:

And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? (Mark 5:31 KJV)

Aren’t we the same? What limitations do we place on our Lord. We say He is the Messiah. We say He was sent by God. We read of miracles, healing, expounding on scripture, preaching to crowds and we ignore His commands for daily living. We do not see Him as one who would notice faith in a crowd.

Did you notice that He did not reach out and heal this woman? He didn’t go looking for her in the crowd in order to heal her, she came to Him.

And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. (Mark 5:32-34 KJV)

Often we look upon the Lord as being too busy for our small issues. If we garnered His attention, it might be taken away from something more important, a life or death issue where He was immediately needed. Why do we limit His abilities? Why can’t we take time in the crowd to reach out, touch? We will discover that our faith has put us in touch with the greatest power in the universe – and He will respond to our touch with His own.