WHO TOUCHED ME? by H. A. St. John

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 12, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 46.

“WHO TOUCHED ME?”

By H. A. St. John

JESUS stopped a multitude of people who were thronging His steps and pressing Him on every side, in the city of Capernaum, as He was on His way to the home of the ruler of the synagog in obedience to a pressing call to heal a dying son. Jesus not only stopped, but turned about, and with a clear voice propounded this question, “Who touched Me?” His disciples marveled that He should propound such a question with such emphasis and interest. Said Jesus, “I perceive that virtue has gone out of Me.” So we learn that virtue is not simple inherent purity, but is a power to do good that is constantly going out, as the opportunity offers, for the good of others. So when the Word enjoins that Christians add to their faith virtue, it means to add the power to go about doing good as did Jesus. Reader, does virtue go out of you toward the needy?

It was a poor, afflicted woman, who for twelve long years had spent all her means on the best doctors, but was nothing bettered, that had by the touch of faith brought complete healing to her sorely-afflicted body. She was feeble in body—timid and shrinking, and could not have pressed her way through that mass of people to Jesus, but He knew of her presence and pressed His way near to her. Jesus, with all power in heaven and earth, always makes Himself accessible to all that yearn for His presence and help. The woman prayed and watched for the opportune moment. And such an attitude of soul thirst, prayer, and watchfulness, will always find the mighty, yea the almighty Helper and Healer near at hand, with an abounding, interfusing virtue, which only needs the contact of a finger-tip of faith that it may leap like the electric current, to thrill and vitalize the sickly soul or sickly body. It was not the touch but the faith; for Jesus said to the woman, “Thy faith [not thy touch] hath made thee whole.” Some kind of action upon the part of the one seeking the virtue of Christ may be and is natural, but not necessary. All such actions are but the natural gestures of faith.

Jesus did not propound this question on that day that He might be informed, for He well knew who touched Him. But He wanted the answer right then and there for the good of the healed one, the good of the people, and the glory of God. So that happy, healed woman proclaimed to the multitude her great affliction, her great recovery, and her great Physician. Yet in the face of this beautiful testimony, some tell us that women should not speak in meeting; but the Lord Jesus, the Master of assemblies, called upon a woman to testify, and she did so, to the praise of God, and the good of her own soul.

So let every trusting, timid sister take heart, for if virtue has gone out of Jesus to your healing, either in soul or body, the great Physician calls on you to tell it out with gladness. By so doing you will glorify the Lord, and other poor, afflicted, or heavily-laden souls may be induced to seek the same healing Fountain, so accessible, and full, and free, everywhere.

Jesus stopped, startled, and stirred the multitude by the question, “Who touched Me?” and the same multitude were instructed, interested, and impressed by the answer. Only one humble woman could answer the question. She alone of all that multitude had touched the Lifegiver in a way to bring more life to herself and more glory to God. But a day is hastening on apace, when before an assembled universe, and in the presence of the same Jesus, glorified, a multitude, as numberless as the sands of the seashore, will exclaim with a voice like the sound of many waters, all in perfect harmony. We were once sickly and sinful, but this same lovely Jesus touched us all, and virtue went out of Him, and now we are justified, sanctified, and glorified, and henceforth forever we will shout His praises with songs of everlasting joy.

H. A. ST. JOHN.