Luke 8:47, commentary and pictures

When she saw that her touch had not gone unnoticed and could not remain hidden, she came forward trembling and fell down before Him at His feet. Before all the people she told the simple story of her long suffering for twelve weary years and how touching the border of His garment had brought instant relief and perfect health. Her trembling reflected fear that she had acted presumptuously and offended Him, but He did not condemn or rebuke her, He commended her act, comforted her as daughter, and assured her that her faith had made her whole. The cure came not through virtue in the mere act of touching His clothes, but through living faith reaching out and claiming His divine help and power, while the pressing crowd about Him received nothing because being near Him is not enough. As He dealt with her bodily infirmity He deals with the repentant soul defiled by sin, bringing pardon and healing grace immediately to all who come in sincerity and look to Him in living faith, and the gifts of the gospel are not to be secured by stealth or enjoyed in secret but acknowledged openly, for confession of His faithfulness is Heaven's chosen agency for revealing Christ to the world.

Setting and Background

Luke 8:47 takes place after the return from Gadara where the demoniacs had been healed, while Jesus is on His way with Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, to heal his little daughter lying at the point of death. He went at once in answer to the stricken father's plea to come and lay hands on her, though the disciples were surprised at His ready compliance with the request of a haughty ruler. The distance to the home is short but progress is very slow, because the people press forward on every side eager to see the great Teacher and begging His attention and aid. The anxious father urges his way through fearful of being too late, while Jesus pities the people and deplores their spiritual darkness and physical maladies, stopping to minister to their wants until He is at times nearly carried off His feet by the surging masses.

The woman had suffered twelve long years with a disease that made her life a burden. She had spent all her substance and means upon physicians and remedies seeking a cure, but it was all in vain. She was pronounced incurable and given up to die, reduced to poverty by her illness and its treatment and brought near to death.

Her hope revived when she heard of the wonderful cures effected by Jesus, and she believed that if she could come into His presence He would take pity on her and heal her. Suffering with pain and weakness she came to the seaside where He was teaching and sought to press through the crowd that encompassed Him, but her way was continually hedged up by the throng and she began to despair of approaching Him. She could find no way to speak to Him, and amid the confusion she could not be heard by Him nor catch more than a passing glimpse of His figure. Fearful of losing her one chance of relief, she waited for her opportunity in the dense throng pressing Christ on every side, until Jesus in urging His way through the multitude to Jairus's home came within her reach.

Touch and Instant Healing

She believed firmly that Jesus could heal her, and the more she thought upon it the more certain she became that even touching His garment, the border or hem of it, would relieve her malady and cure her. So great was her faith that she was persuaded touching even the hem would heal her, and those who so believed they could be healed by touching Him were not disappointed. Her firm belief was answered by divine power granting her prayer.

As He was passing she pressed forward saying to herself that that touch would cure her, that if she but touched His garment she would be cured. She reached forward with her finger and barely touched the hem of His garment. That one touch concentrated all the faith of her life. It was the touch of faith, an act of faith distinguished from the common press of the crowd.

In that moment she felt herself healed immediately. Pain and weakness disappeared, and health and strength took the place of feebleness and pain. She was made perfectly whole and completely well, made whole immediately.

Trembling Public Confession

Jesus halted with the whole crowd pressing around Him and demanded in a voice heard by all to know who had touched Him, looking toward the woman. He already knew all the circumstances and could distinguish the touch of faith from the casual contact of the careless crowd. He would not let such confidence and trust pass without comment, but meant to speak to the humble woman words of comfort that would be a wellspring of joy.

When she saw that concealment was vain and that her touch had not gone unnoticed and could not remain hidden, she came forward trembling. She fell down before Him at His feet and knelt before Him. She had sought to retire unobtrusively after being healed, but His insistent questioning made her realize she could not remain concealed. Her coming forward made known the faith behind her touch in contrast to the crowd's merely casual contact.

Before all the people and the multitude she declared for what cause she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. She told the simple story of her long and tedious suffering for twelve weary years and the instant relief and perfect health received by touching the border of His garment. Her telling was broken by grateful tears as she wept out her affliction in the joy of health long strange to her and perfect health unknown to her for twelve years. She openly told what had led her to touch Him and that He had made her whole at once.

Her trembling reflected fear that she had acted presumptuously in touching Him and had offended Him. Jesus was not angered at her presumption and did not condemn or rebuke her for touching Him, but commended her act and approved her faith. He comforted her as daughter, assured her that her faith had made her whole, relieved her fear, and sent her in peace. Her confession expressed gratitude and allowed God to be glorified, and through the encounter she learned He knew her suffering, loved her with compassion, and had power to save completely those who come to Him. His question gave her opportunity to make that public confession, to affirm her faith and give hope to the afflicted.

He taught all present that there was no virtue in the simple act of touching His clothes that wrought the cure. The cure came through strong faith reaching out and claiming His divine help and power, not through the physical touch itself or the garment itself. Her healing came through faith in Christ's power in answer to her belief, showing the difference between a believing touch and merely being near Jesus. Her encounter thus became a public lesson about living faith.

Faith Versus Mere Contact

The wondering crowd pressed close about Him on every side yet realized no accession of vital power from that contact, while her touch was living faith that Jesus alone perceived and recognized because virtue had gone out from Him. Being near Christ is not enough, for the casual press of the throng receives nothing, and only the believing touch receives His blessing and restoration. Even while the great work of redemption weighed upon Him and teaching and healing taxed mind and body to the utmost, He did not overlook the humblest need but was awake to her touch, so that the very slightest touch of faith brought response from Him.

Saving faith is more than knowing about Christ or agreeing intellectually with gospel truth. Talking of religious things in a casual way and praying for spiritual blessings without real soul hunger and living faith avails little. It personally trusts and receives Him as a personal Saviour, coming to Him directly for oneself instead of depending on the prayers and work of others. It responds to His drawing and joins the believer to God in a living covenant connection. That union brings spiritual healing and increasing strength to the soul.

True Christian faith does not require feelings wrought up to excitement or emotional ecstasy, strong emotion, loud petitions, noisy appeals, outward display, or physical exercise. Strong cries and tears involuntarily forced out by conflict with doubt and temptation, and cries and groans from agony of repentance under a great sense of guilt, are heard with pity but are not essential to faith. Jesus does not fail to answer even the silent prayer of one who simply takes God at His word, trusts His word, and reaches out to connect with the Saviour.

The faith that avails to bring vital contact with Christ expresses supreme preference, perfect reliance, and entire consecration. It works by love and purifies the soul, and works true obedience to God's commandments in the life of the follower, with love to God and love to man as the result of vital connection with Christ. Those who so trust Him receive from His fullness. Her living faith illustrates the trust in Christ that brings victory through trials and joy even amid conflict.

Her kind of faith is needed by those with infirmities: moving out by faith to claim God's promises rather than talking of infirmities, but talking of the mighty power of Christ to bless all who come to Him because Jesus lives. It means looking to Jesus with living faith and coming into living connection with Him. It means taking hold of Christ with living, active faith and coming to Him just as one is, helpless and dependent. Young and old still need that divine power so received.

Pardon for Sinful Souls

The trembling woman's open telling of why she touched Him and how she was healed at once shows that as He dealt with bodily infirmity so He deals with the repentant soul defiled by sin that calls upon Him, and her healing stands for the encouragement of such souls. Her firm belief that He could heal her, growing ever more certain that even touching His garment would bring relief, was answered by divine power granting her prayer. Even so the touch of faith brings pardon to the repentant sinner who calls on Him, filling the soul with gratitude and joy.

Sinners are not to look at and deplore the wounds and bruises sin has made but to look away to the Saviour. He saves to the uttermost all who come to Him in sincerity and casts away not one who comes, and lack of freedom and life and blessing shows lack of looking. Looking to Him in living faith, coming into living connection with Him as she did in touching the hem of His garment, brings the healing power of His grace that heals the terrible wounds of sin immediately. As those in the wilderness were healed as soon as they looked, so there is to be no discouragement and no unbelief.

Her coming forward when she saw she could not remain hidden applies to people reaching for Jesus amid life's press and finding wholeness. In the midst of the dense throng she waited for her opportunity, reached out her finger and touched the hem of His garment, and was made whole immediately when no earthly physician could cure her disease. Her experience carries the lesson He desired to impress that humanity had connected with divinity and received the blessing, for He came to earth to bring divinity to humanity. Young and old still need that divine power, received by taking hold of Christ with living active faith and coming to Him just as they are, helpless and dependent.

Open Witness and Service

When she could no longer remain hidden she came trembling, fell at His feet before all the people, and told why she had touched His garment and how she had been healed immediately after twelve weary years of suffering. Her telling, broken by grateful tears, was thanks and praise to her Healer that gave glory to God and confirmed the healing she had received. Jesus had drawn her forward not to rebuke her as presumptuous but to approve her act of faith, to relieve her fear with compassion, and to give hope to the afflicted. Through that encounter she learned that He knew her suffering, loved her with compassion, and had power to save completely all who come to Him.

Jesus desired this woman of Capernaum, healed by the touch of faith, to acknowledge openly before all the people the blessing she had received. The gifts the gospel offers are not to be secured by stealth or enjoyed in secret. Confession of His faithfulness is Heaven's chosen agency for revealing Christ to the world, and the testimony of one's own experience of divine power is the most effectual witness for God. God desires praise marked with each person's own individuality, and such acknowledgments to the praise of the glory of His grace, when supported by a Christ-like life, have an irresistible power that works for the salvation of souls.

Her open declaration before the multitude made the impression Christ intended and wanted it to make. It showed the right relation to God and a living experience of taking hold of Jesus Christ. Faith's personal contact with Christ thus brings His virtue and blessing, which the pressing crowd did not receive, and that contact praises His healing power. That same touch received by faith revives mind and body for service, prepares believers for His service and kingdom, and supports walking with Him as companion.

Even while the great work of redemption weighed continually upon Him, and teaching and healing taxed all the energies of mind and body to the utmost, He did not overlook the necessities of the humblest of His servants. His ear heard every cry of need, He was awake to her touch in the crowd, and the very slightest touch of faith brought a response from Him. His careful attention to little things teaches Christians called to cooperate with Him for the salvation of souls to follow the same faithful, conscientious attention as the secret of success in every line of Christian effort and influence. Her open confession therefore stands as the pattern for comforting the sick and afflicted with words of comfort and with the tenderness and sympathy of Christ.