For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
After twelve years of grievous disease that left her impoverished, pronounced incurable and near death, the woman was convinced that if she could but touch the edge of His clothes she would be made whole. She pressed through the throng to barely touch His garment as He passed, and was healed at once, not by any virtue in the cloth or in the outward act itself, but by firm faith reaching out to claim power from Christ Himself. Her touch was personal, living faith laying hold of Him for help no one else could give, wholly different from the casual pressing of the crowd who received nothing. As bodily healing answered that touch, so the repentant sinner who comes with the same touch of faith receives pardon and spiritual healing, for saving faith is not mere opinion or talk about Christ but receiving Him as a personal Saviour and appropriating His merits. Christ did not regard her act as presumption or reproach her fear, but recognized her faith, drew her forward to confess, commended her trust and sent her away in peace and whole.
Setting and Background
The saying belongs to the short walk to Jairus' house after the return from Gadara where the demoniacs had been healed. Jairus had fallen at Jesus' feet pleading for his little daughter lying at the point of death and given up to die, and Jesus went with him toward his home. The crowd pressed on every side eager to see the Teacher and begging attention and aid, slowing progress so that the anxious father feared being too late. Jesus pitied the people's spiritual darkness and physical maladies and stopped to minister to their wants, and was at times nearly carried off His feet by the surging masses.
The woman had suffered twelve long years with a grievous disease that made her life a burden. She had spent all her substance and means upon physicians and remedies without cure. She had been pronounced incurable and given up to die, and had been impoverished and brought near death by those who treated her.
Hearing of the wonderful cures performed revived her hope and convinced her He would pity and heal her if she could come into His presence. Though suffering pain and weakness she came to the seaside where He taught and sought to press through the surrounding throng. She found her way continually blocked until she began to despair, and hoped to reach Him but could not get near enough to speak. She waited for opportunity in the dense throng, and pressed forward reaching with her finger to barely touch the hem when He in urging His way came within her reach as He passed.
Touch and Healing
Her inward word was settled, growing confidence that she would be made whole and relieved if she could but touch his clothes. That confidence fixed even on touching the edge or hem of his garment as enough to bring healing.
The cure was wrought not by any healing virtue in the garment itself nor by the simple outward act of touching his clothes. It was wrought by strong, firm faith reaching out to claim his divine help and power. That faith trusted in Christ himself who wore the garment and in his power to save.
When she touched his garment she was healed immediately and at once. Pain, weakness, feebleness and suffering gave way to health and strength. She knew in her body that she was well and whole.
Living Faith Described
Her touch was the outward act of personal, living faith that laid hold of Christ and made actual contact with Him to receive help for a need no one else could meet. It was wholly different from merely being near Him, and from the casual, accidental contact of the wondering crowd pressing close about Him, who received no vital power from Him. Her faith drew healing virtue out of Him, which He recognized, and He made it a lesson for all His followers to the close of time. Talking of religious things in a casual way and praying for spiritual blessings without real soul-hunger and living faith avails little, and prayer and preaching without the exercise of living faith is in vain. But the touch of faith opens the divine treasure-house of power and wisdom, so that God accomplishes the wonders of His grace through instruments of clay.
True faith as shown in her saying does not depend on or require heightened emotion or intense feelings. It does not require noisy or loud petitions, or physical effort, exertion and display. A silent prayer that takes God at His word, trusts His promises, reaches out to the Saviour and relies on His power to save all who come to Him is heard and blessed. Trusting Christ's promises brings blessing, and obedience to His commandments gives witness to God.
Her touch expressed childlike trust and childlike confidence that touching His garment would heal her. It was the act in which she placed all her faith, the faith of her life concentrated in one act. She did not wait for complete or entire knowledge before exercising faith, for waiting for entire knowledge before exercising faith prevents receiving God's blessing and cannot receive blessing from God. She reached out to Him as He passed, though she could not get near enough to speak to Him, and divine power healed her at once.
Jesus distinguished her purposeful touch of faith from the crowd's casual contact. Though the crowd did not know what had happened, He knew what had happened and that healing virtue and healing power had gone out from Him. He recognized her need and her faith, knew her need and helped her exercise that faith, and noticed her need even in the crowd. No needy cry escapes His attention, and even the slightest touch and least act of faith made in faith brings a response amid the crowd.
Pardon and Saving Faith
As bodily disease was healed in answer to faith, so the repentant sinner who comes to Jesus in faith with that same touch of faith receives pardon and spiritual healing. That touch of faith brings forgiveness to the soul that calls upon Him, filling it with gratitude and joy and peace.
The verse illustrates saving faith in contrast to merely nominal faith. Saving faith is not talking of religion in a casual way, praying without soul-hunger and living trust, mere intellectual assent to truth, holding faith as an opinion, accepting Christ merely as the Saviour of the world, or merely believing about Christ. It is believing in Him, receiving Him as a personal Saviour, appropriating His merits to oneself, and by that transaction joining in covenant relation with God. Genuine faith is life, and living faith means increase of vigor and confiding trust by which the soul receives strength and confidence and becomes a conquering power.
Her healing shows humanity connected with divinity receiving blessing, for Christ came to bring divinity to humanity. This faith makes actual contact with Him and receives His healing power, bringing His virtue and grace to the one who reaches out. Through His grace that confiding trust gives the soul strength to overcome and victory, brings life to body and soul, and prepares people for His service and kingdom.
Christ's Gracious Response
Christ did not regard her touch as presumption but as faith in His power to save. He wanted her trust and grateful confession made known rather than received secretly, so that God would be glorified and she would understand His compassionate love and approval. The gifts of the gospel are to be openly acknowledged, and personal testimony of grace with open acknowledgment can help reveal Him to others.
She felt healing with great joy mixed with fear that she had overstepped duty, and trembling she fell at His feet and told all the truth. He recognized her faith and the healing virtue that had gone out from Him, distinguished it from mere physical contact, and made it a lesson for all His followers to the close of time. He commended her faith, did not reproach her, but drew her forward, heard her, and gently sent her away in peace and whole of her plague and illness.
He did not overlook the needs of the humblest, but His ear heard every needy cry. Even while teaching and healing with all the energies of body and soul taxed to the utmost, He was awake to her slightest touch amid the crowd. His divine nature combined with the human was so finely wrought that the least touch of faith brought a response, and no needy cry or least act of faith escapes His attention even amid the crowd.
His approval shows He responds with compassion to those who trust in His power to save. People may come to Him in weakness and receive healing power from Him Himself in answer to a touch of faith. That healing comes from Him, not through another person's control of the mind.
Application for Believers
Ministers need the living faith the woman showed when she trusted that even touching the hem of His garment would heal her, a close connection with Christ and trust in His power to bless those who come to Him rather than merely casual contact. To touch Jesus is to surrender to God, to be converted, and to make Him Saviour to all intents and purposes. It is to seek the Lord not in a fitful way but with all the heart in order to find Him, not touching Him only with the tips of the fingers but with the service of the whole being in praise for His wonderful, matchless love to the children of men, and this is an individual work needed by church members in every place. Touching the hem of Christ's garments is looking up in faith and asking the Lord to let His blessing come. In this way discouraged laborers who work school hours and then their own hours to build and sustain schools outside the cities can touch Christ and receive strength and help for those schools.
Touching the Saviour's garment is the reach of the arm of faith, which at times seems too short to make contact. Victory does not come by human efforts but by seeing God behind the promise and believing and trusting Him, grasping by faith the hand of infinite power because the Lord who promised is faithful. Receiving Christ's healing touch by faith revives mind and body and gives strength for service. He is always near and desires to be found, and His people are called not merely to touch His garments but to walk with Him as companion in constant communion for a consistent life of self-denial and self-sacrifice.
Pressing through to touch the hem is seeking Him and receiving the saving virtue found in Him. Looking to Jesus brings assurance and rest amid suffering even when healing does not come at once. Her timid, silent touch amid suffering and the press of daily life gives encouragement that Christ is a present help and that those who touch Him in faith are made whole. All young and old who do not know this power are called to seek it and take hold of Christ by living, active faith, coming to Him helpless and dependent, trusting His promises for a consistent Christian life. That same living faith trusts in Christ and obtains victory, keeping joy unspeakable and full of glory through trials instead of gratifying the evil one by telling doubts to others or speaking of trials and conflicts.
Talking of religious things in a casual way and praying for spiritual blessings without real soul-hunger and living faith avails little, and prayer and preaching without the exercise of living faith is in vain. The wondering crowd pressed close about Christ yet received no vital power, while the poor suffering woman in great need reached out with the touch of faith and drew healing virtue from Him. The touch of faith opens the divine treasure-house of power and wisdom so that God accomplishes the wonders of His grace through instruments of clay.
After twelve years of grievous disease that left her impoverished, pronounced incurable and near death, the woman was convinced that if she could but touch the edge of His clothes she would be made whole. She pressed through the throng to barely touch His garment as He passed, and was healed at once, not by any virtue in the cloth or in the outward act itself, but by firm faith reaching out to claim power from Christ Himself. Her touch was personal, living faith laying hold of Him for help no one else could give, wholly different from the casual pressing of the crowd who received nothing. As bodily healing answered that touch, so the repentant sinner who comes with the same touch of faith receives pardon and spiritual healing, for saving faith is not mere opinion or talk about Christ but receiving Him as a personal Saviour and appropriating His merits. Christ did not regard her act as presumption or reproach her fear, but recognized her faith, drew her forward to confess, commended her trust and sent her away in peace and whole.
Setting and Background
The saying belongs to the short walk to Jairus' house after the return from Gadara where the demoniacs had been healed. Jairus had fallen at Jesus' feet pleading for his little daughter lying at the point of death and given up to die, and Jesus went with him toward his home. The crowd pressed on every side eager to see the Teacher and begging attention and aid, slowing progress so that the anxious father feared being too late. Jesus pitied the people's spiritual darkness and physical maladies and stopped to minister to their wants, and was at times nearly carried off His feet by the surging masses.
The woman had suffered twelve long years with a grievous disease that made her life a burden. She had spent all her substance and means upon physicians and remedies without cure. She had been pronounced incurable and given up to die, and had been impoverished and brought near death by those who treated her.
Hearing of the wonderful cures performed revived her hope and convinced her He would pity and heal her if she could come into His presence. Though suffering pain and weakness she came to the seaside where He taught and sought to press through the surrounding throng. She found her way continually blocked until she began to despair, and hoped to reach Him but could not get near enough to speak. She waited for opportunity in the dense throng, and pressed forward reaching with her finger to barely touch the hem when He in urging His way came within her reach as He passed.
Touch and Healing
Her inward word was settled, growing confidence that she would be made whole and relieved if she could but touch his clothes. That confidence fixed even on touching the edge or hem of his garment as enough to bring healing.
The cure was wrought not by any healing virtue in the garment itself nor by the simple outward act of touching his clothes. It was wrought by strong, firm faith reaching out to claim his divine help and power. That faith trusted in Christ himself who wore the garment and in his power to save.
When she touched his garment she was healed immediately and at once. Pain, weakness, feebleness and suffering gave way to health and strength. She knew in her body that she was well and whole.
Living Faith Described
Her touch was the outward act of personal, living faith that laid hold of Christ and made actual contact with Him to receive help for a need no one else could meet. It was wholly different from merely being near Him, and from the casual, accidental contact of the wondering crowd pressing close about Him, who received no vital power from Him. Her faith drew healing virtue out of Him, which He recognized, and He made it a lesson for all His followers to the close of time. Talking of religious things in a casual way and praying for spiritual blessings without real soul-hunger and living faith avails little, and prayer and preaching without the exercise of living faith is in vain. But the touch of faith opens the divine treasure-house of power and wisdom, so that God accomplishes the wonders of His grace through instruments of clay.
True faith as shown in her saying does not depend on or require heightened emotion or intense feelings. It does not require noisy or loud petitions, or physical effort, exertion and display. A silent prayer that takes God at His word, trusts His promises, reaches out to the Saviour and relies on His power to save all who come to Him is heard and blessed. Trusting Christ's promises brings blessing, and obedience to His commandments gives witness to God.
Her touch expressed childlike trust and childlike confidence that touching His garment would heal her. It was the act in which she placed all her faith, the faith of her life concentrated in one act. She did not wait for complete or entire knowledge before exercising faith, for waiting for entire knowledge before exercising faith prevents receiving God's blessing and cannot receive blessing from God. She reached out to Him as He passed, though she could not get near enough to speak to Him, and divine power healed her at once.
Jesus distinguished her purposeful touch of faith from the crowd's casual contact. Though the crowd did not know what had happened, He knew what had happened and that healing virtue and healing power had gone out from Him. He recognized her need and her faith, knew her need and helped her exercise that faith, and noticed her need even in the crowd. No needy cry escapes His attention, and even the slightest touch and least act of faith made in faith brings a response amid the crowd.
Pardon and Saving Faith
As bodily disease was healed in answer to faith, so the repentant sinner who comes to Jesus in faith with that same touch of faith receives pardon and spiritual healing. That touch of faith brings forgiveness to the soul that calls upon Him, filling it with gratitude and joy and peace.
The verse illustrates saving faith in contrast to merely nominal faith. Saving faith is not talking of religion in a casual way, praying without soul-hunger and living trust, mere intellectual assent to truth, holding faith as an opinion, accepting Christ merely as the Saviour of the world, or merely believing about Christ. It is believing in Him, receiving Him as a personal Saviour, appropriating His merits to oneself, and by that transaction joining in covenant relation with God. Genuine faith is life, and living faith means increase of vigor and confiding trust by which the soul receives strength and confidence and becomes a conquering power.
Her healing shows humanity connected with divinity receiving blessing, for Christ came to bring divinity to humanity. This faith makes actual contact with Him and receives His healing power, bringing His virtue and grace to the one who reaches out. Through His grace that confiding trust gives the soul strength to overcome and victory, brings life to body and soul, and prepares people for His service and kingdom.
Christ's Gracious Response
Christ did not regard her touch as presumption but as faith in His power to save. He wanted her trust and grateful confession made known rather than received secretly, so that God would be glorified and she would understand His compassionate love and approval. The gifts of the gospel are to be openly acknowledged, and personal testimony of grace with open acknowledgment can help reveal Him to others.
She felt healing with great joy mixed with fear that she had overstepped duty, and trembling she fell at His feet and told all the truth. He recognized her faith and the healing virtue that had gone out from Him, distinguished it from mere physical contact, and made it a lesson for all His followers to the close of time. He commended her faith, did not reproach her, but drew her forward, heard her, and gently sent her away in peace and whole of her plague and illness.
He did not overlook the needs of the humblest, but His ear heard every needy cry. Even while teaching and healing with all the energies of body and soul taxed to the utmost, He was awake to her slightest touch amid the crowd. His divine nature combined with the human was so finely wrought that the least touch of faith brought a response, and no needy cry or least act of faith escapes His attention even amid the crowd.
His approval shows He responds with compassion to those who trust in His power to save. People may come to Him in weakness and receive healing power from Him Himself in answer to a touch of faith. That healing comes from Him, not through another person's control of the mind.
Application for Believers
Ministers need the living faith the woman showed when she trusted that even touching the hem of His garment would heal her, a close connection with Christ and trust in His power to bless those who come to Him rather than merely casual contact. To touch Jesus is to surrender to God, to be converted, and to make Him Saviour to all intents and purposes. It is to seek the Lord not in a fitful way but with all the heart in order to find Him, not touching Him only with the tips of the fingers but with the service of the whole being in praise for His wonderful, matchless love to the children of men, and this is an individual work needed by church members in every place. Touching the hem of Christ's garments is looking up in faith and asking the Lord to let His blessing come. In this way discouraged laborers who work school hours and then their own hours to build and sustain schools outside the cities can touch Christ and receive strength and help for those schools.
Touching the Saviour's garment is the reach of the arm of faith, which at times seems too short to make contact. Victory does not come by human efforts but by seeing God behind the promise and believing and trusting Him, grasping by faith the hand of infinite power because the Lord who promised is faithful. Receiving Christ's healing touch by faith revives mind and body and gives strength for service. He is always near and desires to be found, and His people are called not merely to touch His garments but to walk with Him as companion in constant communion for a consistent life of self-denial and self-sacrifice.
Pressing through to touch the hem is seeking Him and receiving the saving virtue found in Him. Looking to Jesus brings assurance and rest amid suffering even when healing does not come at once. Her timid, silent touch amid suffering and the press of daily life gives encouragement that Christ is a present help and that those who touch Him in faith are made whole. All young and old who do not know this power are called to seek it and take hold of Christ by living, active faith, coming to Him helpless and dependent, trusting His promises for a consistent Christian life. That same living faith trusts in Christ and obtains victory, keeping joy unspeakable and full of glory through trials instead of gratifying the evil one by telling doubts to others or speaking of trials and conflicts.
Talking of religious things in a casual way and praying for spiritual blessings without real soul-hunger and living faith avails little, and prayer and preaching without the exercise of living faith is in vain. The wondering crowd pressed close about Christ yet received no vital power, while the poor suffering woman in great need reached out with the touch of faith and drew healing virtue from Him. The touch of faith opens the divine treasure-house of power and wisdom so that God accomplishes the wonders of His grace through instruments of clay.