And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
He stopped in the press of the crowd and turned to look through the throng to find the woman who had been healed by touching him, recognizing her touch as an act of faith where the disciples saw only the crowd pressing around him. He already knew what had happened and all her need and circumstances, and he looked not from lack of knowledge but to give her opportunity to come forward and be recognized. His look distinguished her purposeful, trusting touch of living faith, born of desperate need for help only he could give, from the accidental jostling and casual contact of the careless multitude that received no vital power. He would not let her leave unnoticed but insisted she come forward and openly tell what had happened, so God would be glorified by her grateful confession and all would learn that her cure came through strong faith claiming divine help and not through outward contact with his clothes. He sought her to give comfort rather than reproach, commending her boldness and assuring her that her faith was accepted, so she would receive more than a private healing.
Narrative Setting
The scene belongs to the healing of Jairus' daughter as told in Matthew 9, Mark 5, and Luke 8. It took place after Jesus returned from healing the demoniacs at Gadara, when He went with Jairus toward his nearby home to heal his dying daughter. He moved slowly through a pressing, surging crowd, stopping to minister from pity over spiritual darkness and physical maladies.
The woman involved had suffered with disease for twelve years. She had spent her resources on doctors without being healed and had come close to losing her life through them, her case being beyond any earthly physician to help. Yet seeing Jesus healing the sick gave her hope as she struggled through the crowd while He was on His way to Jairus's home, believing that reaching Him would bring healing.
Believing that touching His garment would heal her, she waited for her opportunity. She reached through the press and touched the hem of His garment in silent faith and hope. She was immediately made whole. Then she tried to leave quietly.
After she was healed Jesus stopped in the press of the crowd. He turned to look through the dense throng jostling Him on every side to identify the one who had touched Him.
Meaning of His Look
He turned in the press of the crowd and looked round about to find the woman whose touch had healed her, that He might speak to her personally and give her comfort. He recognized her touch as an act of faith, though the disciples saw only the multitude thronging and pressing around Him. The healing power was in Himself, not in His garment, and the cure came not through outward contact with His clothes giving opportunity to superstition but through strong faith reaching out and claiming divine help.
His look distinguished her purposeful, trusting touch of living faith from the accidental jostling and casual contact of the careless, wondering multitude that received no vital power. Hers was born of desperate need and longing for help that only He could give, and He understood the longing of her heart as He understands every heart drawn out after Him. At that touch He perceived that healing virtue had gone out of Him in response to her faith, faith having taken it from Him, while the crowding multitude felt no such restoration. So His turning and fixing His eyes upon her gives a lesson for all His followers to the close of time, distinguishing casual religious contact from the touch of faith that opens the divine treasure-house of power and wisdom.
He already knew what had happened, her need, and all the circumstances, though no one else knew she had touched Him. He knows by name every soul who comes to Him in faith, as He will know His sheep when He comes in the clouds of heaven. He asked and looked not from lack of knowledge but to give her opportunity to come forward and be recognized, that her faith and healing might be made known and God be glorified by her grateful confession. She would thus understand His compassion and approval and receive more than a private healing, her faith in His saving power being accepted.
The looking round means humanity had connected with divinity and the blessing had been received, illustrating that He came to earth to bring divinity to humanity. He was awake to the touch of the afflicted woman and heard every needy cry, not overlooking the needs of the humblest of His servants. His divine nature combined with the human was so finely wrought that even the slightest touch of faith brought a response. He noticed and answered her amid the dense throng jostling Him on every side, even while His strength was taxed by teaching and healing.
Why He Sought Her
He would not let such confidence and trust pass without comment, or let her go away unnoticed without speaking to her personally, but stopped and persisted and insisted on knowing who she was until concealment was vain. She had tried to slip away quietly after she was made whole, yet when she saw she was not hid she came trembling from hiding, filled with fear lest she had overstepped duty, and fell at His feet. There she told all the truth before the crowd — her long suffering, her hopeless condition, her act of faith in reaching through to touch His garment, and the instant relief she had received.
He looked for her not to reproach her but to give her comfort, commending her boldness and gently assuring her of His compassion and approval. His words to her were to be a wellspring of joy to her, assuring her that her faith in His saving power was accepted so that she would receive more than a private healing. He drew her out to come forward and openly acknowledge before the people what had happened, telling her long suffering and the healing she had received, so that God would be glorified by her grateful confession. The gifts of the gospel are not to be taken secretly or kept as a private experience.
By making the healing known He gave a lesson for all His followers to the close of time and impressed the throng about Him. He made clear that her cure came not through outward contact with His clothes, which would give opportunity to superstition, but through strong faith reaching out and claiming divine help. In this He distinguished casual religious contact from the touch of faith that opens the divine treasure-house of power and wisdom.
Nature of Saving Faith
The pressing crowd surrounded him closely yet received no healing, while the suffering woman who reached out believing was made whole, because living faith closely connects a person with him and brings into living connection with him. Her cure came not from the mere act of touching his clothes or outward contact with his garments, but through faith in his divine help and power, by faith taking hold on his divine power and reaching out to claim divine help. He insisted on bringing her forward so this would be made clear and superstition given no opportunity, showing that strong faith, not the touch itself, had brought healing.
Her example shows that faith does not require intense feelings or intense emotion, noisy or loud petitions, outward display, or physical exertion, but simply trusts God's word and reaches out to the Saviour. He hears and answers even silent prayer offered in faith by one who takes God at his word and reaches out to him in trust. Her firm belief and confidence that he could heal her grew as she dwelt on that hope, and divine power answered her faith.
Saving faith is more than knowing about him, agreeing with gospel truth, or casual nominal belief and mere physical contact. It personally trusts in him and receives him as Saviour, personally taking hold of him for healing and salvation and bringing spiritual life and strength as well as healing. Even the slightest touch of faith receives his response and brings healing power, so that one who is weak and afflicted may come to him in faith and not be overlooked, and childlike trust in him meets pardon and healing.
Gospel Application Today
Just as bodily disease was healed in that moment, so pardon comes to the repentant soul that calls upon him, and the touch of faith brings forgiveness that turns suffering into gratitude and joy and thanksgiving. The same faith needs no intense feeling or noisy petition or outward display or physical exertion, but simply trusts his word and reaches out to the Saviour, even in silent prayer, with firm confidence that he can help growing as it dwells on that hope until divine power answers. That healing came not by outward contact with his clothes but by faith taking hold on his divine power and claiming divine help.
That actual contact of faith still brings his virtue to believers to prepare them for his service and his kingdom. It must be exercised by trusting in him with victory as certain as his death on the cross, refusing to gratify the evil one by telling doubts to others and speaking no more of trials and conflicts, for through them all there is joy unspeakable and full of glory. His looking round showed humanity connected with divinity and the blessing received, for he came to bring divinity to humanity, and young and old all need that divinity and power. It is received by taking hold of him with living, active faith, coming to him just as they are, helpless and dependent, asking for help for unbelief, and studying his life of self-denial and self-sacrifice to become Christians in every sense of the word.
His being awake to the touch of the afflicted woman and hearing every needy cry, with divine nature so finely combined with the human that even the slightest touch of faith brought response, shows he did not overlook the needs of the humblest even while his strength was taxed by teaching and healing. His careful notice of simple human need is a pattern to think of and follow in attending to little things. The account gives encouragement through her healing, showing that even amid the crowd those who touch him in faith can be made whole. Those discouraged in building up schools outside the cities are to look up in faith and touch the hem of his garments by asking for his blessing upon the schools, and grace is given to those who have means so their means will work to the salvation of souls around them.
He stopped in the press of the crowd and turned to look through the throng to find the woman who had been healed by touching him, recognizing her touch as an act of faith where the disciples saw only the crowd pressing around him. He already knew what had happened and all her need and circumstances, and he looked not from lack of knowledge but to give her opportunity to come forward and be recognized. His look distinguished her purposeful, trusting touch of living faith, born of desperate need for help only he could give, from the accidental jostling and casual contact of the careless multitude that received no vital power. He would not let her leave unnoticed but insisted she come forward and openly tell what had happened, so God would be glorified by her grateful confession and all would learn that her cure came through strong faith claiming divine help and not through outward contact with his clothes. He sought her to give comfort rather than reproach, commending her boldness and assuring her that her faith was accepted, so she would receive more than a private healing.
Narrative Setting
The scene belongs to the healing of Jairus' daughter as told in Matthew 9, Mark 5, and Luke 8. It took place after Jesus returned from healing the demoniacs at Gadara, when He went with Jairus toward his nearby home to heal his dying daughter. He moved slowly through a pressing, surging crowd, stopping to minister from pity over spiritual darkness and physical maladies.
The woman involved had suffered with disease for twelve years. She had spent her resources on doctors without being healed and had come close to losing her life through them, her case being beyond any earthly physician to help. Yet seeing Jesus healing the sick gave her hope as she struggled through the crowd while He was on His way to Jairus's home, believing that reaching Him would bring healing.
Believing that touching His garment would heal her, she waited for her opportunity. She reached through the press and touched the hem of His garment in silent faith and hope. She was immediately made whole. Then she tried to leave quietly.
After she was healed Jesus stopped in the press of the crowd. He turned to look through the dense throng jostling Him on every side to identify the one who had touched Him.
Meaning of His Look
He turned in the press of the crowd and looked round about to find the woman whose touch had healed her, that He might speak to her personally and give her comfort. He recognized her touch as an act of faith, though the disciples saw only the multitude thronging and pressing around Him. The healing power was in Himself, not in His garment, and the cure came not through outward contact with His clothes giving opportunity to superstition but through strong faith reaching out and claiming divine help.
His look distinguished her purposeful, trusting touch of living faith from the accidental jostling and casual contact of the careless, wondering multitude that received no vital power. Hers was born of desperate need and longing for help that only He could give, and He understood the longing of her heart as He understands every heart drawn out after Him. At that touch He perceived that healing virtue had gone out of Him in response to her faith, faith having taken it from Him, while the crowding multitude felt no such restoration. So His turning and fixing His eyes upon her gives a lesson for all His followers to the close of time, distinguishing casual religious contact from the touch of faith that opens the divine treasure-house of power and wisdom.
He already knew what had happened, her need, and all the circumstances, though no one else knew she had touched Him. He knows by name every soul who comes to Him in faith, as He will know His sheep when He comes in the clouds of heaven. He asked and looked not from lack of knowledge but to give her opportunity to come forward and be recognized, that her faith and healing might be made known and God be glorified by her grateful confession. She would thus understand His compassion and approval and receive more than a private healing, her faith in His saving power being accepted.
The looking round means humanity had connected with divinity and the blessing had been received, illustrating that He came to earth to bring divinity to humanity. He was awake to the touch of the afflicted woman and heard every needy cry, not overlooking the needs of the humblest of His servants. His divine nature combined with the human was so finely wrought that even the slightest touch of faith brought a response. He noticed and answered her amid the dense throng jostling Him on every side, even while His strength was taxed by teaching and healing.
Why He Sought Her
He would not let such confidence and trust pass without comment, or let her go away unnoticed without speaking to her personally, but stopped and persisted and insisted on knowing who she was until concealment was vain. She had tried to slip away quietly after she was made whole, yet when she saw she was not hid she came trembling from hiding, filled with fear lest she had overstepped duty, and fell at His feet. There she told all the truth before the crowd — her long suffering, her hopeless condition, her act of faith in reaching through to touch His garment, and the instant relief she had received.
He looked for her not to reproach her but to give her comfort, commending her boldness and gently assuring her of His compassion and approval. His words to her were to be a wellspring of joy to her, assuring her that her faith in His saving power was accepted so that she would receive more than a private healing. He drew her out to come forward and openly acknowledge before the people what had happened, telling her long suffering and the healing she had received, so that God would be glorified by her grateful confession. The gifts of the gospel are not to be taken secretly or kept as a private experience.
By making the healing known He gave a lesson for all His followers to the close of time and impressed the throng about Him. He made clear that her cure came not through outward contact with His clothes, which would give opportunity to superstition, but through strong faith reaching out and claiming divine help. In this He distinguished casual religious contact from the touch of faith that opens the divine treasure-house of power and wisdom.
Nature of Saving Faith
The pressing crowd surrounded him closely yet received no healing, while the suffering woman who reached out believing was made whole, because living faith closely connects a person with him and brings into living connection with him. Her cure came not from the mere act of touching his clothes or outward contact with his garments, but through faith in his divine help and power, by faith taking hold on his divine power and reaching out to claim divine help. He insisted on bringing her forward so this would be made clear and superstition given no opportunity, showing that strong faith, not the touch itself, had brought healing.
Her example shows that faith does not require intense feelings or intense emotion, noisy or loud petitions, outward display, or physical exertion, but simply trusts God's word and reaches out to the Saviour. He hears and answers even silent prayer offered in faith by one who takes God at his word and reaches out to him in trust. Her firm belief and confidence that he could heal her grew as she dwelt on that hope, and divine power answered her faith.
Saving faith is more than knowing about him, agreeing with gospel truth, or casual nominal belief and mere physical contact. It personally trusts in him and receives him as Saviour, personally taking hold of him for healing and salvation and bringing spiritual life and strength as well as healing. Even the slightest touch of faith receives his response and brings healing power, so that one who is weak and afflicted may come to him in faith and not be overlooked, and childlike trust in him meets pardon and healing.
Gospel Application Today
Just as bodily disease was healed in that moment, so pardon comes to the repentant soul that calls upon him, and the touch of faith brings forgiveness that turns suffering into gratitude and joy and thanksgiving. The same faith needs no intense feeling or noisy petition or outward display or physical exertion, but simply trusts his word and reaches out to the Saviour, even in silent prayer, with firm confidence that he can help growing as it dwells on that hope until divine power answers. That healing came not by outward contact with his clothes but by faith taking hold on his divine power and claiming divine help.
That actual contact of faith still brings his virtue to believers to prepare them for his service and his kingdom. It must be exercised by trusting in him with victory as certain as his death on the cross, refusing to gratify the evil one by telling doubts to others and speaking no more of trials and conflicts, for through them all there is joy unspeakable and full of glory. His looking round showed humanity connected with divinity and the blessing received, for he came to bring divinity to humanity, and young and old all need that divinity and power. It is received by taking hold of him with living, active faith, coming to him just as they are, helpless and dependent, asking for help for unbelief, and studying his life of self-denial and self-sacrifice to become Christians in every sense of the word.
His being awake to the touch of the afflicted woman and hearing every needy cry, with divine nature so finely combined with the human that even the slightest touch of faith brought response, shows he did not overlook the needs of the humblest even while his strength was taxed by teaching and healing. His careful notice of simple human need is a pattern to think of and follow in attending to little things. The account gives encouragement through her healing, showing that even amid the crowd those who touch him in faith can be made whole. Those discouraged in building up schools outside the cities are to look up in faith and touch the hem of his garments by asking for his blessing upon the schools, and grace is given to those who have means so their means will work to the salvation of souls around them.