The Woman Touching the Hem of Jesus' GarmentBible World
5:34Mark 5:34
And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
After twelve years of incurable suffering and vain spending on physicians, a woman touched His garment in hope of healing and was instantly made well, and He called her Daughter and sent her away in peace and lasting wholeness. Her healing came not from the garment or the outward touch but from faith laying hold of His divine power, unlike the casual contact of the crowd which received nothing. He did not rebuke her fearful confession but tenderly approved her trust, assured her she had not offended Him, and confirmed her faith had healed her. True faith is simple childlike trust that takes God at His word without waiting for feeling or full knowledge, even a silent, slight touch reaching out to Him. As He heals the body He pardons the sin-defiled soul that calls on Him, so the sick are to be led to look to Him for forgiveness and peace as well as bodily relief, and His followers today are to live by that same hungering touch of faith rather than casual religion.
Story and Suffering
The saying belongs to the intertwined account of Jairus's daughter and the woman in the crowd, and Jairus's daughter stands among those Jesus raised who still remained subject to death and decay. The woman had suffered twelve long years with a disease that made life a burden, was pronounced incurable, had spent all her substance upon physicians and remedies in vain, and had been given up to die.
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. She believed that touching His garment would bring healing. Though weak and suffering pain she came to where He was teaching and healing the sick at the seaside, hoping for her opportunity as she watched Him.
She sought to press through the dense throng encompassing Him, but her way was continually hedged up by the crowd until she began to despair of approaching Him, until Jesus in urging His way through the multitude came within her reach. Then with timid, silent, deliberate touch expressing a lifetime of faith she reached out and touched the hem of His garment with her finger.
Healing Through Faith
She was made whole because her faith took hold of Christ's divine power and claimed His divine help, not because there was any healing power in the garment she touched or in the mere outward act of touching His clothes. That touch was recognized as an expression of faith reaching out for help, and it was that trust which brought her healing.
Her faith was concentrated in that one touch, and divine power answered it with immediate relief. Health and strength took the place of weakness and pain, feebleness gave way to vigor, and she felt in herself that she had recovered from her long illness. Her deliberate touch expressed a lifetime of faith, and her firm belief that touching His garment would relieve her was answered.
The pressing crowd had only casual contact with Him and received no vital power or blessing from it. Her touch in great need and desperate trust was different, a purposeful touch of faith born of need for help no one else could give, and it drew healing virtue from Him. Mere closeness and casual belief bring no blessing, while living faith that lays hold of Him receives His help and restoration.
Jesus perceived that virtue had gone out of Him, knew by name the soul who had touched Him in faith when no one else knew, and distinguished her touch amid the thronging multitude. He stopped to draw her out and would not let such confidence and trust pass without comment. Even the slightest, least touch of faith brings His attention, help, and response, for His divine nature combined with the human is so finely wrought that while teaching and healing with energies taxed to the utmost He hears every needy cry and overlooks not the humblest servant.
Tender Words Spoken
He called her Daughter, speaking with tenderness and compassion to one whose suffering and whole circumstances He fully knew. That name itself carried comfort and joy, assuring her she was accepted and healed and sent away in peace.
She came trembling with fear, fell at His feet, and told all the truth about her suffering and her healing, yet He did not reproach her. Instead He comforted her, approved her trust, and gave her comfort and joy as a wellspring rather than rebuke. His gentle sending her away in peace gave lasting healing from her plague.
He commended her trust and confirmed that her faith had made her whole. He declared her healed and whole of her plague, blessed her, and sent her away in peace and lasting wholeness. In that blessing distress gave way to peace, and His word brought relief as the work of the Mighty One and Restorer. His public comforting left no room to credit any healing power to the garment she touched.
His words assured her she had not offended Him by touching His garment and that reaching for Him in faith was not presumption. They removed fear and doubt with assurance of His compassionate love and His power to save those who come to Him.
By speaking openly He taught those standing by that faith in Him brings healing and peace. Her grateful, open confession made clear that faith had brought the healing, brought glory to God, and gave hope to others. The gifts of the gospel are not to be obtained secretly or enjoyed in silence, and her testimony of what had been done could help reveal Him to others.
Nature of True Faith
True faith is simple in its operation and powerful in its results, requiring childlike trust, and it is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. It does not demand feelings wrought up to excitement, intense emotional experience, noisy petitions, or physical exercise and display, and Jesus answers even the silent prayer of faith. Cold doubt creeps in and destroys confidence, and the one who waits for entire knowledge before believing will never be blessed.
It means simply taking God at His word and reaching out to connect with the Saviour, which receives His blessing in return. Coming helpless and dependent to ask for help to believe and taking hold of Him by living, active faith joins humanity to divinity so that the blessing of wholeness is received. Touching His garment represents reaching out in faith and receiving His healing touch, which can revive both mind and body for service. Her deliberate touch expressed a lifetime of faith, and the more her mind dwelt on Christ the more certain she became that touching Him would cure her, until firm belief was answered by divine power with immediate healing.
Even the slightest, least touch of faith brings His attention, help, and response. His divine nature combined with the human was so finely wrought that while teaching and healing with all the energies of body and soul taxed to the utmost, He was awake to the touch of the afflicted woman, hearing every needy cry and overlooking not the humblest of His servants. Saving, living, active faith is more than knowing about Christ or agreeing intellectually that He is the Saviour of the world. It personally trusts Him as Saviour, receives Him and His merits and saving grace, joins the believer to God in covenant, and lives in trusting dependence and relationship that gives the soul strength, confidence, and victory to overcome and can bring life to both body and soul.
His help remains present to those who reach Him in faith, and needy people who come to Him in desperate need and lay hold of Him by living faith receive His help. Her touch was not casual contact but an act of trust born of desperate need, relying on His power to save where no one else could give help.
Body and Soul Restored
As He dealt with bodily infirmity He deals with the repentant soul defiled by sin that calls on Him, and the touch of faith brings pardon and forgiveness that fills the soul with gratitude and joy and gives relief. The woman's firm faith that touching His garment would relieve her illness was answered by divine power healing her body, and in the same way the silent reaching out that simply takes God at His word receives His blessing and healing virtue to the soul. Faith here needs no feelings wrought up to excitement, noisy petitions, or physical exercise, and need not wait for entire knowledge before believing, for Jesus answers even the silent prayer of faith.
Her healing means humanity connected with divinity and received the blessing of wholeness, a lesson Christ wanted to impress on the throng about Him. It means He came to earth to bring divinity to humanity, a power young and old need, received by coming to Him helpless and dependent to ask for help to believe and by taking hold of Christ with living, active faith. That same joining of humanity to divinity is taught by her reaching Christ in the dense throng while He was healing the sick, after hope sprang up as she watched Him, and touching the hem of His garment and being made whole immediately though no earthly physician could help.
Her example teaches that people wounded by sin are to look to the Saviour in faith and receive the healing power of God's grace through living connection with Jesus as the source of healing. Healing the soul is more important than healing the body, so His joining of bodily healing with faith and peace is applied to the spiritual care of sick patients. They are to be shown the way of salvation, led to repent, assured of forgiveness and peace, and called to turn from sin.
He is the Mighty One and Restorer, the great Physician whose word makes the sufferer whole, and the source of healing and comfort. The woman was made whole through faith in Christ, not through any healing power in the garment she touched, for Christ recognized her touch as an expression of faith, restored her health, blessed her, and sent her away in peace. To walk by faith and be not troubled brings His word, Be thou whole, which instantly relieves suffering, fills the soul with gladness, and can give freedom from affliction for years, while continued trust leaves any renewed pain and further relief to Him to give as He sees best, and His help is sought in prayer for one who has spent herself in a busy life.
Living Faith Today
His word to her was meant as a lesson for all his followers to the close of time. To talk of religious things in a casual way, to pray for spiritual blessings and to preach without real soul-hunger and living faith avails little and is in vain. The pressing crowd had only casual contact and received no vital power from it, but her touch in great need drew healing virtue, and that touch of faith opens the divine treasure-house of power and wisdom so that God accomplishes the wonders of his grace through human instruments.
What is called for is living faith today, knowing that Jesus is indeed one's own and that his Spirit is purifying and refining the heart. It is trust in Christ who died on Calvary's cross, which surely obtains the victory. Such faith does not gratify the evil one by telling doubts to others, does not dwell in speech on trials and conflicts, but through them all has joy unspeakable and full of glory. That same contact of faith still brings his virtue to believers to prepare them for his service and his kingdom at his coming in the clouds of heaven. It is received by coming helpless and dependent to ask for help to believe, and by studying his life of self-denial and self-sacrifice and becoming a Christian in every sense.
The words Be whole are applied to sick ministers and to those who have spent themselves in a busy life. They are to trust the great Physician and believe in his willingness and power to save and heal, to walk by faith and be not troubled, and to pray for his healing and help. Distrusting God dishonors him. His word instantly relieves suffering, fills the soul with gladness, and can give freedom from affliction for many years, while any renewed pain and further relief is left to him to give as he sees best. Those who are discouraged should look to Christ in faith and ask his blessing as the woman did when she reached out and touched his garment. Her faith is the example of the living, close connection with Christ that believers need, unlike merely casual contact with him. People can come to him directly for healing and comfort rather than yielding control of their minds to another person.
After twelve years of incurable suffering and vain spending on physicians, a woman touched His garment in hope of healing and was instantly made well, and He called her Daughter and sent her away in peace and lasting wholeness. Her healing came not from the garment or the outward touch but from faith laying hold of His divine power, unlike the casual contact of the crowd which received nothing. He did not rebuke her fearful confession but tenderly approved her trust, assured her she had not offended Him, and confirmed her faith had healed her. True faith is simple childlike trust that takes God at His word without waiting for feeling or full knowledge, even a silent, slight touch reaching out to Him. As He heals the body He pardons the sin-defiled soul that calls on Him, so the sick are to be led to look to Him for forgiveness and peace as well as bodily relief, and His followers today are to live by that same hungering touch of faith rather than casual religion.
Story and Suffering
The saying belongs to the intertwined account of Jairus's daughter and the woman in the crowd, and Jairus's daughter stands among those Jesus raised who still remained subject to death and decay. The woman had suffered twelve long years with a disease that made life a burden, was pronounced incurable, had spent all her substance upon physicians and remedies in vain, and had been given up to die.
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. She believed that touching His garment would bring healing. Though weak and suffering pain she came to where He was teaching and healing the sick at the seaside, hoping for her opportunity as she watched Him.
She sought to press through the dense throng encompassing Him, but her way was continually hedged up by the crowd until she began to despair of approaching Him, until Jesus in urging His way through the multitude came within her reach. Then with timid, silent, deliberate touch expressing a lifetime of faith she reached out and touched the hem of His garment with her finger.
Healing Through Faith
She was made whole because her faith took hold of Christ's divine power and claimed His divine help, not because there was any healing power in the garment she touched or in the mere outward act of touching His clothes. That touch was recognized as an expression of faith reaching out for help, and it was that trust which brought her healing.
Her faith was concentrated in that one touch, and divine power answered it with immediate relief. Health and strength took the place of weakness and pain, feebleness gave way to vigor, and she felt in herself that she had recovered from her long illness. Her deliberate touch expressed a lifetime of faith, and her firm belief that touching His garment would relieve her was answered.
The pressing crowd had only casual contact with Him and received no vital power or blessing from it. Her touch in great need and desperate trust was different, a purposeful touch of faith born of need for help no one else could give, and it drew healing virtue from Him. Mere closeness and casual belief bring no blessing, while living faith that lays hold of Him receives His help and restoration.
Jesus perceived that virtue had gone out of Him, knew by name the soul who had touched Him in faith when no one else knew, and distinguished her touch amid the thronging multitude. He stopped to draw her out and would not let such confidence and trust pass without comment. Even the slightest, least touch of faith brings His attention, help, and response, for His divine nature combined with the human is so finely wrought that while teaching and healing with energies taxed to the utmost He hears every needy cry and overlooks not the humblest servant.
Tender Words Spoken
He called her Daughter, speaking with tenderness and compassion to one whose suffering and whole circumstances He fully knew. That name itself carried comfort and joy, assuring her she was accepted and healed and sent away in peace.
She came trembling with fear, fell at His feet, and told all the truth about her suffering and her healing, yet He did not reproach her. Instead He comforted her, approved her trust, and gave her comfort and joy as a wellspring rather than rebuke. His gentle sending her away in peace gave lasting healing from her plague.
He commended her trust and confirmed that her faith had made her whole. He declared her healed and whole of her plague, blessed her, and sent her away in peace and lasting wholeness. In that blessing distress gave way to peace, and His word brought relief as the work of the Mighty One and Restorer. His public comforting left no room to credit any healing power to the garment she touched.
His words assured her she had not offended Him by touching His garment and that reaching for Him in faith was not presumption. They removed fear and doubt with assurance of His compassionate love and His power to save those who come to Him.
By speaking openly He taught those standing by that faith in Him brings healing and peace. Her grateful, open confession made clear that faith had brought the healing, brought glory to God, and gave hope to others. The gifts of the gospel are not to be obtained secretly or enjoyed in silence, and her testimony of what had been done could help reveal Him to others.
Nature of True Faith
True faith is simple in its operation and powerful in its results, requiring childlike trust, and it is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. It does not demand feelings wrought up to excitement, intense emotional experience, noisy petitions, or physical exercise and display, and Jesus answers even the silent prayer of faith. Cold doubt creeps in and destroys confidence, and the one who waits for entire knowledge before believing will never be blessed.
It means simply taking God at His word and reaching out to connect with the Saviour, which receives His blessing in return. Coming helpless and dependent to ask for help to believe and taking hold of Him by living, active faith joins humanity to divinity so that the blessing of wholeness is received. Touching His garment represents reaching out in faith and receiving His healing touch, which can revive both mind and body for service. Her deliberate touch expressed a lifetime of faith, and the more her mind dwelt on Christ the more certain she became that touching Him would cure her, until firm belief was answered by divine power with immediate healing.
Even the slightest, least touch of faith brings His attention, help, and response. His divine nature combined with the human was so finely wrought that while teaching and healing with all the energies of body and soul taxed to the utmost, He was awake to the touch of the afflicted woman, hearing every needy cry and overlooking not the humblest of His servants. Saving, living, active faith is more than knowing about Christ or agreeing intellectually that He is the Saviour of the world. It personally trusts Him as Saviour, receives Him and His merits and saving grace, joins the believer to God in covenant, and lives in trusting dependence and relationship that gives the soul strength, confidence, and victory to overcome and can bring life to both body and soul.
His help remains present to those who reach Him in faith, and needy people who come to Him in desperate need and lay hold of Him by living faith receive His help. Her touch was not casual contact but an act of trust born of desperate need, relying on His power to save where no one else could give help.
Body and Soul Restored
As He dealt with bodily infirmity He deals with the repentant soul defiled by sin that calls on Him, and the touch of faith brings pardon and forgiveness that fills the soul with gratitude and joy and gives relief. The woman's firm faith that touching His garment would relieve her illness was answered by divine power healing her body, and in the same way the silent reaching out that simply takes God at His word receives His blessing and healing virtue to the soul. Faith here needs no feelings wrought up to excitement, noisy petitions, or physical exercise, and need not wait for entire knowledge before believing, for Jesus answers even the silent prayer of faith.
Her healing means humanity connected with divinity and received the blessing of wholeness, a lesson Christ wanted to impress on the throng about Him. It means He came to earth to bring divinity to humanity, a power young and old need, received by coming to Him helpless and dependent to ask for help to believe and by taking hold of Christ with living, active faith. That same joining of humanity to divinity is taught by her reaching Christ in the dense throng while He was healing the sick, after hope sprang up as she watched Him, and touching the hem of His garment and being made whole immediately though no earthly physician could help.
Her example teaches that people wounded by sin are to look to the Saviour in faith and receive the healing power of God's grace through living connection with Jesus as the source of healing. Healing the soul is more important than healing the body, so His joining of bodily healing with faith and peace is applied to the spiritual care of sick patients. They are to be shown the way of salvation, led to repent, assured of forgiveness and peace, and called to turn from sin.
He is the Mighty One and Restorer, the great Physician whose word makes the sufferer whole, and the source of healing and comfort. The woman was made whole through faith in Christ, not through any healing power in the garment she touched, for Christ recognized her touch as an expression of faith, restored her health, blessed her, and sent her away in peace. To walk by faith and be not troubled brings His word, Be thou whole, which instantly relieves suffering, fills the soul with gladness, and can give freedom from affliction for years, while continued trust leaves any renewed pain and further relief to Him to give as He sees best, and His help is sought in prayer for one who has spent herself in a busy life.
Living Faith Today
His word to her was meant as a lesson for all his followers to the close of time. To talk of religious things in a casual way, to pray for spiritual blessings and to preach without real soul-hunger and living faith avails little and is in vain. The pressing crowd had only casual contact and received no vital power from it, but her touch in great need drew healing virtue, and that touch of faith opens the divine treasure-house of power and wisdom so that God accomplishes the wonders of his grace through human instruments.
What is called for is living faith today, knowing that Jesus is indeed one's own and that his Spirit is purifying and refining the heart. It is trust in Christ who died on Calvary's cross, which surely obtains the victory. Such faith does not gratify the evil one by telling doubts to others, does not dwell in speech on trials and conflicts, but through them all has joy unspeakable and full of glory. That same contact of faith still brings his virtue to believers to prepare them for his service and his kingdom at his coming in the clouds of heaven. It is received by coming helpless and dependent to ask for help to believe, and by studying his life of self-denial and self-sacrifice and becoming a Christian in every sense.
The words Be whole are applied to sick ministers and to those who have spent themselves in a busy life. They are to trust the great Physician and believe in his willingness and power to save and heal, to walk by faith and be not troubled, and to pray for his healing and help. Distrusting God dishonors him. His word instantly relieves suffering, fills the soul with gladness, and can give freedom from affliction for many years, while any renewed pain and further relief is left to him to give as he sees best. Those who are discouraged should look to Christ in faith and ask his blessing as the woman did when she reached out and touched his garment. Her faith is the example of the living, close connection with Christ that believers need, unlike merely casual contact with him. People can come to him directly for healing and comfort rather than yielding control of their minds to another person.