Matthew 9:20, commentary and pictures

After twelve years of painful, weakening bleeding that had consumed all her means on useless physicians until she was given up as incurable, the woman pressed through the dense crowd around Jesus on His way to Jairus's house and came behind Him to barely touch the border of His garment.
She did so believing within herself that that touch alone would make her whole, concentrating all the faith of her life in that one act.
In that moment she was instantly freed from her illness, with health and strength replacing feebleness and pain.
The cure came not from any power in the garment or in the outward act itself, but from her purposeful, living faith reaching out to Christ's divine power, unlike the crowd's casual pressing and mere nearness which brings no benefit.
Jesus discerned that touch of faith amid the throng and brought her forward to confess and leave comforted in peace, showing that true Christian faith is simple child-like trust that takes God at His word and connects the soul to the Saviour for both bodily healing and pardon for sin.

Setting on the Way

Matthew 9:20 took place as Jesus went with Jairus from the house of Levi toward Jairus's home to heal his little daughter who lay at the point of death. Though the distance was short, progress was very slow because a vast pressing multitude thronged Him on every side. Rich and poor, high and low, Pharisees, doctors, lawyers, and many sick, deformed, and afflicted pressed forward eager to see Him and beg His attention and aid. While the anxious father urged his way through fearful of being too late, Jesus pitied the people in their spiritual darkness and physical maladies and stopped along the way to minister to their wants, at times nearly carried off His feet by the surging masses, and in that pressing throng the woman came behind Him to touch His garment.

Jesus delayed on the way to Jairus's house to heal the woman, and the delay with its results was so intensely interesting that even the anxious father felt no impatience but watched the scene with deep interest. As the healed woman was sent away comforted and rejoicing, seeing it encouraged Jairus to believe still more firmly that Jesus was able to grant his own petition and heal his daughter. Hope grew stronger in his heart, and he urged Jesus to hasten with him to his home.

Woman's Long Suffering

For twelve years the woman had suffered from an issue of blood, a disease that made her life a burden. Her long affliction left her in pain and weakness. She had spent all her substance and means on physicians and remedies, yet all treatment was in vain and she grew worse. She had been pronounced incurable and given up to die.

When she heard of the cures of Jesus, her hope revived that He would pity and heal her if she could come into His presence. Hearing of Jesus the Healer renewed her hope after physicians and remedies had failed her. After seeing Him heal the sick, hope arose in her and she waited for an opportunity to reach Him.

Touch Behind Him

Weak with pain, she made her way to where He was teaching and tried to press through the throng, but she was hedged in on every side and began to despair. In the confusion she could not make herself heard nor catch more than a passing glimpse, and fearful of losing her one chance of relief, she waited until He came within reach. Then as He passed she pressed forward from behind and barely touched the hem, the border of His garment.

She felt unworthy of His notice and would not ask for direct attention, but said within herself that touching alone would make her whole. She believed that even that slight contact with the hem would relieve her illness and cure her. Into that one touch she concentrated all the faith of her life.

In that very moment she was instantly healed and freed from her illness. Health and strength took the place of feebleness and pain. Her pain and weakness vanished, and she felt herself perfectly well.

Healing Through Faith

The healing did not come from any power in the garment itself or from the outward act of touching His clothes, but from strong faith reaching out for Jesus' divine help and relying on Christ's divine power. The woman had suffered twelve years from a painful flow of blood that made her life a burden, had spent all her substance and means on physicians and remedies in vain and grown worse, and had been pronounced incurable and given up to die. Feeling unworthy of Christ's notice, she believed that touching alone, even the hem or border of His garment, would make her whole and relieve her illness, and when she touched it in faith she was instantly healed and made well. Her healing came through divine power in answer to firm faith, not through the touch itself.

Her touch was a purposeful act of living faith that truly reached Christ and received His healing power, not merely an accidental touch in the crowd. It stands unlike the crowd's casual pressing, jostling, and mere outward nearness to Him, which brings no benefit, for a merely casual touch is not the close connection that living faith brings. She trusted Jesus to heal her and concentrated her confidence in that contact, and she was healed immediately while closeness alone healed no others. Faith means taking God at His word and relying on His power to save, not trust in the garment itself.

Jesus recognized her touch of faith even amid the crowd pressing around Him, knew her suffering and need, and helped her exercise faith. He compassionately brought her forward so she could confess what had happened, understand He approved her trust rather than condemning her as presumptuous, and leave comforted with peace. He publicly comforted and commended her trust and affirmed that her faith had made her whole, showing that Christ permits people to approach Him in faith to receive His healing grace and welcomes those who come so their trust does not go unacknowledged. Her pain and weakness vanished at that moment and she knew she was healed.

The garment communicated healing power to her when she touched it in faith, and Jesus recognized that power had gone out from Him.

Nature of Living Faith

Matthew 9:20 shows true Christian faith, simple in operation and powerful in results. It requires child-like trust that simply takes God at His word and reaches out to connect with the Saviour, and whoever does so receives blessing. Jesus answers even silent prayer of faith, without requiring feelings wrought to excitement, noisy petitions, or physical exercise. Cold doubt destroys confidence, and waiting for entire knowledge before believing brings no blessing. The woman believed Jesus could heal her and grew more certain that even touching His garment would cure her, and her firm belief was answered by virtue of divine power.

The same living faith shown in touching His garment after years of disease is required now. Trusting in Christ as surely as He died on Calvary's cross brings victory. That trust keeps from telling doubts to others to gratify the evil one and from speaking of trials and conflicts. Through them all it gives joy unspeakable and full of glory and the light of life instead of darkness.

Her reaching through the crowd to touch the hem of His garment in faith, believing she would be healed, was recognized amid the pressing crowd as a touch of faith that brought healing. The crowd's mere closeness brought no such benefit. Spiritual healing comes not from casual religious talk, prayer without living faith, intellectual belief about Christ, or physical contact alone, but from personally trusting in Him as Saviour and appropriating His merits. Christ permits people to approach Him in faith to receive His healing grace. Saving faith receives Christ as a personal Saviour, relies on His merits, and joins the believer to God in a covenant relationship, giving the soul growing strength and trust. Christ's healing touch revives both mind and body for service.

Touching the hem of His garment means looking to Jesus as Saviour by living faith and coming into living connection with Him. It teaches not to look at and deplore the wounds and bruises that sin has made but to look at once to Christ for the healing power of the grace of God. He saves to the uttermost all who come to Him and casts out not one who comes in sincerity. Healing is given as surely and as quickly as those in the wilderness were healed as soon as they looked.

Her reaching through a dense crowd to touch Him shows humanity connecting with divinity and receiving its blessing, a lesson He wished the crowd to learn. Her timid, silent touch is a lesson of encouragement. Touching the hem of His garment is an appeal to press through to Jesus and receive the virtue found in Him. Her act pictures seeking His presence, whose goal is not merely a moment of contact but walking with Him in constant communion.

Pardon for Sinful Souls

The woman had suffered from a flow of blood for twelve years when she came to Jesus in faith and touched His garment, her confidence that He could heal her growing until she was certain that touching His garment would relieve her illness and cure her. Her healing came by divine power in answer to that firm faith, not through the outward act of touch itself. As He healed bodily illness and dealt with bodily infirmity, so He deals with the soul defiled by sin. He grants pardon to the repentant soul that calls upon Him, and the touch of faith brings pardon that fills the soul with gratitude and joy.