The Woman Touching the Hem of Jesus' GarmentBible World
9:21Matthew 9:21
For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
On His way to Jairus's home a woman who had suffered twelve years with an incurable disease and spent all she had in vain believed that merely touching the hem of His garment would make her whole. She held this as a quiet inward resolve and silent prayer of trust, without spoken plea or outward display, feeling unworthy of His notice yet certain that brief contact would heal her. Reaching forward through the pressing crowd she touched Him, and at once health and strength replaced her weakness and pain. The cure came not from the garment itself but from firm, humble faith laying hold of His divine power, which Jesus distinguished from the casual pressing of the crowd who were near Him yet received nothing. That touch is the pattern of saving faith for every sin-burdened soul, a living hand reaching out to connect with Christ by which humanity joins to divinity and receives pardon, vigor, and healing grace.
Narrative Setting and Background
Jesus was on His way with Jairus to the ruler's home to heal his daughter who lay at the point of death, having at once agreed to the father's entreaty. His progress was very slow because the people pressed forward on every side, eager to see Him and begging His attention and aid. He pitied them and stopped along the way to minister to their wants, while the anxious father urged on through the crowd, fearful of being too late.
The woman who spoke the words had suffered twelve years with a grievous disease that made her life a burden. She had spent all her means and substance on physicians and remedies in vain. She had been pronounced incurable and given up to die.
Hearing of Jesus and the cures He effected revived her hope. She believed that coming into His presence He would pity and heal her. She thought that if she could get near enough even to speak to Him she might be healed.
Suffering pain and weakness and hedged in by the pressing throng, she could not reach Him to ask for help or be heard by Him nor catch more than a passing glimpse. She was unwilling to delay or hinder Him on His way to Jairus's home. She was fearful of losing her one chance for relief. When He came within reach she pressed forward through the crowd and seized the golden passing opportunity.
Words and Inner Resolve
She said it within herself as a quiet inward trust and silent prayer of faith. That inward saying required no spoken petition, no noisy petitions, no outward display, and no physical exercise worked up for excitement. Her inward resolve was confidence that if she might but touch His garment she would be made whole and cured. Even only its hem or border would be enough, and that certainty grew as her mind dwelt upon it.
She felt unworthy to seek His notice, yet she trusted that even this brief contact would make her whole. Her faith was not in the garment itself, and no virtue in the simple act of touching His clothes wrought the cure. It was faith in His divine power which the garment covered, reaching out to claim His divine help. The garment served as a means of cure, while the healing power came from Him.
She concentrated all the faith of her life in that one deliberate touch. Christ knew her thoughts and her need and helped her exercise that faith. Unable to speak to Him and unwilling to delay Him, she held this conviction as He passed through the crowd on His way to Jairus's home.
Healing Through Faith Alone
As He passed she pressed forward through the crowd and reached forward to barely touch the hem, the border of His garment. In that moment she was healed at once, immediately and instantly, with health and strength replacing feebleness, pain and weakness after years of illness. She had concentrated all the faith of her life in that one deliberate touch, an earnest and unquestioning trust that even so brief a contact would make her well. Her trust was not in the garment itself but in Christ and in His divine power which the garment covered, and that trust in Him brought the healing power.
The cure came through firm, humble, confiding faith taking hold of His divine power, not through outward contact itself and not through any virtue in the simple act of touching His clothes. Jesus recognized it as a touch of faith and made its significance known, affirming that her faith had made her whole. She was healed that hour and from that hour and from that time onward. Her humble, trusting faith is the kind of faith through which God's power is manifested.
Jesus distinguished that touch of faith from the casual contact and pressing of the careless crowd about Him. Her touch was not merely part of the crowd's pressing, but expressed earnest faith reaching out to claim His divine help and to connect with the Saviour. The others were near Him and pressed and touched Him, yet received no benefit and no blessing because they did not touch Him by faith. Healing faith is a living, close connection with Christ, not merely casual contact, and those who come to Him in that way can trust His power to bless them.
Her humble, trusting and confiding faith is the living, close connection with Christ through which God's power is manifested and through which healing virtue comes to the soul. Her living faith caused her to touch the hem of His garment to be made whole. Trust in Christ like this obtains the victory as surely as Christ died, bringing joy unspeakable and full of glory instead of doubts, trials and conflicts told to others.
True faith is simple in operation and powerful in results, requiring childlike trust that simply takes God at His word and reaches out to connect with the Saviour. It does not require feelings wrought up to excitement, intense emotion, ecstatic feeling, noisy petitions, physical exercise, outward display, or waiting for entire knowledge before believing. Cold doubt must not be allowed to destroy confidence, and Jesus answers even the silent prayer of faith with divine power granting the prayer.
Witness and Encouragement to Others
The inward resolve to be made well by touching even the hem of the garment was not casual contact but deliberate trust that received healing, faith in power to save to the uttermost all who come, and the touch that brought healing was recognized at once as a touch of faith. Jesus would not pass by without comment but made the significance of that faith known, pressing to make her known though she feared the touch had been presumption. He wanted her to know that He knew her suffering and felt compassionate love for her, approving her act of faith with words of approval and sympathy from a heart of love filled with sympathy for human woe rather than censure. He did this so she would not depart with a half blessing only or remain in ignorance and fear, but would understand His compassion and approval and receive comfort and peace.
He drew out her grateful confession before all the people, for her healing called for grateful confession to glorify God. That open testimony was to inspire the afflicted with hope and to teach the lesson to her, to the disciples, and to the people, that faith had brought the healing.
Seeing her healed, comforted, and rejoicing encouraged Jairus to believe more firmly and strengthened his hope that Jesus could also heal his daughter. That strengthened belief gave him hope to urge Jesus onward and to press on with Jesus even after hearing that the girl had died.
Spiritual Meaning for Believers
As He dealt with bodily infirmity, so He deals with the repentant soul defiled by sin that calls upon Him, and the touch of faith brings pardon that fills the soul with gratitude and joy. Distress and gloom are changed to joy and thanksgiving when that healing is received.
Faith is the hand that reaches out to Christ, and to touch the hem of His garment is to look to Jesus by living, active faith and to come into living connection with Him. By that connection humanity is joined to divinity and receives His blessing. In this way the believer receives the healing power of grace for the wounds and bruises that sin has made.
This living trust in Christ is wholly different from merely being near Him, professing to follow Him, casual religious talk, prayer without earnest faith, or mere intellectual agreement, which avail nothing and bring no blessing. Saving faith is a real desire to know and follow Him rather than one's own way, taking God at His word and relying on His power to save. It receives Christ as a personal Saviour and appropriates His merits, joining the believer to God in covenant commitment and giving the soul spiritual vigor and strength to overcome.
Her act is the pattern for receiving healing, instead of deploring sin, talking discouragement, and sowing unbelief. The living faith that touched Him obtains the victory as surely as Christ died on Calvary's cross, and this is the faith believers must have. It does not gratify the evil one by telling doubts to others nor speak of trials and conflicts, but has through them all joy unspeakable and full of glory.
The verse stands as an invitation to come to Jesus and receive the saving virtue found in Him. Those who earnestly long for God's salvation with earnest, unquestioning faith will be satisfied. Receiving His healing touch by faith revives mind and body for service and enables a person to walk with Him.
Christ is near and welcomes those who seek Him, yet He desires more than a momentary touch; He desires constant communion with Him.
On His way to Jairus's home a woman who had suffered twelve years with an incurable disease and spent all she had in vain believed that merely touching the hem of His garment would make her whole. She held this as a quiet inward resolve and silent prayer of trust, without spoken plea or outward display, feeling unworthy of His notice yet certain that brief contact would heal her. Reaching forward through the pressing crowd she touched Him, and at once health and strength replaced her weakness and pain. The cure came not from the garment itself but from firm, humble faith laying hold of His divine power, which Jesus distinguished from the casual pressing of the crowd who were near Him yet received nothing. That touch is the pattern of saving faith for every sin-burdened soul, a living hand reaching out to connect with Christ by which humanity joins to divinity and receives pardon, vigor, and healing grace.
Narrative Setting and Background
Jesus was on His way with Jairus to the ruler's home to heal his daughter who lay at the point of death, having at once agreed to the father's entreaty. His progress was very slow because the people pressed forward on every side, eager to see Him and begging His attention and aid. He pitied them and stopped along the way to minister to their wants, while the anxious father urged on through the crowd, fearful of being too late.
The woman who spoke the words had suffered twelve years with a grievous disease that made her life a burden. She had spent all her means and substance on physicians and remedies in vain. She had been pronounced incurable and given up to die.
Hearing of Jesus and the cures He effected revived her hope. She believed that coming into His presence He would pity and heal her. She thought that if she could get near enough even to speak to Him she might be healed.
Suffering pain and weakness and hedged in by the pressing throng, she could not reach Him to ask for help or be heard by Him nor catch more than a passing glimpse. She was unwilling to delay or hinder Him on His way to Jairus's home. She was fearful of losing her one chance for relief. When He came within reach she pressed forward through the crowd and seized the golden passing opportunity.
Words and Inner Resolve
She said it within herself as a quiet inward trust and silent prayer of faith. That inward saying required no spoken petition, no noisy petitions, no outward display, and no physical exercise worked up for excitement. Her inward resolve was confidence that if she might but touch His garment she would be made whole and cured. Even only its hem or border would be enough, and that certainty grew as her mind dwelt upon it.
She felt unworthy to seek His notice, yet she trusted that even this brief contact would make her whole. Her faith was not in the garment itself, and no virtue in the simple act of touching His clothes wrought the cure. It was faith in His divine power which the garment covered, reaching out to claim His divine help. The garment served as a means of cure, while the healing power came from Him.
She concentrated all the faith of her life in that one deliberate touch. Christ knew her thoughts and her need and helped her exercise that faith. Unable to speak to Him and unwilling to delay Him, she held this conviction as He passed through the crowd on His way to Jairus's home.
Healing Through Faith Alone
As He passed she pressed forward through the crowd and reached forward to barely touch the hem, the border of His garment. In that moment she was healed at once, immediately and instantly, with health and strength replacing feebleness, pain and weakness after years of illness. She had concentrated all the faith of her life in that one deliberate touch, an earnest and unquestioning trust that even so brief a contact would make her well. Her trust was not in the garment itself but in Christ and in His divine power which the garment covered, and that trust in Him brought the healing power.
The cure came through firm, humble, confiding faith taking hold of His divine power, not through outward contact itself and not through any virtue in the simple act of touching His clothes. Jesus recognized it as a touch of faith and made its significance known, affirming that her faith had made her whole. She was healed that hour and from that hour and from that time onward. Her humble, trusting faith is the kind of faith through which God's power is manifested.
Jesus distinguished that touch of faith from the casual contact and pressing of the careless crowd about Him. Her touch was not merely part of the crowd's pressing, but expressed earnest faith reaching out to claim His divine help and to connect with the Saviour. The others were near Him and pressed and touched Him, yet received no benefit and no blessing because they did not touch Him by faith. Healing faith is a living, close connection with Christ, not merely casual contact, and those who come to Him in that way can trust His power to bless them.
Her humble, trusting and confiding faith is the living, close connection with Christ through which God's power is manifested and through which healing virtue comes to the soul. Her living faith caused her to touch the hem of His garment to be made whole. Trust in Christ like this obtains the victory as surely as Christ died, bringing joy unspeakable and full of glory instead of doubts, trials and conflicts told to others.
True faith is simple in operation and powerful in results, requiring childlike trust that simply takes God at His word and reaches out to connect with the Saviour. It does not require feelings wrought up to excitement, intense emotion, ecstatic feeling, noisy petitions, physical exercise, outward display, or waiting for entire knowledge before believing. Cold doubt must not be allowed to destroy confidence, and Jesus answers even the silent prayer of faith with divine power granting the prayer.
Witness and Encouragement to Others
The inward resolve to be made well by touching even the hem of the garment was not casual contact but deliberate trust that received healing, faith in power to save to the uttermost all who come, and the touch that brought healing was recognized at once as a touch of faith. Jesus would not pass by without comment but made the significance of that faith known, pressing to make her known though she feared the touch had been presumption. He wanted her to know that He knew her suffering and felt compassionate love for her, approving her act of faith with words of approval and sympathy from a heart of love filled with sympathy for human woe rather than censure. He did this so she would not depart with a half blessing only or remain in ignorance and fear, but would understand His compassion and approval and receive comfort and peace.
He drew out her grateful confession before all the people, for her healing called for grateful confession to glorify God. That open testimony was to inspire the afflicted with hope and to teach the lesson to her, to the disciples, and to the people, that faith had brought the healing.
Seeing her healed, comforted, and rejoicing encouraged Jairus to believe more firmly and strengthened his hope that Jesus could also heal his daughter. That strengthened belief gave him hope to urge Jesus onward and to press on with Jesus even after hearing that the girl had died.
Spiritual Meaning for Believers
As He dealt with bodily infirmity, so He deals with the repentant soul defiled by sin that calls upon Him, and the touch of faith brings pardon that fills the soul with gratitude and joy. Distress and gloom are changed to joy and thanksgiving when that healing is received.
Faith is the hand that reaches out to Christ, and to touch the hem of His garment is to look to Jesus by living, active faith and to come into living connection with Him. By that connection humanity is joined to divinity and receives His blessing. In this way the believer receives the healing power of grace for the wounds and bruises that sin has made.
This living trust in Christ is wholly different from merely being near Him, professing to follow Him, casual religious talk, prayer without earnest faith, or mere intellectual agreement, which avail nothing and bring no blessing. Saving faith is a real desire to know and follow Him rather than one's own way, taking God at His word and relying on His power to save. It receives Christ as a personal Saviour and appropriates His merits, joining the believer to God in covenant commitment and giving the soul spiritual vigor and strength to overcome.
Her act is the pattern for receiving healing, instead of deploring sin, talking discouragement, and sowing unbelief. The living faith that touched Him obtains the victory as surely as Christ died on Calvary's cross, and this is the faith believers must have. It does not gratify the evil one by telling doubts to others nor speak of trials and conflicts, but has through them all joy unspeakable and full of glory.
The verse stands as an invitation to come to Jesus and receive the saving virtue found in Him. Those who earnestly long for God's salvation with earnest, unquestioning faith will be satisfied. Receiving His healing touch by faith revives mind and body for service and enables a person to walk with Him.
Christ is near and welcomes those who seek Him, yet He desires more than a momentary touch; He desires constant communion with Him.