Matthew 9:22
But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
After twelve years of suffering with an incurable issue of blood that had exhausted all her means, a woman pressed through the crowd behind Jesus and touched the hem of His garment in faith, and she was made perfectly whole in that very hour. Jesus turned about, looked upon her with penetrating compassion, and called her Daughter, assuring her she had not offended Him and sending her away comforted and in peace. He declared that her humble, trusting faith had made her whole, and He made this known publicly so all could see that faith receives His help and glorifies God. The cure came not from any power in the garment or in the outward touch itself, but from living faith reaching out to connect with divinity and claim divine help, unlike the casual contact of the pressing crowd which received nothing. As He heals the body, so He heals the repentant soul defiled by sin, for personal, living trust in Christ joins the believer to God, brings pardon and spiritual strength, and turns distress to gratitude and joy.
Setting and Circumstances
Jesus had just returned across the sea to a great waiting crowd that welcomed Him to hear His teaching and witness His miracles, rich and poor, high and low, including Pharisees, doctors, lawyers, and many sick and afflicted entreating mercy. Faint and weary from teaching and healing, He left the multitude to eat in the house of Levi, then went at once with the synagogue ruler Jairus toward his daughter lying at the point of death and given up by physicians. The short distance was covered very slowly because the people pressed about the door and on every side begging attention and aid, while the anxious father feared being too late, yet Jesus pitied their spiritual darkness and physical maladies and stopped to minister though nearly carried off His feet by the surging masses.
The woman who met Him there had suffered twelve long years with an issue of blood that made life a burden. She had spent all her substance and money on physicians and remedies in vain, had been pronounced incurable, and had been given up to die. Hearing of Jesus and the cures He performed revived her hope that He would pity and heal her if she could come into His presence. Believing that touching only His garment would cure her, she pressed through the crowd that repeatedly blocked her way as He went to the ruler's daughter. Unable to reach Him to speak or to catch more than a passing glimpse in the confusion, she was fearful of losing her one chance for relief. Coming behind Him as He passed, she reached forward and barely touched the hem of His garment, concentrating all the faith of her life in that one touch. In that moment she was made whole that very hour, instantly feeling healed of her disease as pain and feebleness disappeared and health, strength, and new life took their place through every fiber of her being.
Jesus knew all the circumstances and her great need, and He stopped because healing power had gone out from Him. Turning with penetrating eye, He distinguished the purposeful touch of faith from the casual contact of the careless throng pressing on every side, unwilling to let such confidence and trust pass without comment. Many crowded Him without effect, while one person touching with deep purpose received answer, for unlike the crowd's casual contact her believing touch reached Him and brought healing. When concealment proved vain she came tremblingly, knelt at His feet, and told before all the multitude her long twelve-year suffering and instant relief and perfect health with grateful tears and joy at regained health.
He sent her away comforted and rejoicing, and the delay proved intensely interesting in its results. Even the anxious father Jairus watched the scene with deep interest and felt no impatience. Seeing her cure encouraged him 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.
Words of Comfort
Jesus turned about and saw her, turning directly to the suffering woman after she was already healed. He had been on His way to the ruler's daughter through a vast pressing multitude when she came behind Him and touched the hem of His garment, saying within herself that touch would make her whole. Her healing came at that moment, that very hour.
He was not angered at her presumption in touching the border of His garment but commended her action. He called her Daughter, drawing her into the open when concealment proved vain and she came tremblingly and knelt and told before all the multitude her long twelve-year suffering and instant relief and perfect health with grateful tears and joy at regained health. By this He let her know that He understood her suffering, loved her, and approved her trust in His power, and that her touch was not an act of presumption. He stopped and turned with penetrating eye because He knew all the circumstances and was unwilling to let such confidence and trust pass without comment.
He spoke good comfort to her, telling her to take heart and take comfort and to go in peace. His words comforted her and assured her that she had not offended Him by touching His garment. She could leave without fear or doubt about His compassion and approval, sent away with reassurance rather than fear.
He declared that her humble, trusting faith had made her whole and was connected with and the occasion of her healing. She was made well from that moment and that hour. Christ thus encouraged her to take heart while affirming God's health-restoring power.
He comforted her publicly and made the healing publicly acknowledged. His words assured her of comfort and peace and showed the crowd that faith, not physical contact with His clothes, was the means by which she received His help. Her grateful confession taught the people that faith had brought the healing, so that God would be glorified and others could learn that faith receives Christ's help. Her experience taught the crowd that humanity can connect with divinity and receive its blessing.
Faith That Heals
The cure came not from any virtue in the simple act of touching the clothes, nor from power in the garment itself, but from strong faith reaching out and claiming divine help. Trust in divine power, not outward contact or an object, was the means by which she was made whole. She believed Jesus could heal her, and as she dwelt upon it she grew more certain that even touching His garment would relieve her malady. Her firm belief and prayer were answered with the virtue of divine healing power.
True faith is simple in operation and powerful in results, a child-like trust that simply takes God at His word, relies on His power, and reaches out to connect with the Saviour. It does not require feelings wrought to excitement or ecstasy, noisy petitions, or physical exercise and display. Jesus does not fail to answer even silent prayer of faith with blessing. Waiting for entire knowledge before exercising faith forfeits blessing, while cold doubt destroys confidence.
Unlike the casual contact and closeness of the crowd, which brought no healing, her believing touch reached Him and brought healing. Many crowded Him without effect, while one person touching with deep purpose received answer, because He distinguished the purposeful touch of faith from the casual touch of the careless throng. Faith therefore means coming to Christ in living faith rather than following Him at a distance. Her humble, trusting, living faith brought her into a living connection with Jesus and with divinity. Looking to the Saviour, she received the healing power of God's grace and blessing.
Spiritual Lessons and Application
The healing of bodily infirmity in this verse teaches encouragement for the soul defiled by sin, for as Jesus dealt with bodily disease so He deals with the repentant soul that calls on Him. The touch of faith that brought the woman healing brings the coveted pardon to the sinner, filling the soul with gratitude and joy. That change turns distress and gloom into joy and thanksgiving. Saving, living faith is not casual religious talk, prayer without living faith, intellectual agreement that Christ is Saviour, or mere closeness to Him. The crowd's closeness brought no healing, while her believing touch did.
Saving faith is personal trust in Christ that receives Him as Saviour, receives His merits, and joins the believer to God in covenant. It is a living trust that gives the soul spiritual strength to overcome. Her living faith and trust in Christ through years of suffering is the example of the faith needed through trials and conflicts. Through such faith believers can have joy even in sorrow.
Her experience calls people to come to Christ in living, active faith rather than follow Him at a distance. That coming is helpless and dependent, seeking help to believe and to live as Christians. It shows the divine power people need and teaches that humanity can connect with divinity and receive its blessing. Such faith means taking God at His word and relying on His power, not working oneself into an ecstasy of feeling.
The verse affirms God's health-restoring power and encourages faith in His power. Faith receives Christ's healing touch, for her faith made her whole and she was healed from that hour. That receiving is applied to obtaining Christ's strength and healing to revive mind and body for service. The chapter to which the verse belongs is held up as instruction for receiving people of every class and caring for the poor and suffering with compassion.