“If I just touch His garments, I will get well.”

Mark 5:21-43 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

When Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and so He stayed by the seashore. ²² One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, fell at His feet ²³ and implored Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.” ²⁴ And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him.

²⁵ A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, ²⁶ and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse— ²⁷ after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. ²⁸ For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” ²⁹ Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. ³⁰ Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” ³¹ And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” ³² And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. ³³ But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. ³⁴ And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”

³⁵ While He was still speaking, they came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?” ³⁶ But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.” ³⁷ And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James. ³⁸ They came to the house of the synagogue official; and He saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing. ³⁹ And entering in, He said to them, “Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep.” ⁴⁰ They began laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where the child was. ⁴¹ Taking the child by the hand, He said to her, “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). ⁴² Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded. ⁴³ And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that something should be given her to eat.

In today’s text it says:  A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse— after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.   How often do we, like the woman, try everything at the hands of people before we finally go to Jesus? All the woman needed to do was just touch His garments to be healed. If we would just remain close to Jesus, if we would dwell and abide in His presence, then we too could be healed and whole. Psalm 91:1-10 says:  He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day; Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes And see the recompense of the wicked. For you have made the Lord, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent.   Hebrews 4:16 says: Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  Like the woman in today’s text, we can draw near with confidence that we will find mercy, grace and help in our time of need.  But how much better is it if we will dwell and abide in God’s presence; if rather than coming occasionally to the throne of grace, we abide there?  How much better is it if rather than going to Him for a touch, we would walk in His shadow? Jesus taught us to pray saying: Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  If we want to bring the realities of heaven to earth, we need to walk and abide in the heavenly realm here on earth.  

The text says:  Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”   Jesus doesn’t ask a question that He does not already know the answer to. He is omniscient. He asked the question to see if the woman would testify or turn in fear. It was the woman’s faith, her confidence that all she needed was to come near and touch Jesus that made her well, but it was her testimony that allowed her to walk in her healing. In yesterday’s meditation we saw that Hebrews 11:1 says:  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  If we want to walk in the assurance and the evidence of our faith, we need to, like the woman, testify with conviction of what we believe. 

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit, thank You that because of the cross, the instrument of Your grace, I can come boldly to the throne of grace. Even more though than coming to be touched by Your power, in Your presence, may I dwell and abide there. May I walk with You and testify of Your goodness with conviction.  Amen.