Opening Illustration: Herbert Jackson told how, as a new missionary, he was assigned a car that would not start without a push. After pondering his problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off. As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave his car running. He used this ingenious procedure for two years.
Ill health forced the Jackson family to leave, and a new missionary came to that station. When Jackson proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started, the new man began looking under the hood. Before the explanation was complete, the new missionary interrupted, “Why Dr. Jackson, I believe the only trouble is this loose cable.” He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch, and to Jackson’s astonishment, the engine roared to life.
For two years needless trouble had become routine. The power was there all the time. Only a loose connection kept Jackson from putting the power to work.
Ephesians 1:19–20 (NKJV) . . . and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places
When we make firm our connection with Jesus, his life and power flow through us.[1]
Today’s focal passage deals with a woman who connected with Jesus. Who reached out and touched Him, and through the touching, found power to change her life.
Mark 5:25–34 (NKJV)
Today as we look at this familiar story, the we are going to look at two questions: How have we individually, touched Jesus? and How has Jesus touched others through us?
This story deal with a woman who has had a problem of many years. We can read this same story in Matthew 9:20-22 and Luke 8:43-48. Its often helpful to study the story from several different perspectives. This story takes place in the middle of Jesus going to heal the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue named Jairus, We learn his name from the passage in Luke. A lot was going on. Let’s examine this woman who was healed.
Mark 5:25 (NKJV) Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,
Her issue was a flow of blood. This could have been many things, possibly a uterine hemorrhage condition, or a chronic menstrual problem. Because of this problem, not only was she weak and feeling lousy, but she was ritually unclean. According the rules in Leviticus, she could not have social relationships as long as she had it for everything she touched would be unclean. She could not be with her husband or care for her children. For all tense and purposes, she was treated a leper, and an outcast in her community.
She lived in shame and frustrations.
Mark 5:26 (NKJV) and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.
She been to all the doctors and she spent all the money he had. Not only was she not better, but she grew worse. The Talmud (a collection of rabbinic teaching and commentaries) itself gives no fewer than eleven cures for such a trouble. Some of them are tonics and astringents; but some of them are sheer superstitions like carrying the ashes of an ostrich-egg in a linen rag in summer and a cotton rag in winter; or carrying a barley corn which had been found in the dung of a white she-ass. No doubt this poor woman had tried even these desperate remedies. The trouble was that not only did this affect a woman’s health, it also rendered her continuously unclean and shut her off from the worship of God and the fellowship of her friends. [2]
But she heard about Jesus:
Mark 5:27–28 (NKJV) When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
She heard about how He can heal. She heard that even those who even touched Him were made whole.
Mark 3:10 (NKJV) For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.
Mark 6:56 (NKJV) Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.
She was embarrassed by her condition. Because of her condition, she would not be allowed to even approach Jesus, lest she made Him unclean, so she snuck up from behind: “she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.”
Mark 5:29 (NKJV) Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.
Where the text said “She felt” (other translations says "she knew") in the Greek it is “ginosko” meaning to know experientially. She knew. She felt it. By reaching out in faith, her touch of His garment not only healed her, but made her whole. Her theology was not all figured out. She did not understand it all. But by faith she knew Jesus can change her life. 12 years of shame and frustration was resolved with one momentary touch of the Master.
Mark 5:30 (NKJV) And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”
Jesus being divine is all knowing. He knew who touched him and why. But the question He asked was for the woman’s benefit.
Mark 5:31 (NKJV) But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”
The crowd was pressing all around. Everyone around Jesus was touching Jesus. But someone touched with a purpose. The disciples just didn’t get it. Mark continually portrays the disciples as slow witted and thick headed. They did not understand the question, but the woman did. That nameless woman who touched Jesus was more in-touch with him than His disciples.
Mark 5:32 (NKJV) And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.
Jesus is not content to produce a miracle -He wants a personal encounter. This woman, understood Jesus’ question all too well. Considering her social status- her being in public and deliberately touching Jesus, in clear violation of the Tora, she was afraid.
Mark 5:33 (NKJV) But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.
She laid it all out before Jesus. She was healed and it was worth it.
No one ever touches Jesus by faith without His knowing it, and without receiving a blessing. No one ever confesses Him openly without being strengthened in assurance of salvation.[3]
Mark 5:34 (NKJV) And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
This woman walked away with more than just healing. This is the only place in the gospels where Jesus called any woman “daughter.” To be the daughter of the King! It was not her touching Him that made her whole, it was her faith.
The woman’s faith was at its core an ignorant faith. She sought a cure that was essentially magic-secured (touching the edge of his robe).
She had no idea that Jesus would know anything about what she did. Her faith was uninformed, presumptuous, and superstitious, but it was real, and Christ honored her imperfect faith. God still does the same thing today. Beginning faith is often uninformed and mixed with many errors about, for example, Christ’s person, the Incarnation, the Trinity, the Atonement, grace/works, the Scriptures, etc. However, such foggy understandings are often the beginning of a deep, informed trust in God. We can take courage in this. One does not need to have it all figured out to possess a faith which pleases God. This is why a child can come to Christ. This is why God often saves those who know virtually no theology. This does not minimize deep understanding, which is meant to foster a profound faith. The point, is a faith that pleases God does not belong only to the informed elite. [4]
Jesus said “your faith has made you well.” The word well in Greek is “sozo” which in common usage can mean well, but usually translated “saved.” Her faith has saved her.
Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
The imperfect faith of that woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. It was her faith that saved her. And Jesus told her to “Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” To have the peace of God and peace with God. It matters little what else my happen if we have that peace.
Romans 5:1 (NKJV) Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
This woman has had a deep encounter with Jesus. She has learned the first lesson of discipleship. It is more than having your needs met. It is being the very presence of Jesus, being known by Him and to follow Him. She was not only made physically whole, but she encountered the One who gave her salvation and called her His daughter.
We touch Jesus the same way today, by faith we come to Him, by faith we reach out and lay our loads and hurts and our wounds at the foot of the cross to be healed by him. It is by faith we encounter Jesus and have that personal relationship with Him.
And for those of us who have touched Jesus, and have experienced a personal encounter with Him, it is up to us to reach out and touch others with the touch of Jesus. We are to touch one another with the touch of Jesus:
1 Thessalonians 5:14–15 (NKJV) Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. 15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
The Bible is full of scripture exhorting us to care for one another and touch others in the name of Jesus. We are the touch of Jesus to each other.
Have you touched Jesus today. Have you been the touch of Jesus to someone else?
Paul said that He was not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God to Salvation to everyone who believes. (Romans 1:16)
Or have you been disconnected to the power that has always been there?
[1] Craig Brian Larson, 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers & Writers (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 409–410.
[2] William Barclay, ed., The Gospel of Mark, The Daily Study Bible Series (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster John Knox Press, 1976), 129.
[3] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1400.
[4] R. Kent Hughes, Mark: Jesus, Servant and Savior, vol. 1, Preaching the Word (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 128.
