Who Touched My Garments?

Wednesday evening, April 23, 2008
The Scriptures do not tell us her name but they do tell us that after enduring much at the hands of many physicians and spending all of her money, she was worse at the end than at the beginning. She had a chronic menstrual bleed that not only left her physically weakened and financially destitute, but also spiritually unclean. Furthermore, you might as well face the fact that she was probably abused by most of these physicians. This is the text: “And 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 ” (Mark 5:25-26).
The mental picture I have of this woman depicts a very frail, severely emaciated, fearful, shy, angry, hopeless, desperate, and barely-able-to-walk middle-aged woman. She was probably very frustrated with the Scribes and Pharisees, especially in light of their refusal to have anything to do with her because of her unclean status. What was she to do? Where was she to go? Did anyone care? Then, as if out of nowhere (at least to her), Jesus passes by! Oh, she had heard about Him but because of her “issue of blood” she knew that He, like the Scribes and Pharisees, would have nothing to do with her. This was what she thought: If I can just touch His garment, that will be enough; I won’t have to actually touch Him and He won’t have to touch me! Maybe, just maybe, I can slip up close enough to Him to touch the hem of His robe and not even be noticed; that is all it will take!
She had one major problem and it was this: She could not “slip up” on Jesus because He never misses anything! She thought He was focused on getting to Jairus’ house, where his daughter was dying; however, she was mistaken—greatly mistaken! Yes, He was on the way to Jairus’ house, but at that moment He was focused on her and on what He was about to do for her! I honestly think that had she known what Jesus was thinking, had she known the love He had in His heart for her, she would have been absolutely astonished—flabbergasted!
At any rate, as inconspicuously as she possibly could, even stealthily, she managed to crawl close enough to Him to reach out and gently touch the hem of His robe, quickly retracting her hand, hoping not to noticed. I love these words: “And immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction” (vs. 29)!
Notice what happened: She felt in her body that she was healed; at the same time He perceived in Himself that power (dynamite!) and gone forth from Him, following His perception with these words: “Who touched my garments?” (As if He did not know!). I can see her now, as she meekly raised her hand, identifying herself, and, then, falling down before Him, she told Him the whole truth. I love His response: “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction” (vs. 34). Yes, she was financially destitute, afraid, emaciated, desperate, and et al, BUT she was healed of her infirmity—something money could not buy and physicians could not appropriate!
Do you ever wonder why it takes some of us so long to come to Jesus, just to come to Him and, if nothing else, touch the hem of His garment? When we do, the strangest thing happens, perfect healing comes!
Humble submission to Jesus, nothing more; nothing less.