“For she said within herself, If I may but touch His garment, I shall be well.” Matthew 9:21
Dear Ones:
Sometimes desperation is a good friend, as long as it pushes us towards God. Such was the case of a woman, whose name we do not know, who found herself to be in a desperate situation in Jesus’ day. She had been ill for around twelve years, and had spent all of her financial resources on doctors, to no avail. We do not know how she knew of Jesus, nor how much she had heard Him speak. What we do know is that she came to believe in Him as the Messiah, for Jesus, in His encounter with her will call her “Daughter.” This is in response to a singular act by her, in a crowd, when she alone knew what she must do to be healed.
Scripture tells us that Jesus was surrounded by a crowd of people, many of whom touched Him. The woman in question was in that crowd, not distinguished by any noteworthy characteristic, except one…she had true faith. We first see her saying to herself, “If I may touch His garment, I shall be well.” Her assurance of faith was not an emotional, or an intellectual exercise of “hoping” that Jesus would heal her. Because of Her faith in Him as the Christ, she truly BELIEVED that she would be healed, and this with certainty. The second thing we see, when she stretches out her hand to touch Jesus’ garment, is that she is immediately healed. It is at this point that a remarkable thing happens. Jesus stops, turns, and asks: “Who touched Me?” The disciples could not understand why He would ask such a thing, as there were so many that were actually touching Him. What would distinguish the woman’s faith from all those in the crowd was this, her desperation had led her to stake ALL on what she believed Jesus to be, and would do. It is at this point that the woman comes to Jesus, falls down before Him, telling Him the truth of what she had done. He then calls her “daughter,” and tells her that her faith has made her whole.
What are the lessons for us in this story? The first is that God allows desperate situations in our lives so that He can intervene for His glory, and our good. This woman would probably have never been willing to stake all on Christ were it not for her condition, and her knowledge of Jesus. Secondly, in the crowds of this world, the Lord is looking for those individuals who will truly trust Him alone. It is to this one that He looks, and to whom He responds. This is seen in His words: “He that loves Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.” (Jn. 14:21) The woman who was ill, and who sought singularly and wholly the Lord, found Him. She also found Him speaking directly and singularly to her, the revelation of Himself being very personal. Thirdly, we learn that in the economy of God, faith is very precious, as it is the means by which the very gates of heaven are opened, and the blessing of God is given. The woman’s faith made her whole, but it had first made her a child of God.
Dear Father, give us grace never to fear difficulty, hardship, even pain, but to use all that You allow in our lives to know you, pushing through the crowds in order to touch the hem of Your Son’s garment. Give us to be those whose faith carries us beyond the resistance of unbelief and superficiality, to meeting Thee, and being met by Thee, for it is for this that You call us all. We thank and praise Thee, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad