WEDNESDAY January 22nd
Matthew 9:20-22 (see also Mark 5:25-34, Luke 8:43-48).
‘And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.’
Of all the miracles, this is the one that first came to my mind as I considered which ones to include in these devotions, and what I want to share from it, is very simple and yet so powerful.
Can you imagine how this poor lady must have been feeling, there may have been some feeling of shame or embarrassment, and of course fear in her heart, yet overriding it all there must have been an element of faith at work, so much so that she exclaimed ‘If I only touch the fringe of his garment, I will be made well’, this was sufficient for her to believe that she would be healed, and she was! And Jesus knowing that something had happened, turned to her saying ‘Your faith has made you whole’.
She had lived twelve years with this awful condition, Luke tells us that she had spent all her living on physicians, notice it is plural, and could not be healed by anyone—but someone was in the area, she must have heard all about him, and his name was Jesus and despite her condition, despite the vast crowd, because of her simple faith, she knew that she only needed to touch his garment and she would be healed. There had been enough drama in her life, she had had enough of the constant visits from one doctor to another, whatever potions she had tried, and all the prodding and probing had been unsuccessful. She was without hope until she heard about Jesus!
And she pushed through with determination in her heart to get even the slightest touch of his garment, what an incredible demonstration of faith and she was rewarded, ‘Take heart’, in other words, ‘don’t be afraid, I have absolutely no problem with you reaching out and touching my garment, in fact, your faith has made you whole!’
Imagine how she must have felt! Free at last, no more spending her living on physicians, no longer restricted in what she could do and be as a member of the local community, not only made whole, but she was also now clean, free and all through the power of Jesus, the one who had come from God.
What do you or I need to receive? We need to have just sufficient simple faith just as this woman had to reach out and to receive from Jesus.
If you consider the context of this miracle, Jesus was a busy man, he was on his way to the house of Jairus, because his daughter had just died. But it didn’t stop him from having time for this woman, he was not only busy, but he was also pressed in with a crowd, but the individual still mattered to him.
You matter to Jesus, I matter to Jesus, all we need is the simple faith to believe, to reach out, to touch him.
She only touched the hem of His garment
As to His side she stole,
Amid the crowd that gathered around Him;
And straightway she was whole.
Oh, touch the hem of His garment,
And thou, too, shalt be free!
His healing pow’r this very hour
Shall give new life to thee!