Josanne Anthony, SAVED News Editorial Correspondent
“For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.” Matthew 9:21
Can we put ourselves in the shoes of the woman with the issue of blood?
She was sick and she had done all she knew to do. Her savings was depleted. Nobody could help her, and she only got worse.
Can we feel her pain? Not just her physical ailment, but the anguish going on in her heart? Frustration. Nowhere else to turn. No hope. Depression. Fear. Despair.
We may not be wearing robes and walking on dusty roads anymore, but we can still relate to the turmoil the woman in this story felt. Our human emotions know what it’s like to face situations that are out of our control. Whether it is a family crisis, a job loss, a death, or any number of other things, we have been there. We may even be there today.
The Bible
The Bible shares this story with us, which is not one to keep our minds in a place of despondency, but one to show us what can happen when we touch Jesus. When we really touch Jesus.
Reading the entire story in Mark 5:21-34, this woman shows us how to touch Jesus. The first thing seems obvious, but is it something many of us don’t want to do? She admitted her situation was hopeless and that she had a need that could not be met by her own hands. She reached out to others, but they were unable to help either.
When she learned that Jesus was near, she went to Him. It wasn’t easy. She was sick, most likely weak, and there was a crowd to fight through. Even so, she knew where her answer was, and she knew it was worth it to press her way to reach and touch Jesus.
There was a difference in her touch. Jesus felt it. Her touch was one of purpose, unlike the multitude that wanted to be near Him. They were only bumping into Him but not touching Him intentionally for a need.
Determination
Because she was determined to touch Him, Jesus told her to go in peace and that her faith had made her whole.
Friends, we have needs in our lives today that no one can touch for us, except Jesus. When we admit this about our own situation, and we approach the Lord with our need, we must press our way through the distractions around us and in our minds, and really touch Jesus. He is already near. The pressing is in our hands. Sometimes He will make our situation whole, and sometimes He will make our hearts whole. Either way, touching Jesus is the goal, and He is waiting to make us whole.
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