Touching Jesus

Mark 5:28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

I love reading the accounts of other people’s faith in the Bible. Faith causes us to think differently, plan differently, and act differently. The beauty of faith in the Bible is the simplicity of it. Those who are written about are singularly focused on Jesus and they have complete confidence in His ability to meet their need. If we are not careful in the church today, we can give the impression to others that the right words have to be said or the proper process must be carried out in order to receive anything from God. Of course that is not true. Over and over again in the Word of God we see that God honors faith. This morning, let us take a look at this lady’s faith in Matthew 9:18-22, Mark 5:21-34, and Luke 8:40-48.

1. The Obstacles of Her Faith A. No one could heal her long term condition B. No one knew about her and her condition that day C. No one brought her to Jesus D. No one recognized what Jesus did for her
2. The Object of Her Faith A. She heard about Jesus B. She believed what she heard about Jesus C. She knew Jesus could and would heal her
3. The Opportunity of Her Faith A. We see Jesus meeting multiple needs at one time B. We see Jesus knowing what the crowd does not know C. We see getting to Him is what is important, He can do the rest D. We see healing, victory, and joy only comes from Him

This is an incredible story about simple faith in a powerful Savior. She did not need an escort. She did not need an invitation. She did not need an audience. She did not need a conversation. She did not need anything but to touch the very outside edge of His clothes. She knew in her heart that if she just touched His garment, He would heal her. We talk a lot about faith. I ask myself constantly, “How much do I exercise faith?” Knowing about faith and talking about faith is very different than actually exercising faith. This lady believed in the power of Jesus and acted upon it. May we all do the same today, tomorrow, and every day.

photo credit: Tammy Brown