Key scripture – “As Jesus was on his way the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years but no one could heal her. She came up from behind and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?”, Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman seeing that she could not go unnoticed came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you, go in peace.” (Luke 8:42-48).

I love this story because this is about a woman whose faith was so strong and daring that she believed that all she needed to do was get close enough to touch the hem of Jesus’ robe and she would be healed, and she was absolutely right!

This woman had tried everything that doctors had to offer and she was still in a desperate condition. Like so many of us, the things of this world had not been able to help her, just like it is not able to heal our finances, marriages, relationships, or our health.

This woman’s bleeding made her ceremonially and socially unclean, which was a big burden to live under for 12 years. According to the Jewish ideas of the time, if this woman touched anyone, she imparted her uncleanness to them, an uncleanness that would not allow them to take part in any aspect of Israel’s worship, therefore, no one wanted to be near her.

Luke tells us that when she went to Jesus, He was surrounded by a big crowd, and she “Came from behind and touched the edge of His cloak. And immediately her flow of bleeding stopped.” I can just imagine how scared she was because the crowd was pressing up against each other and they would have been so angry if they had known what her condition was. She also did not know how Jesus would respond to her, was He going to be angry that she touched Him? So she thought “If I get down low and touch the edge of His cloak, no one will see me and no one will know.

She found out when she touched His cloak that Jesus wasn’t upset and He was not made unclean, instead she was the one that was changed because she was made whole. We are just like this woman when we come to Jesus with our sin, our problems and burdens, and we lay it on Him, it doesn’t make Him a sinner nor do our problems overwhelm Him, instead it makes us clean and free.

You are probably thinking, “How could this woman be healed by touching the edge of Jesus’ cloak?” Because of her faith. She believed so strongly in the healing power of Jesus. Her faith was completely and totally in Jesus and what He could do for her.

When the woman touched Jesus she was immediately healed, and Jesus “felt” something happen. “I know that power has gone out from Me.” Jesus knew that His divine miraculous power had left Him and that someone had just been healed. This divine power did not proceed from Jesus every time someone touched Him. For example, all the other people in the crowd who were pressing against Him did not receive this healing power. So why did this woman receive it? Because she came in faith. Faith alone attracts and receives the supernatural power of God at all times. I truly believe there would be more miracles if there was more faith among those of us who are believers. Remember what Jesus said about faith, “For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20).

This woman also tried to touch Jesus secretly, but she soon found out that God always brings His work out into the open. “The woman seeing that she did not go unnoticed “, this probably means that Jesus was looking right at her when He said, “Somebody touched Me.” The woman had to come forward and fess up, because Jesus already knew who she was.

It isn’t hard to picture the woman frightened, trembling, and embarrassed, her heart was probably racing as she spoke quickly, describing the whole situation to Jesus, and at the same time being so glad and excited that she wanted to jump for joy because she was healed. Look how Jesus responds to her, He encourages her and builds up her faith. “Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you, go in peace.” When You come to Jesus with faith you will be amazed at the welcome you receive from Him. Like the woman in the story, she came to Jesus sick, scared and beaten down with no hope, but went away triumphing and celebrating.

I want you to picture yourself as you go to God in prayer, reaching out and touching Jesus with faith, and you hear Him gently say, “Who touched me?” Then answer Him and say, “Me Lord, I am the one who reached out and touched You.” Then talk to Him about your situation like this woman did.

Go ahead and reach out to Him in faith, He is waiting with open arms to heal you, to forgive you of your sins, to give you peace, to comfort you, to restore your joy, to give You everlasting life, and to change and heal you.
Let your faith in Christ always be bold and daring like the woman in this story. Reach out and touch Christ today, and let Your faith in Jesus, the Great Physician, heal you.

Pray this – Our Precious Heavenly Father, it is so comforting to me that when I reach out for Jesus, He is right there ready to protect me, comfort me, provide for me, heal me, and love me. I picture Jesus taking my face in His hands and looking at me and saying, “I love You, I am right here. You do not need to worry or be afraid. I will never leave you.” I believe and I want to be bold for Jesus. Show me what it looks like for me to abide in Christ and Christ abide in me. Give me the wisdom and strength to obey Him in every area of my life. I come to You in faith, I believe that the same power that defeated sin and death when Jesus rose from the grave and ascended into Heaven, lives in me. I believe in the transforming power of Jesus in my life. I believe in the healing power of Jesus. It is me Jesus, “I am the one who reached out and touched You”. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.