If only I may touch the edge of His garment
And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.
As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.
And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.”
And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.
Luke 8:41-48
Two thousand years ago there was a certain woman who was bleeding continually for twelve years of her life. By any standard she had a horrible illness, but the effect of that illness on her life was made even worse because of the society that she was living in. Because of the bleeding problem she was considered unclean by those around her, which meant that she was unwelcome in the company of other people.
There was a desperation within her to find a cure to her illness, and so she went searching to see who could help her. Over the course of those twelve years she spent all of the money that she had going to different physicians, hoping that she could find one who would be able to help her, but none of them were able. She had searched the world for a cure to this problem within her, but came up empty.
In many ways this woman is a picture of us. There is within us a great problem where our fallen human nature and sinful heart has separated us from the Creator and source of life. If a branch was cut off from a tree it would slowly wither and die. In the same way we are in a downward spiral when separated from our God and the only source of life.
In the Bible God says of humanity, “for My people have… forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters” (Jeremiah 3:13a). We have departed from the fountain of living waters, the only One who is able to sustain us. And just as this woman was continually losing blood, so we, in separation from our Creator, are slowly losing life.
The woman had spent twelve years of her life searching for a cure and was only met with disappointment. However she didn’t become embittered and lose hope altogether. Despite the outward lack of hope she came to know of One who could help her, and His name was Jesus. With such incredible faith she said, “if only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well” (Matthew 9:21). She pressed through the crowd and reached to touch the edge of Jesus’s garment, and the moment she did, she was healed.
"if only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well"
Sometimes we become so overwhelmed by our circumstances or the situations of our daily life that we question whether there in fact is hope for us. We question if anything really can deliver us from the situation we’re presently in, or whether anyone can restore our soul. When this feeling comes over us would we remember the experience of this woman whose life was changed through just one encounter with Jesus Christ. Would we remember that this same Christ invites us to Himself, to come into His presence and experience the same transformation that this woman found.
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him
It is also important for us to see that, of all of the people around Jesus at that time, there was only one who was healed. We’re told twice that there were many other people that were pressing up against Jesus in the crowd. But of all of these people, only the woman was healed. The masses of people were content with merely rubbing shoulders with Christ, but the woman came to Him with a humble and desperate heart, knowing her condition and knowing that He was able to heal her.
We have a need for Christ that is unlike any other need. Without Christ we are separated from the only One who gives life. This need that we have cannot be met by any of the things in this world — not by wealth, relationships, jobs, or family. But we must not lose heart because there surely is One who is able to heal us. His name is Jesus.
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest
the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out... And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Let us come back to the fountain of living waters. Let us come back into the presence of our God. He is able to set things right. And He invites us to come to Him.