What's in your touch?

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ 32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Luke 8:24-34
What is in a touch? Do you often go to Jesus and not find the miracle that you are looking for? Why is that do you suppose? Well may I present to you this wonderful story of this lady who would not be denied what she sought after!
Jesus is on His way to Jairus’ house as He has been summoned by Jairus himself to come and heal his daughter before she dies. As He is going, there is a great commotion and everyone hears that Jesus, the miracle worker, is coming through town. You know, they would say, if you just get Him to touch you, your healing will come! That did it! EVERYONE in town wanted to see Jesus now!

Now this poor lady in our text was probably homeless, if not very poor, for the text says she spent everything she had on healing from doctors, but what was the result of it all? She only got worse. Talk about down on your luck! Not only did she not get better, now she is out of funds too. How will she survive, I’m sure she thought that day. She had probably just come from the physician who gave her the bad news. But then, she heard about this man named Jesus who was coming through town. He heals people?! She probably asked. Why, He sure does! He has made the lame walk, the blind see! He casts out demons and cures leprosy! Why in Nain just the other day He raised a young man to life! Now this lady is convinced that Jesus can help her! So she sets off to see the Lord, then reality sets in again.

Look at all of those people! Yikes! How will I ever get my frail, weak body through that crowd to see Jesus? Even if I make it through the crowd He will probably just ignore me. After all, He is not here to see me, He’s just passing through. He’s going to help a man of social standing and who am I? A fool that has spent all I had to try and be healed. But then, you can sense it in the lady, a spark ignites. She sets her face towards the Lord and declares that she will not be stopped! Why, she says, if I can just touch His garment I know I can be made well! WOW! What a faith! She was convinced that she didn’t even need to touch Jesus’ flesh to be healed, His clothing would be good enough! So she presses in through the crowd.

Now this was probably a crowd made up mostly of men, and so you can imagine this poor, weak lady being shoved and pushed around as she tried to make her way through. If she gets knocked down, she gets back up. If she gets pushed to the side, she continues to go forward, NOTHING is going to stop her! Ah, finally a clearing! I can see Him! Jesus! Jesus! I’m sure she yelled like no other to get His attention but it was to no avail, there were many people out there that day, no way was He going to hear her screaming so she goes in, un-invited for the touch. As she nears Him, all she sees around Jesus are arms and hands everywhere! People desperately trying to get Jesus to look at them so He can heal them! People press Him, touch Him and wave at Him but the Lord is on a mission, Jairus’ daughter must be taken care of. Then suddenly, WOOSH, Jesus stops and asks a pretty silly question given the circumstances…. Who touched me? Now we know Peter to be a man of quick lips, so he states the obvious fact that EVERYONE is touching Him. But Jesus is not talking about any ordinary touch, someone reached out IN FAITH and touched Him because He felt power come out of Him.

Friend, what kind of touch have you had with the Lord lately? Is it a stop when it gets to tough type touch that cries out from far away? Or have you the courage to simply press through the noise to get that thing from the Lord that you so desperately need! It is not that Jesus is ignoring you! Far from it, He is encouraging you to press on! Don’t give up He says! I’m here waiting for you! Come to me! Will you give up when the crowds of life get to big? When it doesn’t seem like it’s worth it… Or will you press through and persevere for your blessing, your healing, your deliverance that you KNOW will come, if only you can touch the hem of His garment. Perseverance is a measure of faith, did you know that? Yes, Jesus exclaimed that in a parable He would give a bit later in Luke 18:1-8. Don’t give up friend! Press on and receive your miracle from the Lord today!

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” - Jesus