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Jesus (Women, ‘The Touch’)

Matthew 9:19-22
‘So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.
And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself,
“If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.”
But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said,
“Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

The loveliness of this story cannot be missed. A crowd, a woman with a need and Jesus!

This woman had lived for twelve years with this problem.

So Jesus went – and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,

and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.

When she heard about Jesus,

she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment;

for she said,

“If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.

And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”

But His disciples said to Him,

“You see the multitude thronging You, and You say,

‘Who touched Me?'”

And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.

But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her,

came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.

And He said to her ,

“Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace,

and be healed of your affliction.”

Mark 5:24-34

Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any,

came from behind and touched the border of His garment.

And immediately her flow of blood stopped.

And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and

You say, ‘Who touched Me?'”

But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.”

Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.

And He said to her ,

“Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

Luke 8:43-48

The lady had another problem, she was unclean! From the Old Testament law, having the issue of blood made her unclean. She was not to touch a man; if she did he would become unclean also and had to be cleansed according to the law.

Breaking the law and tradition in her desperate state she pressed forward toward Jesus. There was also the crowd. Now it may not seem such a problem but it is. I have had crowds following me and the cross in such numbers and in such a press that it is impossible to move through the people. She was pushing and shoving and making her way to Jesus.

She had spent all her money and had nothing but belief. She believed that by touching Jesus she would be healed. There was no doubt in her. She had seen and heard what Jesus could do and she did not want to miss this moment.

If only she could get close enough to just touch His garment. Now she was close but perhaps every time she reached out her hand and stooped over to touch His garment the flow of the crowd moved in another direction. The leaders and men were all around Jesus.

At long last this women’s hand touched the border of Jesus’ garment!

“Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.”

“Who touched My clothes?”

Jesus knew the touch was different from all the other hands touching Him and the pushing of the crowds.

See, many may be around and about Jesus but the ‘hand of faith’ gets the attention of Jesus.

Then Jesus said something so very profound:

“For I perceived power going out from me’

At the moment of faith and healing ‘ power ‘ went out from Jesus into this woman. In Jesus was the power sufficient to meet the needs of this desperate woman.

Even today when you break through in faith to touch Jesus His healing power will flow into you and heal your sick body as well as your sin-sick soul.

Remember Jesus said in the last chapter of Matthew that ‘All Power has been given to me in heaven and earth’¦Go!

Also remember that Jesus said in Acts Chapter 1 that ‘you shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit has come upon you’!

The Holy Spirit brings this power of Jesus into you and me.

There are many times around the world that the healing power of Jesus has been so strong in me that my hands burn and the bottom of my feet are hot like a coal of fire in my shoe.

Often when I am praying for people and lay my hands on them they feel the heat and flow of power into them. Health and healing flows into them from Jesus simply using my body as a contact point for His healing power.

My hands are even burning as I am writing this and I can feel the hot flow going out of my hands. I am in meetings this week and last night prayed with people until late and saw glorious healing.

What I am saying is that to some small degree I understand a bit about this ‘power’ going out of Jesus.

Oh, dear believer let the Holy Spirit flow in your life in the Name of Jesus. It’s not you it is Jesus, just don’t be afraid to step out in the Name of Jesus.

The words of Jesus to this woman were thrilling.

“Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

“Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace,

and be healed of your affliction.”

“Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.”

I love it that Jesus called her daughter’!

This poor, bleeding and ‘unclean’ woman came to Jesus.

This healthy, cheerful, and peaceful woman left Jesus the Glorious Son of God as His Daughter!

This story gives great insight into Jesus and His view of women and their lives and needs. It shows the wonderful welcome that Jesus has to those who come to Him in faith.

I encourage you both men and women to come to Jesus now and let Him meet the needs of you life. You are not too unclean for Him nor will you contaminate Him. Jesus welcomes you.

Pilgrim followers of Jesus,

Arthur and Denise Blessitt

Luke 18:1