Who Touched Me? Series

Opening Illustration: Herbert Jackson told how, as a new missionary, he was assigned a car that would not start without a push. After pondering his problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off. As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave his car running. He used this ingenious procedure for two years.

Ill health forced the Jackson family to leave, and a new missionary came to that station. When Jackson proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started, the new man began looking under the hood. Before the explanation was complete, the new missionary interrupted, “Why Dr. Jackson, I believe the only trouble is this loose cable.” He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch, and to Jackson’s astonishment, the engine roared to life.

For two years needless trouble had become routine. The power was there all the time. Only a loose connection kept Jackson from putting the power to work.

Ephesians 1:19–20 (NKJV) . . . and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places

When we make firm our connection with Jesus, his life and power flow through us.[1]

Today’s focal passage deals with a woman who connected with Jesus. Who reached out and touched Him, and through the touching, found power to change her life.

Mark 5:25–34 (NKJV)

Today as we look at this familiar story, the we are going to look at two questions: How have we individually, touched Jesus? and How has Jesus touched others through us?

This story deal with a woman who has had a problem of many years. We can read this same story in Matthew 9:20-22 and Luke 8:43-48. Its often helpful to study the story from several different perspectives. This story takes place in the middle of Jesus going to heal the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue named Jairus, We learn his name from the passage in Luke. A lot was going on. Let’s examine this woman who was healed.

Mark 5:25 (NKJV) Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,

Her issue was a flow of blood. This could have been many things, possibly a uterine hemorrhage condition, or a chronic menstrual problem. Because of this problem, not only was she weak and feeling lousy, but she was ritually unclean. According the rules in Leviticus, she could not have social relationships as long as she had it for everything she touched would be unclean. She could not be with her husband or care for her children. For all tense and purposes, she was treated a leper, and an outcast in her community.

She lived in shame and frustrations.

Mark 5:26 (NKJV) and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.

She been to all the doctors and she spent all the money he had. Not only was she not better, but she grew worse. The Talmud (a collection of rabbinic teaching and commentaries) itself gives no fewer than eleven cures for such a trouble. Some of them are tonics and astringents; but some of them are sheer superstitions like carrying the ashes of an ostrich-egg in a linen rag in summer and a cotton rag in winter; or carrying a barley corn which had been found in the dung of a white she-ass. No doubt this poor woman had tried even these desperate remedies. The trouble was that not only did this affect a woman’s health, it also rendered her continuously unclean and shut her off from the worship of God and the fellowship of her friends. [2]

But she heard about Jesus:

Mark 5:27–28 (NKJV) When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

She heard about how He can heal. She heard that even those who even touched Him were made whole.

Mark 3:10 (NKJV) For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.

Mark 6:56 (NKJV) Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.

She was embarrassed by her condition. Because of her condition, she would not be allowed to even approach Jesus, lest she made Him unclean, so she snuck up from behind: “she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.”