Luke 8:43-48 : (King James Version) - 43And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 44Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 45And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 46And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. 47And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. 48And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
Do you have a problem, a physical or spiritual condition that has bothered you for years? Have you tried everything you knew to do, and yet the problem grew worse? Then, this message from the word of God is for you! This passage tells of a woman who was an outcast from society because of a law in Lev. 15:19-33 (below) declared her unclean and had to be separated from her husband, children, and anyone who touched her would be considered unclean. She had spent all she had on many physicians, and yet grew worse for 12 long years!
(SPECIAL NOTE: The medical art in Judea in that age was very crude. Lightfoot gives, from the Rabbinical books, the remedy for a female hemorrage:
"Let them dig seven ditches, in which let them burn some cuttings of vines under four years old. Let her take in her hand a cup of wine; let them lead her away from the ditch and make her sit over that. Let them remove her from that and sit over another. At each removal you must say to her, "Arise for thy flux". This is an illustration of what this woman suffered. The tradegy of it was that she "was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.") Crude, vain superstition instead of healing!
(Leviticus 15:19-33 - 19And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even. 20And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean. 21And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. 22And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. 23And if it be on her bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even. 24And if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean. 25And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean. 26Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation. 27And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. 28But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. 29And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 30And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the LORD for the issue of her uncleanness. 31Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is among them. 32This is the law of him that hath an issue, and of him whose seed goeth from him, and is defiled therewith; 33And of her that is sick of her flowers, and of him that hath an issue, of the man, and of the woman, and of him that lieth with her that is unclean.)
She had A PHYSICAL ISSUE, she had a FINANCIAL ISSUE, she had a family and friends issue. I am sure she had a FAITH ISSUE. After 12 years her faith must have been very low! She was at the end of her rope and therefore desperate! She had nothing to lose. She had lost her self-esteem, her dignity - all she had left was her life and she was prepared to sacrifice it. She was prepared to put her life on the line. She was not allowed to walk the public streets, she could not walk upright, she had to crawl on her hands and knees, she had to disguise her face, so they would not recognize her. There was a big crowd around Jesus, she had to crawl beneath their legs in order to touch His garment.
The woman was polluted and untouchable, like someone who had leprosy; BUT SHE DARED TO TOUCH this man called JESUS. We must remember anyone she touched became unclean; but she knew that if there was one man she could touch, it was Jesus! Heruncleanness will not make Him unclean. In fact, His purity will purify her; His cleanness will make her clean; His holiness will make her holy. This hemorrage (chronic menstrual flow) no doubt had made her anemic and weak, she had been given up as incurable!
When she heard about Jesus passing by, faith arose in her. No doubt she had heard of His healings, and she was not going to let this opportunity pass her by!
We need to stop and think about what this woman actually did that day -
What was there different this time, touching only the hem or border of His garment? To everyone else his garment must had looked ordinary, but in her eyes of faith she saw a point of contact for her faith to bring a miracle though the healing power of God’s word.
Why didn’t she just touch His shoulder or His back or His foot?
Jesus was a proper Jew and wore traditional clothing that included a prayer shawl, or a mantle called a tallit".
In NUMBERS 15:38-40 and DEUT. 22:12 God had commanded the Jews to wear FRINGES or TASSELS on their clothing. On this prayer shawl there were four tassels called tzitzits", one on each corner of the shawl. The Jews believed there were 613 commandments in the Law, so each tassel had 613 threads to represent God’s word. Each tassel contained a blue thread, which represented God’s power and authority. When they walked, they would see the tassels move and it was a reminder of God’s promises to bless them if they walked in the power of His word. As she got close to Jesus, and saw these tassels or fringes swing back and forth, her FAITH AROSE. (Jewish woman aware of the commandments in God’s word.)
Most likely this woman touched one of the carefully tied tassels that hung on the hem of Jesus’ garment with that distinctive blue thread or cord.
What was she saying in her mind? LORD, I AM REMINDING YOU OF THE PROMISES YOU HAVE MADE US and I believe I can be made whole.
ISAIAH 53:4-5 - 4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
As she touched the fringes and tassels, she was reminding Jesus of HIS WORD! MATTHEW 24:35 - 35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Jesus’ compassion was stirred within Him as He felt the virtue leave Him, and He knew He could not deny her unspoken plea. In His deity as the God- man, He knew who she was that had touched Him; but he turned and requested her to make herself known. There was something more to be done!
Although this woman was seeking Jesus, He was also seeking her! He wanted her to confess it, not hide what Christ had done for her. He wanted the crowd around her, (those who had cast her out as unclean, unfit, polluted, not good enough) to know that once again she was clean, made whole, made holy. Healed physically as well as spiritually. He wasn’t putting blame on her, but commending and encouraging her and confirming her cure.
Secret sins are known to Jesus; but so are acts of faith.
MARK 5:33 - 33But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
I believe she may have told Him the story of seeking many cures but finding none, but also confessing her sins and accepting Him as Her Lord and Saviour,
Adonai! Jesus heals and saves in order that we might go forth to serve Him in serving others!
- In the preceeding verses Mark 5:22-34 - Jesus was called by a desperate father to heal a dying teenage girl. On His way he touched this woman and healed her. This miracle performed for a woman who had a deep faith in Jesus (v34) may have strengthened the faith of the father. When a messenger comes to tell him his daughter has died, Jesus encourages him to "just believe". He then goes and raises the girl from the dead. (Vv35-43).
Today you may have a bloody issue, the disease of sin, and you need a complete change and healing from sin. The devil will say to you:
You’ll never make it, you’re going to die, You have blown it, you’re doomed to failure - but Jesus says - 10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly
John 6:34b - him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
1 Peter 4:1-2 - 1Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
Suffering will make you examine your life and make sure everything is okay with the Lord. How is it with you today? Are you tired of sin., and sickness?
Are you willing to believe and touch the hem of his garment and remind Him of His word?
When we make a hotel reservation, we are given a confirmation number. Sometimes on arriving, they want to argue we don’t have a room; but we can bring out the confirmation number and that is our guarantee of getting the room.
When the devil comes at you, you can say WAIT, I HAVE A CONFIRMATION IN GOD’S WORD. There is a confirmation scripture for your salvation, healing, health, prosperity, power over the enemy and much more.
When you touch God’s promises with your faith, you touch Jesus, and you can have the miracle you desire. The word of God works. I challenge you to touch the HEM OF HIS GARMENT.
JUST REMEMBER -
His cleanness will make you clean.
His stripes will bring you healing.
His presence will bring you fullness of joy and comfort and companionship.
His peace and wisdom will bring you prosperity for every face tof your life.
Dare to touch Him!
