Just a touch

Just then a woman who had hemorrhaged for twelve years slipped in from behind and lightly touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, "If I can just put a finger on his robe, I'll get well." Jesus turned—caught her at it. Then he reassured her: "Courage, daughter. You took a risk of faith, and now you're well." The woman was well from then on.
~Matthew 9:20-22(The Message)

Sometimes scripture really captures my attention...and yes I know that all scripture should capture my attention but, sadly some verses I can't quite get into like others. Anyway, I was reading Matthew yesterday and I came across the verse about the woman who was sick and believed that if she could only touch Jesus she would be healed. My first initial thought was WOW! I mean, think about it, how many times in our lives can we say that we truly believed 100% that if we could only touch something, we would be healed? I know that the last time I was sick and laying on the bathroom floor in agony, I pretty much would have done anything to take it away. Now I say that but would I have actually done anything??

Bad example, I know! But just go with it...

I do wonder what I would have done if I lived in the time where Jesus roamed the Earth? Of course I would not have wanted to live in agony for 12 years like the women in the verse but if so, would I have tried with all my might to just touch his garment to be healed or would I have been skeptical and just layed behind without trying?

The woman had so much faith and courage. She truly, 100% believed that God could heal her! You see, In Jesus’ time it was said that blood was life. But blood from a sick person was not life, it was bad blood. People who touched that bad blood were unclean. They were unclean even if they did not mean to touch the blood. They were unclean if they did not know they touched the blood. They were unclean even if they did not remember touching the blood. They were just basically unclean...you get the point!

So, no one came close to any unclean people. No one wanted to touch them or their clothes because if they did, they were made unclean, too. Unclean people had to live alone. They did not go to the temple to worship. They didn't go any place. Unclean people had to wash and they had to make sin offerings. They were not allowed to be with other people until the temple priests said they were clean.

So you see, the woman had to have been afraid. She did not want to say she was bleeding. Not only that, in Jesus’ time a woman did not talk to a man that was not her husband. A woman never, never talked to a priest or a teacher. If she did, it was a sin. People would yell and throw stones. So you can see the risk in her going to Jesus! She was unclean, breaking the law and absolutely terrified. But you know what, that woman was healed. It was not touching Jesus’s clothes that healed her, though. It was the fact that she went to Jesus. Her belief, her faith, her courage...that's what healed her! Jesus saw a women who loved Him so much that she was willing to risk the rules, the ridicule and possibly her life just to be near Him. Amazing!

I hope to have courage like her one day! To believe in just a touch...WOW!


I've touched the hem of Your garments
And I have felt the leading of Your hand
But today, my eyes look much higher to see the face of the great "I am"

So more of You Jesus, more of Your face, more of Your glory in this place
More of You Jesus, more of Your face, more of Your glory in this place
~ Pocket Full of Rocks