(Read Mark 5:26-3426And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 31And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 32And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 33But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. (Mark 5:26‑34).)
THIS scene is very interesting, because it shows you how a truly anxious soul at length finds blessing. Here was a woman who had been for twelve long years in a condition of misery. She is to me the illustration of an anxious soul who longs for relief, but for many a year does not know where to get it.
So keen was she to get cured, “she had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse” (vs. 26). Well, that is like a great many people. I daresay there are souls who say, “I have been to church, and chapel, and this place, and that place, and to hear So-and-so, but I have not got a bit better.” No. She too had come to this point, there was not one single bit of help to be had anywhere. And then one day she somehow heard of Jesus. Have not you heard of Jesus? “Oh yes.” Why have you not come to Him? You are not forgiven? “No, I wish I were. I hope to be.” Why is it you are not forgiven? You have not done what she did. When she heard of Jesus she came to Him.
You will find six important points in her case. She heard, she came, she touched, she was healed, she felt, and she confessed.
SHE HEARD
of Jesus, so have you. You have heard that He is the Son of God and the sinner’s Friend. She had heard doubtless of His power, His might, His grace, His goodness. How, when, or where, we know not, but she had heard of Him, and now seized her opportunity and came to Him. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” “She came.” Where? “In the press behind.” Why? She hoped nobody would see her. We always hope that nobody will see. But she came, “and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole” (vs. 28). She had faith in Him. She had faith in His power, in His goodness. She had the distinct sense, there is in Him the very thing I want. But what was lacking was personal contact with Him. She makes up her mind she will come to Jesus. Have you ever done that? “No, but I have been twelve years seeking.” Very possibly, and have had twelve years’ misery and distress of soul.
Look at this poor woman. I do not doubt the devil said to her, “You will never get to Him.” But ah, she does. She makes up her mind, I must have Him, and “if I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.” There is such grace in Him, there is such power in Him, oh, there is such love in His heart and such virtue in Him, even the very hem of His garment would suffice. She sees Him in the distance, and she gets a little nearer, but there is a sway in the crowd, and she is carried back. Doubtless Satan whispered, “It is no good, you cannot reach Him now.” But no, she is in earnest—would to God you were—so she starts afresh, and spite of many a back-draw she gets nearer and nearer, and at length she pushes her poor blanched fingers between others, nearer than herself to Jesus, adds one little thrust, and thus Him
SHE TOUCHED.
Yes, she just touched the hem of His garment, and
SHE WAS HEALED.
Yes, all was done. Thank God, if you trust Jesus you are saved. Oh praise the Lord, she is healed. Yes, it is all right. That touch of faith did it. Cannot you trust Him, my reader? God bless you as you read this, poor, troubled, anxious soul, trembling about death and judgment. But one touch of faith, one look at Jesus is necessary, and what then? Saved on the spot.
And what is the next thing we read?
SHE FELT.
Yes, “she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague” (vs. 29). “I thought people did not have feelings?” Oh, indeed they do. When you get the sense of the Lord’s love to you, joy will fill your heart. Do you know the very first thing the Holy Ghost does when you trust the Lord Jesus? He comes and sheds the love of God abroad in your heart. “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us” (Rom. 5:55And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:5)). When that is known you will say, “Oh, how sweet, God loves me.”
I do not want to press you to feelings, but I am not content with merely knowing that I am in relationship with God, because it says, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God” (1 John 5:11Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. (1 John 5:1)); and again, “Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:2626For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26)). Christianity is eminently experimental, and if you are a converted person you will enjoy the love of Christ, and you will want to please Him. The woman was healed by faith, and very consciously she knew it. I believe, my friend, that the face does brighten up when you get the sense of the love of Christ to you. The point is this, you touch Him, and it is all right.
“Well,” you say to me, “I do not feel very sure, I think I trust Him, and sometimes I think I am saved; and then again I am sometimes doubtful as to whether, after all, I belong to the Lord.” Ah, dear friend, I do not think she ever had doubts and fears after this sort. Do you know why? Because she came out and owned the Lord. Jesus said, “Who touched my clothes?”. The disciples, in surprise, say, “Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?” (vs. 31). Note this well, to throng Him is not to touch Him in faith. It is the touch of faith causes Him to say: “Somebody hath touched me. And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, Game and fell down before him, and told him all the truth” (vers. 32 and 33), that is,
SHE CONFESSED.
She is not told to come and confess, but she came right into His presence, fell at His feet, and said, “Lord, I came to Thee because I could not get help elsewhere, and I came with the sense, if I could only get to Thee, Lord, all would be right; so I came and touched Thy garment, and I am healed.” You say, How do you know she did this ‘I Because it says so (vs. 33). Nobody said, “Go forward.” She had not to be urged. Perhaps, my reader, you are afraid to confess Christ. Look at this dear soul. She was a woman. They have often bigger hearts than men. And don’t forget that the lake of fire is nearly full of cowards. The list of the damned (see Rev. 21:88But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)) is headed by the “fearful”— the timid world-fearing souls afraid to confess Christ.
She “knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.” She confessed her need and her cure. Now this is where many a soul, goes astray, it does not confess.
“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:9, 109That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9‑10)). You see, beloved friend, you get right with God in your heart, and then you get right with man by your mouth. You will never get right with God by your mouth. The Lord says, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matt. 15:88This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. (Matthew 15:8)). You get right with God in your heart, and then see that you are not ashamed to confess with your lips. Possibly the secret, my dear fellow-believer, of your weakness, is that you have been a coward, and have not boldly and fully confessed Christ.
And now see what takes place in this simple woman’s history. She goes through what I call a confirmation service. She gets into contact with Jesus, and He confirms her. “Daughter, thy faith (not thy feelings) hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague” (vs. 34). He owns relationship with her, tells her that her faith has made her whole, and bids her depart in peace fully assured that she shall never relapse into her old state. So is it with us. “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)). Christ made peace by the blood of the cross. He Himself is our peace, and He gives it to us. Supposing she had not confessed the Lord, do you know what would have happened? She would have gone on her way home, and the devil would certainly have said: “Do not be too sure. It will all come back again.” And she would have gone away with this cankering thought, “Well, I am now whole, but who knows, it may come back tomorrow.” But look at the grace of Christ. He says to her, “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” It will never come back. There will be no relapse of the malady that has been the sorrow of your life. No relapse, thank God. Now she would have missed that if she had not confessed Christ. Oh, let me urge you to trust Him, and confess Him.
W. T. P. W.