And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

For she said, “If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.”

And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, “Who touched my clothes?”

And his disciples said unto him, “Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who 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, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

And he said unto her, “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”

Mark 5:25-34

This woman, whose name we do not know, had an issue all right! According to Hebrew law, when a woman had a discharge of blood , she was considered unclean. Not just her, but anything she touched. Any bed she had lain on, and any chair she sat on was deemed unclean. Whoever touched her, her bed, or a chair she had sat on was unclean and would have to wash his clothes and take a bath, and even then, he would be considered unclean until that night!

This woman had spent everything she had, trying to get herself clean, to make herself “normal,” but no one could help her. She was incurable. There was virtually no hope that she could be healed. No one wanted to be near her.

How desperate she must’ve been as she pushed through the madness and the huge crowd that surrounded Jesus. How sure she must have been that if she could just touch the hem of His garment, she would be made whole again.

And when she touched His garment, she must’ve done it sneakily, because she knew that she was unclean. Maybe she thought that she would be healed, and Jesus wouldn’t be the wiser. Maybe she thought she could simply run away once she was healed. But she knew in her heart that she would indeed be healed.

And as she finally got close enough to touch Him, she did, and immediately, the bleeding stopped, and she knew that she was healed. Perhaps she thought it was temporary. Or maybe she thought it was a trick of her mind.

But Jesus stopped in his tracks when she touched his clothing and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” He looked around the crowd, to see who had touched him.

She was afraid. Maybe because she felt that she had made Him unclean. Maybe because she had “snuck” the healing. Either way, she fell to the ground in front of Him and, trembling, admitted that she was the one who touched him.

And He said, in His gentle, compassionate fashion, “Daughter, your faith has made you whole. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

And with that, she was assured that her healing was real and it was permanent; that she could go back to living a life without her misery and isolation.

He had called her “Daughter.” She was right then and there not only healed, not only restored, but she now had a relationship with Him. She was part of His family.

Another word for “faith” is “trust.” This woman was healed by the simple fact that she trusted Jesus.

For 12 years, this woman lived her life isolated and alone. She was not able to even worship in public. She could not even hug or be hugged.

Maybe you can imagine that, sort of. I know I can.

For many years, I had an issue. My issue was my sin. I wallowed in it, and because of my sin, I was separated from my family and from “normal” people.

Nicole C. Mullen’s song “One Touch (Press)” is about this encounter with the Lord, and she sings something important about it. In her words:

    I had to touch the hem of His garment, and I know I've been made whole
    And how I had pressed my way through the madness, and His love has healed my soul.
    Then with one word He touched the hem of my garment, and you know I've been made whole.
    And somehow He pressed His way through my madness, and His love has healed my soul.

I know that my faith has made me whole. And my own madness rivaled the madness of the crowd that surrounded Jesus that day, yet he reached through it to heal me, and He does the same for all who trust in Him.