Luke 8:48

"And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace." Luke 8:48

There's just something about a touch - both given and received. Note the next time you are in the presence of a newborn baby. Everyone wants to touch it. Men will rub the soft cheeks with the back of a finger. Women will touch the child with the front of a finger. All make comments about how soft the newborn skin is. That feel is the closest to perfection man will ever know on earth! We all like to be touched. The human touch is more than a contact, it is an emotional link.

The woman in today's verse was no different. All she wanted to do was touch Jesus. She didn't want to talk to Him. She didn't want to shake His hand. She didn't even want Him to know she did it. All she wanted was to touch the hem of His garment! The unusual thing about this was that she was an "unclean" woman, shunned by society. She had been sick for years. Everyone knew her. Everyone stayed away from her. If they had realized she was there, she could have been stoned to death for her social infraction. Still she persisted. She pressed her way through the potentially hostile crowd. She finally reached the back side of Jesus, reached down, and touched Him. Her intention was to slip away silently, but Jesus stopped. "Who touched me?" He asked. In that crowd, many people touched Him. They were all grabbing for Him.

But this touch was different. It was not a greedy touch. It was not a pushing touch. It was a touch of faith. Who touched Him? Who could tell? But He knew. He wanted to talk to the individual. Shyly, fearfully, the little, sick woman stepped forward. "I touched you, sir." "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." Her faith - because she said "If only I could touch the hem of His garment." Her faith - to fight the crowd. Her faith - that Jesus could do some thing for her. Her faith - had made her well.

How about you. Do you need a touch from Jesus? Are you one of those who are reaching just to get a touch of the hand. Are you one of those who are bumping into Him? Or are you willing to just get a touch of that dirty, grimy, grass stained hem of His garment. Is your touch greed? Or is it a touch of faith. Jesus knows the difference. Let your faith make you whole! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.