Faith Rewarded

The Healer had come to the country and his reputation had preceded him. People all over the region had heard of him, but many had never actually seen him. They said he was a miracle-worker, and he had performed many miracles in many ways. They also said he was a teacher, but the local religious leaders were skeptical of him and were always seeking ways to discredit him.

He came to a certain place by a lake and a large crowd had gathered around him, when one of those local religious leaders came to him and said “my daughter is dying.” Jairus, the leaders name, pleaded with the Healer to come and just touch his daughter, because he believed if that were done, his daughter would live.

The Healer agreed, and they left immediately for Jairus’ home, accompanied by the men who were known to have devoted themselves to being disciples of the Healer. Of course, the crowd fell in behind them, with murmurs of excitement and anticipation of seeing for themselves a true miracle. Could this man really heal people? Some had said he could even bring dead people back to life!!

Among the crowd was a woman who had been subject to a serious health problem for twelve years. Her menstrual period started one day, and for some reason it never stopped. She had seen numerous doctors and other “healers” and had spent all the money she had, but instead of getting better she only got worse. She was at the end of her rope.

When she heard this man of miracles was coming to her region, she thought to herself “If I can just touch his clothes… just touch his cloak… I will be healed.” She believed this with all of her heart.

She worked her way closer through the throng as they walked, and soon she was just close enough to reach between two of the disciples and for a brief split second, she touched the hem of his cloak.

Immediately she had an amazing sensation of something traveling through her hand into her arm into her body, and immediately she knew — she had been healed. She felt her body instantly recover from the years of affliction no one else had been able to resolve. She was lost in this glorious moment of feeling complete health and wholeness, her suffering ended, her mind and spirit renewed with hope.

But the Healer had stopped walking and was speaking!

“Who touched me?” And as he turned he gazed into the crowd around him.

His disciples were a bit skeptical. “Master, the way these people have been jostling and shoving, and you can ask ‘who touched me’?

What the disciples didn’t know was their Master had actually felt healing power flow from him in that instant the woman touched his garment. It did not hurt him, it did not weaken him, but he knew what had happened.

Perhaps he said it again with just a bit more authority that made the crowd take a step back:

“WHO TOUCHED MY CLOTHES?”

He kept looking around at the crowd and the crowd denied it. “It wasn’t me!” “Not me!” “It wasn’t us!”

Timidly, fearfully, knowing she could not hide it nor deny it, the woman came forward and fell at his feet, and told him her story. With tears of joy and happiness she explained how her prayer had been answered, how she believed in her heart that if she could just.. touch.. His.. cloak.. somehow she would be healed. And she was!

There, in the midst of the crowd surrounding them, as she knelt before Him, Jesus, the Healer, the Teacher, the Miracle-worker, the Master, reached down and helped the woman to her feet, and when she looked into the Master’s face, she would add to the memory of this day the look of complete love, compassion, and caring she saw in the Master’s eyes.

Nor would she ever forget His words:

“Daughter! Your faith has healed you! Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
(The account from Mark chapter 5 and Luke chapter 8)