Who touched me?

In a series of four great miracles, starting with the stilling of the storm, the Spirit of God brings to our attention the Great Physician on the road, and in each vignette we see the compassion of our Lord. In the midst of a howling tempest, with winds and waves crashing over the side of the boat, it is the cry for help from His own which stirs Him. In the turmoil of voices from the multitude of demons possessing the man from Gadara, the man’s unspoken need draws His power. In the crush of the crowd on the way to a desperate man’s house, it is the breaking heart of a bereaved father that draws from His lips, ‘Fear not’. Then in the crush of the throng pushing its way through the narrow streets, it is the touch of faith that brings Him to a halt.

The anonymous woman was in desperate need of help, having spent all her life’s savings on medical treatment that had failed to cure her. This haemorrhaging would have made her ceremonially unclean in the eyes of the law, so that she would have had limited opportunity to socialize with others and to worship publicly at the temple. She faced an uncertain future, with limited funds left and no prospect of a cure. Yet she had heard of Jesus of Nazareth, and with an understandable desire to keep her condition private and to hide her unwanted presence in the crowd of people, she decided that if she could only touch the great Healer, without even asking Him to touch her, that in itself would be sufficient to cure her. In the throng, she bent down and touched the hem of his cloak.

Instantly, our Lord stopped and with him the whole crowd ground to a halt. His question, ‘Who touched me?’ seemed to elicit a very grumpy response from Peter. Pushed, shoved, and poked in the bustle of the crowd, Peter is not amused. ‘Master, the multitude press thee and crush thee and sayest thou, Who touched me?’ RV. But the difference is this: her’s was a touch of faith. In the throng, touched by a multitude of hands, feet and shoulders, the Lord nevertheless felt the touch of faith. He still does. Whatever your needs may be today, by faith reach out and touch Him. He always responds to the touch of faith.