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He Touched Me

HE TOUCHED ME

Mark 5: 21-34

In this passage we find the story of “The Woman with the Issue of Blood.”

She is one of a kind…and yet she remains nameless.

So, this morning, from this story, let’s learn some very important things about this woman, about Jesus, about ourselves…and about faith and what it really is…and about what a disciple of Christ is supposed to do.

To begin, this woman in this story is about as far down on the Jewish social register as you can get.

But it is not just a disease…it is a bleeding disease…and Leviticus 15 tells us that bleeding diseases made you “unclean.”

And keep in mind, this is an “unclean disease.”

But now look at verse 27.

This woman hears about Jesus…and apparently from what she has heard she believes that Jesus can help!

She goes to where the crowd is…and then she slips into the crowd.

And when Jesus feels this power leave His body…He stops and says, “Who touched My garments?”

Now, why does He want to know? Why is it so important? Why is it so important that He would stop and scan the crowd?

Well, let me suggest to you that there are at least three reasons.

One, He wants to give this woman an opportunity to demonstrate what real faith is.

This woman is in the midst of a crowd.

So, Jesus asks, “Who touched my garments?”

A second reason why Jesus stops is to, once again, try and get these people in this crowd…as well as some of us to realize who He is.

Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

If Jesus would have just kept going and not said anything…the only one who would have known about this miracle would have been this woman.

Notice vs. 33 again, that she,” fell down before Him and told the whole truth.”

And I think there is a fourth reason why Jesus stopped and wanted to know who touched Him…perhaps the most important reason.

You know, politicians will often abuse individuals in an attempt to impress crowds.

But you see, Jesus didn’t do people that way.

So, when He looked at this woman, the crowd ceased to exist.

Jesus was that way.

And one day Jesus was outside of Jericho and there was a blind man, a beggar, saying, “Son of David, come and have mercy on me.”

You see, Jesus was always stopping to make people who never mattered…matter.

So, what are you going to do with a story like this?

Number one: This story is a challenge to us to get in touch with Jesus.

You know, you can get up a crowd for Jesus…it is not hard.

But not many will actually have a faith that will manifest itself in their actions and in their speech…no matter the circumstances…and no matter who else might be in the crowd.

So, this story is calling you today to get in touch personally with Jesus before He walks away.

But, it is more than that. It is also a call for us, as His disciples, to stay in touch with human need.

Who were the three most religious groups in the days of Jesus?

What did all three of these groups do?

And that seems to creep into the church.

Even in church isn’t it easy to get into the habit every Sunday of brushing up against people and never stopping to make anyone feel like they matter?

What does it mean to be like Jesus?