The Finger of Faith
by
Voyle A. Glover
Few instances in the Bible illustrate faith better than the story of the woman who had a loathsome disease, a bloody discharge that had been with her for twelve years and which had left her in poverty and in despair (Mark 5:25-34). There was no hope for her. She had spent all her money on doctors and they could not help her. She wasn't in the category of leper but pretty close. Her issue of blood made her "unclean" in the eyes and mind of every Jew. She wasn't permitted to come into the temple. She could not mix and mingle. She had no social life. She had no income. She had no resources.
But she had a plan.
This woman had heard of the man they called Jesus. She heard of the miracles this man performed. He was her last hope. She'd tried everything else. She'd tried everyone else. They'd failed. She'd heard of this man they were saying was Messiah. She'd heard of the sick being healed.
She realizes that she cannot meet Jesus. Remember, this is a woman who knows Jewish law. She knows she is like a leper to her kinsmen. So, trying to get an audience with Jesus was not even a consideration for her.
Instead, she carefully plans to infiltrate the entourage. She waits, and when Peter and James and John and the scores of disciples surrounding Jesus walk by, she crawls through the crowd and gets within inches of Jesus.
And that's all she needs. She doesn't need to speak to Jesus. She doesn't need to have Jesus speak to her. She doesn't need to have Jesus pray over her. Her plan doesn't contemplate any of those scenarios. She needs only to touch the hem of Jesus' garment. Note that she didn't try to touch his hand or his feet or his person. She just reached out, stretching, reaching, until she touched, with a finger, the hem of Jesus' garment.
Instantly, she was healed.
And just as immediate, Jesus knews that someone has "touched" him. He knew that power had come from his person. He knew someone had tapped into the power that rested within and upon him: the power of Jehova Jirah.
He said to his disciples, "Who touched me?" They are astonished at his question because there is such a crowd around, and no doubt many people had touched him. They ask him how he can say such a thing since the press of the people caused many to touch him. They don't understand.
They did not realize Jesus has just been touched by faith.
But Jesus knew.
He pronounced the woman healed. But, Jesus then made sure the disciples understood what occurred. He made sure they all understand that it is her faith has made her whole, not some magical properties about his garment or his person, since many people had indeed touched him. He wanted all persons there and for all of eternity to realize that He'd been touched by a finger of faith.
This woman reached out with fingers to touch the hem of the garment of Jesus. In her mind, it was sufficient if she but touched that hem, nothing more. She knew a garment would not heal her. She knew it was God who would heal her. She believed that there had to be an action on her part. That action was the touching of the hem of Jesus' garment. And, her belief was absoslutely on target. What she believed came true.
But, exactly what did she believe?
I'm convinced that this woman believed that Jesus was of God, that Jesus was someone who had the power of God in Him. She believed that she could reach out and touch God by touching Jesus. Or, perhaps more correctly, she believed that by touching Jesus, God would touch her. And it was so. She believed that if she could get near enough to Jesus, she'd get near enough to the power of God to be affected, indeed, to be healed.
And, so it is with all who would receive anything fromGod. We can touch the Bible. We can touch the people of God. We can touch trappings that surround Christianity. But, these things are not enough. The Ancient Text called The Holy Bible says "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you...." James 4:8. This woman proved the veracity of that statement. If we would touch Jesus, if we would receive power, if we would receive healing, if we would receive blessings, then we must touch Jesus with faith.
Nothing else works.
The End
Are you dealing with a fear problem? This might help. Faith or Fear?
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copyright 1997 Voyle A. Glover