The touch of faith.
We may see in this poor woman what our Lord expects to see in all who would receive his blessing.
I. THE TREMBLING SUPPLIANT. There are many legends respecting her: that her name was Veronica; that she maintained the innocency of our Lord before Pilate; that she wiped his face on the road to Calvary with a napkin, which received the sacred impress of his features; that she erected a memorial to him at Paneas, her native town; etc. Improbable as much of this may be, it indicates that her faith was highly esteemed by the early Christians. The evangelists describe her as a certain woman who was worn by suffering, haggard from poverty (Mark 5:26), and ceremonially unclean, so as to be excluded from the consolations of public worship. She stole into the crowd, and by her touch of faith won the blessing she sought,
1. Illness brought her to Jesus. Most of those who came to him were affflicted—the blind, the leprous, the bereaved, the hungry, etc. Every sorrow is a summons to us to go to him.
2. Faith prepared her for a blessing. Even material gifts are received by the hand of faith. We all act in daily faith that the laws of God will continue—the farmer, the tradesman, etc. When Christ wrought a miracle (which was an epitome of one of God's works) he demanded faith. "He could not do many mighty works" where there was unbelief. He demanded trust in himself, both of Jairus (Mark 5:36), of this woman (Mark 5:34), and of us (Acts 16:31). If faith was truly exercised, erroneous views, such as this woman had, did not prevent a blessing.
II. THE EFFECTUAL TOUCH. "The border of the garment," to which Luke with more definiteness refers, was a sign of belonging to the chosen people (Numbers 15:38), and Christ blamed the Pharisees for making it specially broad, as if they would assert their peculiar sanctity. The woman touched it, not only as the most convenient, but as the most sacred, part of the robe, and her superstition required to be cleansed away.
1. There may be close outward contact with Christ without the effectual touch (verse 31). The crowd represents many who are in Christian lands and congregations.
2. There cannot be living contact between us and him without his knowledge (verse 30). Though there was only one in the crowd who so touched him as to win salvation, that one was not unrecognized. So, if in the large congregation one earnest prayer, one praiseful song, is offered, it is accepted of him. The garment may represent to us our Lord's humanity, which is most within the reach of our understanding and love. St. Paul speaks of his "flesh" as a "veil," through which we pass into God's presence. Our Lord himself says, in another figure which sets forth the. same truth, "Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." lie was the true ladder between heaven and earth, between God and man, of which Jacob once dreamed.
III. THE REQUIRED CONFESSION. TO acknowledge the change wrought in us by Divine grace is for God's glory, for the development of our own faith, and for the encouragement of others. We have responsibilities to the Church as well as to the Lord, which even shame and modesty must not lead us to ignore. Our Lord called for acknowledgment on this occasion, and it led to fuller instruction and to a deeper peace. He did not ask his question because he was ignorant, any more than Elisha did after his heart had gone with Gehazi, or Jehovah did when he asked of Adam, "Where art thou?" If we know which of our children has done a certain act, we may nevertheless ask, "Which of you did this? " and whether it has been a right act or a wrong, the confession on such occasions is for the child's own good. With truer wisdom than we ever display Christ Jesus asked, "Who touched my clothes?" although he knew perfectly the life of her whose faith in him had made her whole; "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."—A.R.