What does this say to us? When we are so desperate and so dead that we know we have nothing left to lose, we can risk being brave and reach out to Jesus.

The Compassion of the Savior

As instantaneously as the women touched Jesus, He sensed that healing power had gone out of Him. No one noticed her -- no one but Jesus. He turned around to see who had touched Him, who had just been healed and why. He asks, "Who touched my clothes?" (Mark 5:30, NIV). He looks for her, but she does not wait to be found. Once again, as in the initial healing, she comes forward on her own and presents herself to Jesus. Jesus says to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering" (Mark 5:34, NIV). Jesus calls her daughter. She had been a daughter of death; now she is a daughter of life. In an instant, her body regains control, she is granted a new identity, she now has a certain future, she regains her place in society, she is restored to wholeness, and she discovers hope. In an instant, Jesus heals her sickness, eases her suffering, grants her freedom, and saves her soul.

The Other Miracle of the Story

That is the record. These are the facts. It is a matter of history.

That is the miracle. Jesus heals a woman who had a bleeding problem. What a miracle it was! The only miracle recorded in scripture where no word was spoken or action displayed by Jesus.

Is there another miracle lurking here?

Notice, she did not meet Jesus in a house of worship. She met Him on the street. She had no private audience with the Lord. She touched Him in a crowd.

She touched Him in faith -- in desperate believing faith and He stopped. That is the miracle I don't want you to miss. The touch of one anonymous woman in a crowd halted the Lord of glory. That is the glorious message of this miracle. She touched Him. And so can we. The other miracle is that the human touch has the power to arrest God. Yes, to stop Him, to halt Him, to make Him aware of your problems, your petition.

We need to touch Him. Most of us are thronging Him -- just like the crowd. It is easy to throng the Lord and never touch Him. A great many people in the church, and perhaps a great many outside the church, are thronging Jesus but not trusting Him; seeking Him but not being found by Him; coming close to Him but never actually touching Him. Coming close to Jesus is not enough. It is like missing a train. You may miss it by one minute and that's pretty close but you have lost the train. It is gone, and you are left behind.

Thronging saves nobody. Coming near to Jesus will not bring healing. We have to touch Him for ourselves.

How can I touch Christ? It is one thing for that woman long ago, but how can I touch Him today.

Suggestions for the Seeker

1. Give God a chance. Take your problem, what ever it may be, to Him in prayer. Tell Him about it -- just as if He did not know a thing. Hold nothing back. Dare to be honest.

2. Believe that God will hear you. Remember that He heard the poor woman who only touched the hem of His garment. Believe with all your faith that He cares what happens to you. You must believe that. You can't doubt it when you look at the cross.

3. Be willing to wait patiently for the Lord. He does not answer every prayer on Sunday afternoon. You may have to wait until Friday. But wait. God is never in a hurry. The person who waits on God loses no time.

4. Reach out and touch Him. It is one thing to throng the Lord and quite another to trust Him. Many people bump into Jesus, but few reach out and touch Him. In faith, reach out as He passes by.

5. When He speaks to you, do what He tells you. He may not tell you audibly. You may not hear His voice, you will not see writing on the sky, but generally through your own conscience or through trusted counsel of friends He will indicate a course of action. When He lets you know what you must do, do it.

The message of this miracle is that one woman, at the end of her rope, had the courage to step out of normal procedures to find healing and hope. She touched the Lord of the Universe. And He stopped for her. He will stop for you, too. Don't miss that miracle.