Reaching Out By Faith

Introduction

Salvation of the soul is the one great need of all mankind. That’s because all are sinners in the sight of a holy God (Rom.3: 23); and apart from their willingness to turn from their sin, and put their faith in Christ alone to save them and give them eternal life (Acts 4: 12), their only future expectation is God’s eternal judgment (Rev.20: 15).

One would think that since God has made man’s spiritual condition and need clear in His Word, men and women all over this world would be turning from their sin and rushing to give their hearts to Jesus. Additionally, one would think that since the Bible warns the lost human race of impending judgment in a place call Hell, “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9: 44, 46, 48), churches would be hard-pressed to deal with all the repentant sinners at their altars each Sunday.

But such is not the case. Untold millions of people in our world are yet in their sins, dying without God’s free gift of salvation, and facing a Christless eternity. That may seem totally unthinkable to those of us who truly know Christ as our Savior. But folks, let us be reminded that the Scriptures tell us that many have been spiritually blinded by Satan, so as to keep them from seeing their need, and believing the Gospel of Christ (2 Cor.4: 4).

Some might try to excuse their responsibility to share Christ with these people by saying, “Well, maybe God had predestined these people to go to Hell. Maybe they can’t be helped.” But dear people, that cannot be true, for God’s Word clearly says, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet.3: 9). The fact is, there is none so morally good that they can make it into Heaven without Jesus, and there is none so morally evil that they can’t miss Hell by trusting Him. All men everywhere need to be saved.

What are the precursors to a sinner’s salvation? What must take place in their heart before they are ready to give themselves to Christ? The passage before us today is not only a perfect picture of healing faith, but also of saving faith. I find here a beautiful example of one who comes to realize that Jesus is the only answer for their need. May God help us to see the truths found in this wonderful account.

I. The Tragedy That Prompted A Woman's Faith

A. She Was Diseased

Luke 8:43a, “And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years…”

This must have been a particularly humiliating disease for this woman, in that it would have destroyed her social life, as well as her general well being. Because of this issue of blood, she would have been declared ceremonially unclean (Lev.15: 25). It is rather significant that, as we are told later, when this woman touched Jesus, He also became ceremonially unclean. But that did not bother Him, for the Bible says that He is the One Who bears our “…griefs…” and carries “…our sorrows…” (Isa.53: 4). Likewise, Jesus is the One Who “became sin for us, who knew no sin…” (2 Cor.5: 21).

B. She Was Destitute

Luke 8:43b, “…which had spent all her living upon physicians…”

This woman had spent everything on mere empty hopes and dreams of a cure. It had all been fruitless, and useless. All of the promises and high hopes had only succeeded in emptying her meager coffers. Now there was nothing left.

All human resources were gone. However, though it may seem otherwise, this dear lady was in the best place she’d ever been in her whole life. Her destitution demanded that she seek deliverance from the only One who was able to meet her heart’s desire—Jesus. Is it not sad that so often the sinner must be brought to utter destitution of self-effort and self-righteousness before they can realize that trusting Christ by faith is the only answer?

C. She Was Desperate

Luke 8:43c, “…neither could be healed of any,”

Mark 5:26, “And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,”

In Mark 5:26, the word “suffered” is to be taken in the sense of “suffering pain, not merely subjected to treatment” (Vincent’s Word Studies). When one reads the recommended treatment for this malady in the Talmud, it isn’t hard to believe that this woman had suffered much at the hands of her would- be physicians.

This woman was not made any better for all her efforts in seeking a cure. The fact was that man did not have the answer to her problem. This is so much like the lost of today, who are empty, frustrated, and miserable. They’ve tried all that the world has to offer, only to find that they are “nothing bettered” (Mark 5: 26) by it all.

For twelve years this woman had lived in pain and discomfort. For twelve years she had lived as a social outcast, not even being permitted to go into the temple to worship, due to being ceremonially unclean (separated from God). This was a desperate woman. Every human resource had failed her. However, her human desperation forced her to seek heavenly deliverance. Jesus was the remedy the lady needed.

II. The Touch That Proved A Woman's Faith

A. It Was A Timid Touch

Luke 8:44a, “Came behind him (Jesus), and touched the border of his garment…”

Mark 5:27, “When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.”

This lady was timid and insecure. But then she had good reason to be so, due to the stigma of her day concerning such diseases. Speaking of timidity:

Have you ever heard of the “Dependent Order of Really Meek and Timid Souls?” When you make an acrostic of its first letters, you have “Doormats.” The Doormats have an official insignia—a yellow caution light. Their official motto is: “The meek shall inherit the earth, if that’s OK with everybody!” The society was founded by Upton Diskson who wrote a pamphlet called Cower Power.Swindoll, The Quest For Character, Multnomah, p. 44.

The Greek rendering of Mark 5: 27, says, “…having heard the things concerning Jesus…” (Kenneth S. Wuest, The New Testament: An Expanded Translation, published by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan; pg. 90). In other words, the things she had heard about Jesus stirred her faith toward Him enough to take action—to reach out and touch Him.

This woman’s timidity was due to the fact that she was ceremonially unclean. The humiliation of her condition would have made her shrink from appealing to Jesus publicly, so she resorted to simply touching His garment. Concerning this one commentator says:

The border of the Lord’s garment which the woman touched was one of the four tassels which formed part of the Jewish tallith, or mantle; one of these was always arranged so as to hang down over the shoulder at the back; it was this one which the sufferer’s fingers grasped. There was a certain sacredness about these tassels, as being part of the memorial dress enjoined by the Levitical Law, which, no doubt, induced the woman to touch this particular portion of the Saviour’s dress. Ages Digital Library, “Pulpit Commentaries,” Commentary on Luke 8:43, 44.

Perhaps this woman touched Jesus garment from behind because she only had a small faith. But even so, a small faith is better than no faith. A small faith is more than enough to experience the miraculous power of God. Jesus said, “…If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matt.17: 20b). Maybe you find yourself at your wit’s end today, feeling hopeless about life, due to the weight of your sin. Just reach out and touch Jesus by faith. Confess your sin to Him, ask His forgiveness, and invite Him into to your heart today. He will hear you and save you.

B. It Was A Trusting Touch

Mark 5:28, “For she said, “If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.’”

The verb used in the words, “For she said” is an imperfect verb, which indicates continuous action. This woman kept repeating within herself, “If I can only touch Jesus, I know I will be made whole.”

C. It Was A Tremendous Touch

Luke 8:44b-45, “…and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?”

First, notice that when this poor woman touched Jesus by faith, it brought immediate results. You see the touch of faith brings about a transfer of divine power from God to the point of one’s need. Mark 5: 30 tells us that Jesus knew immediately “…that virtue had gone out of him…” Had there been no touch of faith, there would have been no release of God’s power of transformation in this lady’s  life. The same thing must happen with the lost soul. They must reach out to Jesus in faith, before Christ can save them by His power: “For by grace are ye saved through faith…” (Eph.2: 8a).

Notice a couple of facts about this woman’s healing. First, she knew the moment she laid hold of Jesus by faith that she was healed. Mark 5: 29 says, “…and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.” The same thing is true of one who has put their faith in Christ for salvation: they know that they’ve been saved. “If you can be saved and not know, then you can lose it and not miss it” (Source Unknown).

Secondly, not only did the woman know that she had touched Jesus by faith, but Jesus also knew it. I fear that many people are claiming a faith in Jesus that He knows nothing about. When a person reaches out to Jesus by faith, Heaven knows about it.

III. The Transformation That Pacified A Woman's Faith

A. Her Transformation Could Not Be Hidden

Luke 8:47a, “And when the woman saw that she was not hid…”

You see folks, the transformation that had taken place in this woman made her sort of conspicuous. A twelve-year-old battle was suddenly over. The plague was gone. I imagine that there wasn’t another person in that throng that day that had as big a smile on their face as this dear lady did at that moment. The transformation that touching Jesus had wrought in her could not be hidden. The Bible says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor.5: 17).

B. Her Triumph Could Not Be Silenced

Luke 8:47b, “…she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.”

Jesus didn’t ask, “Who touched me?” (Luke 8:45) because He didn’t know. He asked that question because He wanted the woman to openly confess her faith in Him. There are no secret saints, according to Matt.10: 32-33.

I believe that however shy this dear woman may have been that even if Jesus hadn’t asked, “Who touched me,” her joy and amazement over this sudden miracle would have made her stand out like a sore thumb. How could one be silent when they have been miraculously healed, after suffering for twelve years? In like manner, how does one who has experienced the miracle of salvation remain silent?

C. Her Trust Concluded In Peace

Luke 8:48, “And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.”

Trusting Jesus by faith brings peace into the weary sinner’s heart and life. God’s Word tells us, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” (Rom.5: 1).

The Almighty’s Shade

I rest beneath the Almighty’s shade, My griefs expire, my troubles cease;

Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed, Wilt keep me still in perfect peace.

Charles Wesley.