Beckett: Touching Jesus

And there was a woman who had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If I touch even His garments, I will be saved.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in Himself that power had gone out from Him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing around You, and yet You say, ‘Who touched Me?'” And He looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

Mark 5:25-34

There is nothing insignificant about this account. The Law of Moses has statutes for dealing with women who are discharging blood. Whoever touches her would become unclean. Even objects she touches become unclean. Therefore, purification rituals were involved to make oneself clean again if they came into contact with a woman who was discharging blood (Leviticus 15:19-30). This law would’ve come to mind when everyone found out just whom this woman was (and perhaps wondered if she defiled them in the jammed crowd!). Yet something impossible happens. She touches Jesus’ garment, and instead of her touching making Him and His garment unclean, she is made clean. Imagine a person so pure that when they touch a dusty table, their cleanness comes off on the table instead of the dust coming off on them (thank you to Rev. Jonathan Fisk for this beautiful image in his book Echo: Unbroken Truth. Worth Repeating. Again.).

That’s what happened for this woman. Instead of her uncleanness coming off on Jesus, His pure cleanness comes off on her and she is healed. Why? Because she believed.

When we read miracle accounts like this today, we might wonder, “Why doesn’t Jesus perform miracles like this for me today? I wish I could touch Him and be healed of my disease.” Dear Christian, how little is your faith! For what do you think happens when you eat His body and drink His blood? For from birth, we are born with a “spiritual leprosy” (FC SD I, 6). When the body and blood of Jesus touch your lips, your tongue, your throat, and your entire digestive system, His cleanness comes off on you and you are made clean. Because you have faith in His Words, “This is My body, this is My blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28), you can walk away like the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” When you eat the Supper, you are healed of your sin. Therefore, the pastor dismisses you, “Depart in the peace of the Lord.” Amen.