Touching His Hem

She pushed through the crowd, bent almost double. So many strangers! Only a few familiar faces turned to glare at her, saying she had no right to be here. The faces were older than she remembered. It had been a long time since she ventured out into her village. Ahead she could see one of her doctors, but he wasn’t looking this way. The money purse at his hip taunted her. It might be weighted with the money she had paid him, without getting any relief in return. Now he was here to see Messiah. So was she, and nothing else mattered.

Closer to the road people were pressed tighter together. As far as she could see, they were even choking the road. She pushed against the relentless people for five minutes before she heard them begin to cheer. “Teacher! Master!” – some were more direct in their questions. “Are You the one?” A Pharisee? The man was young, so she didn’t recognize him. There had been a time when she was the friend (or enemy) of every leader in Israel. That was over thirty years ago, before.

As the crowd grew louder, she desperately dropped to her knees and made her way between legs and around purses. Nothing else mattered. If she could just see Him, touch Him, she knew everything would be better.

But all the people, jostling in the way! It was hopeless. The Master would be here and gone before she could get close. She crawled forward anyway.

Cheers deafened her. No time to cover her ears. Just crawl. At last she tumbled onto the road. There He was! That must be Him just ahead, with all the people reaching out to Him. He would pass her by. Just then He stumbled backward from the weight of the people. She blessed the crowds she hated. He was just within reach. Her fingertips stretched to touch His hem, trying to snag it and draw herself closer. Immediately she felt it; she was healed. In awe, in bliss – pure bliss – she remained, crouched on the ground.

Jesus turned to look at the woman, bowed now in reverence. He spoke tender words, but ones that silenced those near. “Who touched Me?” One of his followers began to point out what everyone else was thinking: how silly a question that was. But the woman raised her head to meet His eyes. He already knew it was her; He looked at her as though He had always known it would be her.

At first whispering, then raising her voice so the people around them could hear, she told her Lord the whole truth. She told of her illness for 30 years, of using all her money to pay doctors until now, when she had nothing. A few days ago she had heard of the Teacher. A few hours ago word had come that He would be coming this way. So she had determined to see Him. She pointed at the crowd as she told how she had been forced to crawl to Him. A smile spread across her pain-free face.

“Then I touched Your robe, Lord, and I am healed.” A few people murmured; a few cheered. He took her hand and raised her up. A man ran up, quietly pressing through the people, but with the demeanor of a servant, he dared not interrupt. Jesus saw him. Sadness flitted across His face before He turned back to her.

“Daughter,” He used a word she had not heard in decades, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” As though the very words He spoke carried power, peace filled her. She walked tall and straight away from Him through the crowd. At the edge of the crowd, she turned to see all the people leaving. Jesus and a few of His followers went on down the road with the servant.

To God be all glory.