Do you ever need a little more "power?" My old mixer would grumble and drag. It simply no longer had the power to make my favorite oatmeal cookies (Grandma Guttendorf's Pride of Iowa). The kids gifted me with a beautiful red Kitchen Aid mixer and the "more power" is so much better, faster, and efficient. All I have to do is plug it in to turn it on.
Power and patience are a great combination. The story of a suffering woman who knew that if she could simply touch Jesus's hem, she could and would be healed. Her faith was big, but she had to reach him.
Imagine the crowds that gathered around Jesus. They followed him everywhere. It appears that Jesus would simply get up and go when he was finished. The disciples had to be ready to follow at any moment.
A ruler made his way to Jesus to beg him for a miracle. His daughter had died and he sought out Jesus to come and raise her from the dead. Jesus followed the man, but his journey was interrupted when he felt the power rush out of him. Someone had touched him. He felt the power leave him.
The woman's courage was bigger than her fear at that moment. An unclean woman reaching out to touch a man was risky. She must have been exhausted from her illness, yet somehow she managed to reach him in time to touch his hem as he passed by.
"And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” -Matthew 9:20-21
"Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse." -Mark 5:25-26
She was tired of bleeding. She had suffered at the hands of physicians. She was at the end of her proverbial rope... she was desperate.
Jesus stopped abruptly and asked who had touched him. He knew, of course, but still He demanded her admission.
She confessed and asked Him for healing.
"And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” -Mark 5:34
May we have the courage to reach out and "touch the hem" of His robe. May we have the desire to chase after him for the healing we need, whatever that may be.
Today, I am grateful that we are able to "touch the hem."
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