THE POWER OF A TOUCH

Mark 5:21-43

Today’s gospel reports two stories of healing presented like a sandwich; one story inside the other. The first story is about Jairus who came to ask Jesus to heal his daughter. And inside that we have the story of a desperate woman who sneaks behind Jesus in search for healing. This begins with the request of Jairus to go to his house. On the way, the walk is interrupted by a sick woman who touched Jesus.

Who is she? We don’t know or it does not matter. All we know is that she was a woman in pain. For twelve years she had suffered. She wants relief; she wants restoration; she wants her life back. And she hopes Jesus can do that. She has every reason to do what she did because she felt the losses caused by her illness everyday: loss of control, loss of identity, loss of certainty, loss of place in society, loss of resources, and loss of hope. She wants relief; she wants restoration; she wants her life back. And she hopes Jesus can do that. She had every reason to do what she did because she felt the losses caused by her illness everyday: loss of control, loss of identity, loss of certainty, loss of place in society, loss of resources, and loss of hope.

            So she comes up behind Jesus in the crowd and touches His cloak. Her intention is to get a blessing and remain anonymous. All she wants to do is to touch His garment and depart. She thinks to herself “If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed.” Looking at her thoughts and her move, this woman believes in Jesus' power. She knows in her heart that Jesus can heal her. Or, at least, she is desperate enough to give it a try. It is a daring move that displays both faith and fear. “If I just touch His clothes”. While others bump into Jesus in the crowd, she reaches out and touches Him in anonymity because of her faith.

            At this, Jesus asks: "Who touched my clothes?" "You see how people are pressing upon you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ But that is exactly what Jesus is asking. He had felt something quite different from the normal collisions of shoulders and elbows and sandals and hips and legs in a normal crowd. He felt that someone had touched his clothes with a definite purpose in mind, with a definite need.

            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 trembling to Jesus. Jesus says to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering". Jesus calls her daughter. She has been a daughter of suffering and death; now she is a daughter of life. Immediately, 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.

It is important to notice that this woman did not meet Jesus in a house of worship, in a church. She met Him on the street. She had no private audience with the Lord. She touched Him in a crowd, anonymously. She touched Him with faith and Jesus stopped. That is the miracle I don't want us 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 miracle here is that the human touch has the power to stop God. Our touch has the power to attract God’s attention. We need to touch him, to stop Him, and make Him aware of our problems.

Most of the time we bump into Jesus just like the crowd in our gospel. We don’t touch him. It is easy to be in the crowd and never touch the Lord. This passage tells us that coming close to Jesus is not enough. It is like missing a train by one minute. Coming close to Jesus will not bring healing. We need to touch Him for ourselves. How can I touch Christ? Surely ours will not be a physical touch like this woman in our gospel. How can we touch Him today?

            First, give him a chance; give Christ the chance to know your problems. 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. Take courage to fall at his feet and express your request publicly like Jairus, or take courage to sneak up behind him and touch his cloth like this woman. Second, believe that God will hear you. Remember that He heard the poor woman who only touched the hem of His garment. Third, 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. Fourth, when He speaks to us, let us do what He tells us. He may not tell us audibly, but generally through our own conscience or through trusted counsel of a friend.