THE WOMAN WHO TOUCHED
Matt 9:20-22
Mark 5:25-34
Luke 8:43-48
While the account of this woman is closely related to that of Jairus, the two personalities are so distinct, and their circumstances so different, that we are taking them in separation.
In the case of Jairus we watched our Lord dealing with a man of standing and position, a ruler of the synagogue. In this we have a very striking contrast. He is here seen dealing with a woman of no standing, of no position at the moment; as we shall see more distinctly next, she was an outcast. In the case of Jairus He was dealing with a man who in his home had had twelve years of happiness in the life of his child. In this case we see Him dealing with a woman who had had twelve years of sadness and suffering. The period of her trouble had been as long as that of Jairus' joy. In the case of Jairus we saw Him dealing with a man who, in the hour of desolation, sought the help of Christ, and found it. In this case we see Him dealing with a woman who made a great and daring adventure in coming to Christ, which venture was rewarded.
Our attention, then, is first fixed upon the woman herself. The account is in some senses a technical one. Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell us the fact concerning her, which it is easy for those of us who may be in health and strength to read, without grasping its significance. She was suffering from an issue of blood. In the Leviticus 15:19-27, we find careful instructions as to how any persons suffering from any form of that malady were to be treated. They were to be segregated from the company of worshippers so long as it continued. That was not a punitive provision, but rather a hygienic arrangement. This woman had suffered from such a malady for twelve years, and therefore had been for that period segregated in certain ways. The law as given to Moses had been overlaid by attempted interpretations and traditions. There was a popular misconception concerning that particular form of disease that it was always the result of sin. The view was based entirely upon the medical opinion of that day, interpreted by rabbinical interpretation of such cases. There is no warrant whatever for adopting such a view, but it was held at the time. That her case was a serious one is proven, of course, by the fact that she had suffered for twelve years. Luke, himself a doctor, declares its hopelessness as he says, she "could not be cured of any." The doctors had, in all probability, done their utmost for her, but had failed. It will be remembered, too, that Mark, in telling the same account, tells it in a different form as he says: "She had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse."
Necessarily, no doctor would state the case in that way, but it agrees perfectly with the doctors' finding.
Now, as a consequence of this false view, this woman's segregation was first of all excommunication from the Temple and the synagogue, with their religious rites. Moreover, by the law of the Rabbis, for the same cause she was divorced from her husband, and shut out from family life. All this inevitably meant that she was ostracized by society.
We know nothing more concerning this woman than what appears in this account. Legendary lore has been busy with her, and as is so offer the case its suggestions are full of beauty. Legend has it that her name was Veronica, and that she handed to our Lord her handkerchief to wipe his face when He was on His way to the Cross. Of course we have no means of knowing, and possibly it is only a legend. We know concerning her definitely, only the things that we have been considering and those may be summarized by repetition of our earlier statements, that she was an outcast.
The twelve years had been years of struggle, which had ended hopelessly. She had spent all that she had, which necessarily means that at the time she was reduced to poverty. As we look at her, we, therefore, unquestionably see a woman not only helpless but hopeless after these long and agonizing years. This is the woman whose life for twelve years had been ebbing away, weak and waning and emaciated, who we see coming to Jesus.
Mark says, "Having heard the things concerning Jesus." That was the inspiration of her great adventure. We are not told that she had ever seen Him before. Possibly she had, but Mark's suggestion would lead us to think otherwise. She came, "having heard the things concerning Jesus."
Now we may ask, what had she heard? We must remember that by this time His fame was spread abroad through all the countryside. Everyone was talking about Him. If we glance back for a moment chronologically, there are certain things that had taken place, of which in all possibility, she had heard. He had entered the house of Peter, and raised from the bed of fever his mother-in-law. He had come face to face with a leper, and had communicated cleansing to him. He had raised from the dead the son of the widow of Nain. He had cast the demon forth from a demoniac. He had stilled the storm on the lake one day, and again had cast forth the evil spirits from a man terribly possessed. She may have heard of all these things. This woman, then, ostracized, divorced, excommunicated, probably through no sin of her own, but through widespread misconception and misunderstanding, this woman who, having tried everything, and spent all her money in doing so, heard about Jesus. On the basis of the reports concerning Him there came to her a conviction that if she might make contact with Him, there might be hope even for her. Matthew and Mark tell us that that conviction within her was a very clear one, for they tell us that she said: "If I touch but His garments, I shall be made whole."
This woman was amid the thronging crowds. These crowds were surrounding Jesus, and moving with Him as He passed on His way to the house of Jairus. In the movement of the account the disciples referred to these crowds as thronging Him and pressing Him. It is impossible to read this account without being amazed in some senses how a woman in so weak a condition managed somehow, moved by the new hope springing within her, to get near enough to reach Him as He passed.
Then the narrative tells the account of the contact she made, and Matthew, Mark and Luke use the same word. We have rendered it in each case, "touched." Now I want us to realize that that word gives an entirely wrong impression of what she did. The idea conveyed by our translations is that she merely touched the edge of His robe. To begin with, the Greek word does not mean a touch of that kind. Whereas it may not sound so understated, the force of the Greek word would be far more accurately rendered clutched, or grasped. This is what the woman had been saying in her heart, that if she might grasp His garment, she would be made whole. Her word suggests an action of force and of desperation.
Again, the word rendered "border" has a definite signification, and it is not that of a hem or edge. It is the word kraspedon. In Numbers 15:37-39, we find instructions in the secondary law, which was nevertheless obligatory, which provided that the members of the nation should wear upon the fringe of their garments a tassel bound with blue. It is that word which in the Septuagint is rendered kraspedon, and one was found at each corner of the garment worn. This garment was flung across the shoulders, so that one of these tassels hung in front, one on the left, one on the right, the last falling at the back of the wearer. Now there can be no question that our Lord wore such a garment, and that He Who was born under the law, was obedient to its commandment, concerning the wearing of this kraspedon, with its cord of blue. It was that which the woman grasped as He passed her by. According to the law, that kraspedon was indicative of the loyalty of the wearer to the requirements of God; and in His case had its superlative significance. She grasped the kraspedon, and that was the act of a great adventure, a great daring, a great resolution. She had been saying to herself, if I grasp but His garments, I shall be made whole. Now He was close at hand. She saw Him passing. She saw His garment. She saw the cord of blue in the tassel, and somehow forcing her way through the thronging, jostling, crowds, she grasped that kraspedon.
Immediately she found her confidence vindicated, for the trouble of the long twelve years was over. Her blood was staunched, and she knew it. She endeavored to slip quietly away. She had gained that for which she came.
So we see this woman, an outcast and helpless, hearing about Jesus, coming to the conviction that if no one else could do anything for her, He could; seizing her opportunity as He passed her way, grasping the kraspedon, and immediately finding the healing she sought.
Then, as we turn our eyes upon the Lord, to observe His dealing with her, we see that His action, unseen of the crowd, but realized by the woman, preceded any word that He uttered. His first answer to her coming and her confidence was that, to use His own words, strength, power, dynamic, which is the Greek word, had passed from Him. He had responded to the approach and the action in the way that vindicated her confidence, and gave her healing.
But He was not done with her. In His walk with Jairus He halted, and asked what we may accurately describe as a divisive question, and we see as we proceed that the question implicated a requirement laid upon the woman herself. When she had heard the question, and replied to its implication, He uttered to her His final words.
The question which we have described as divisive, was the question, "Who grasped Me?" for He employed the same word which we are told she had used as she had thought of Him. In effect He declared that someone by an act of definite faith, had fastened upon Him, and had immediately found the response of power coming forth in healing from Him.
It may be said that the woman's thought was a somewhat superstitious one, that she had heard of the great Healer, and of the wonderful things He had done, that she had felt that there was some mystic power upon Him, with which if she could but make contact, there would come healing to her. Even if it be admitted that there was an element of superstition in what she was saying within herself, it is best to remember that at the heart of superstition there may be faith. And where that is so, our Lord will always answer the faith, and correct the superstition.
When this question was asked by our Lord, Peter and the rest made an astonished protest. Whereas probably Peter was the spokesman, Luke makes it perfectly clear that in their opinion the disciples were unanimous. All they said was apparently most reasonable and sensible. They asked Him in effect what He could mean when He suggested that someone in that jostling crowd had made contact with Him. The probability was as they intimated that during the period of that walk, with these people thronging and pressing upon Him, many had made contact. Nevertheless His question revealed that someone had done far more than press upon Him and crush Him. Someone had made such contact with Him as to draw the answer of power from Him. His question proved that He knew the difference between the jostle of a curious mob, and the contact of a soul in need and in faith.
But His question was also a requirement. The woman was quietly slipping away, having gained the healing she sought.
Of the healing she was certain, but perhaps desired to get away from the crowd, in order to realize the fullness of the thing that had been done. When, however, she heard His voice asking this question, she knew that something more was necessary. She came in front and she came trembling. We must remember that she was already healed, and she knew it. She felt the healing power pulsing through her body, and overcoming her weakness. When Jesus healed He did it perfectly. Her healing was complete. As we see her in obedience to His question, coming before Him, we see her trembling, and we are inclined to ask the reason of that trembling. We may at least suggest one answer to such question. She knew that according to rabbinical law, her touch had defiled Jesus. The law provided that no person, with that particular form of disease, must touch any other person. Any such contact was supposed to convey defilement to the one so touched. Nevertheless she had dared the action, dared the rabbinical law, and had grasped the kraspedon on the robe of Christ. She had thus made contact with Him. Necessarily we know that her contact had not defiled Him. His purity was never negative; it was positive. When the enemies of our Lord said upon occasion, "This Man receiveth sinners," they were complaining, because their view was that in such contact with sinning men, He would contract their defilement. The wonder of His personality is seen in the fact that in such contact He never contracted defilement, but rather communicated purity. The touch of the woman, therefore, had communicated none of her defilement to Him, but He had communicated to her the cleansing and life-giving power. This she knew came forward, and openly confessed.
Such confession was and always is necessary. It is possible that someone in a great crowd may make contact with Christ, and receive the very spiritual health that they are seeking. They may even at the moment slip away; but sooner or later it is essential that they should bear witness to the fact. Spiritual health is always for the express purpose of perfect worship.
It was, however, important in this case, among other reasons because Jairus was standing there, probably feeling impatient at the delay. The value to him we saw in our study concerning him. When immediately after the journey was resumed towards his house, and the news was brought to him that on the human level it was too late because his child was dead, surely there would come to him the memory of the confession made by that woman, that she had received healing.
So we reach the final words of Jesus to her. These need studying from the records of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. They all tell us that He addressed her as "Daughter." It is the only occasion on record when we are told that He used such an expression. Matthew tells us that He said, "Be of good courage." Mark and Luke tell us that He said, "Go, in peace."
Now let us remember that her circumstances were still very doubtful. The healing was sure. She was made whole, but she was still penniless, she was still friendless, she was still divorced; she was still excommunicated by rabbinical law. Whether for the moment she herself was conscious of these things we are not told, but the Lord knew and understood. He knew how difficult it was for one who had fallen upon to be received back into respectable society for it takes repentance on their part. As in the case of the woman in the house of Simon, we saw that Simon could not see the woman as she then was, because he was looking at her as she had been; so it would be in the case of this woman. She was penniless, still ostracized in spite of the fact that she was healed. How would society treat her? How would her family look upon her? How would the religious rulers contemplate her? So far as they were concerned, she was still outside. But Jesus had said "Daughter!" and by the use of that tender word He had recognized her adoption into the family of God. We have no further authentic account of her, but it is impossible not to realize that in coming days, all other considerations would be insignificant by the fact that He had called her "Daughter." This temporary society that I must put up with is momentary in comparison to the society that I just entered by faith and is eternal and permanent.
Moreover, He had charged her to be of good courage. Whatever fear might possess her, concerning her uncertain future, and on account of human opinion concerning her, and doubts toward her, He told her that there was no reason for fear.
He then pronounced the word of healing. She was already healed, but in His pronouncement He perhaps corrected any superstition that had lurked in her mind, prompting her to come to Him. She had said, if I fasten upon His garments I shall be made whole. He said in effect, No, it was your faith which made the contact and was answered by healing. The physical was only the sacramental symbol of the spiritual and that spiritual attitude and activity is the secret of healing.
He then used the same formula that He had used to the woman in the house of Simon. Not as we have rendered it, "Go in peace," but "Go into peace." Even though for the moment it may be that her consciousness was that of healing rather than that of complete peace, He indicated the fact that she might enter into peace on the basis of all that had happened. She was still excommunicated, still divorced, still ostracized; and in all probability she would not find it easy to find restoration to these realms. But she was now His adopted daughter. She had received from Him complete restoration, and she heard from Him the word that made her gloriously independent of all minor considerations.
These accounts all constitute definite history, but their chief glory and value is that they give us age-abiding illustrations of the attitudes and activities of Christ. This thing that happened so long ago as a matter of history is probably being repeated in this very reading audience. We may say, without any question, that the multitude is thronging and pressing upon our Lord. That is why we are gathered together each day to read. Our presence proves our interest, and there is absolutely nothing wrong in such interest. But it may be, hidden away in the crowd from all other than the Lord Himself, someone is stretching out the hand of faith conscious of great and over-whelming need. That man, that woman, whatever may be the spiritual or moral malady, can find healing as instantaneously and perfectly as the woman found when the issue of her blood was stopped.
"She, too, who touched Thee in the press, And healing virtue stole,
Was answered-'Daughter, go in peace,
Thy faith hath made thee whole.'
Concealed amid the gathering throng,
She would have shunned Thy view;
And if her faith was firm and strong,
Had strong misgivings too.
Like her, with hopes and fears, we come
To touch Thee, if we may;
O send us not despairing home;
Send none unhealed away."
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