"She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped" (Luke 8:44).
Jesus had been asked by Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, to come and heal his dying daughter. Luke tells us that “as Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him” (v. 42). In that crowd was a woman who had been subject to an issue of blood for twelve years. She was desperate. We are told that she had visited every physician she knew and had been unable to get any relief.
Her problem was not only physical. Under the laws of Leviticus 15, the fact her malady was an issue of blood made her ceremonially unclean for twelve years. Almost like a leper, she was a pariah to the synagogue, to the community, and to her family. No wonder she was desperate!
As the crowd pressed around Jesus, she got close to Him and simply touched the edge of His cloak. She did not see herself as worthy to call such attention to herself. With one touch of the hem of the robe of Christ, twelve years of agony came instantly to an end.
Jesus was aware that power had gone out of Him, and demanded to know who it was that had touched Him (vv. 45–46). When the woman realized that Jesus knew about her, she “came trembling and fell at His feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched Him and how she had been instantly healed.” Then Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace” (vv. 47–48).
Jesus noticed what everyone else had overlooked. This woman did not have the nerve to talk to Jesus. She thought she was too insignificant to be worthy of His attention. But that was not Jesus’ attitude. He stopped to give her His undivided attention. Here we see God’s compassion for and interest in the smallest individual in the world.
Nobody is insignificant to Christ. He took notice that she was made in the image of God, just as we are. When she reached out to touch Him, He stopped to touch her.
Some have called God’s compassion the “Divine Stoop.” From heaven on high, He has bent low to meet our needs and comfort His people. Because He is not a respecter of persons, there are none too insignificant to escape His notice. Thank God today for His compassionate stoop.
