The woman with an issue of blood in Luke 8 gives us an excellent picture of the simplicity of God’s salvation. This woman who could not be healed by the physicians of the day, even though she had spent all her living consulting them, was healed of her disease in a moment by simply touching the border (hem) of the Lord’s garment. Some will say the garment was the key; others will attest it was how she the touched the garment; and still others will say that it was the effort she made to touch the garment. But Luke makes it clear it was the Person to Whom she came Who made the difference – the Lord Jesus Christ. There were likely many in the crowd who were close enough to touch His garment as she did (as the disciples pointed out later), but the crowd apparently didn’t need Him. Just being close was good enough for them. Or, perhaps, simply being able to hear His teaching was sufficient. The woman had it right: she needed Him. How about you, do you need Him?
She had come to be healed of her disease, but had found One Who not only could heal her, but was interested in her. The text points out, “she came behind Him.” She didn’t see the face of the Lord or make her presence known to Him, but He knew she had touched His garment, not only as a person that needed healing, but as a sinner needing Him. How else can we interpret the Lord’s saying “Who touched me?” and understand those words in the parallel passage in Mark 5:32 which tell us “He looked round about to see her that had done this thing.” The disciples didn’t understand, as they pointed out there were many that could have touched Him. The crowd didn’t realize anything had even happened as they pressed to hear Him. But the woman, seeing His interest in her, realized He was more than just a healer. All of her sin and selfishness came before her and we read of her “trembling and falling down before Him, declaring unto Him before all the people for what cause she had touched Him.” What a description of sinners realizing their true position as they consider the Savior – nothing in them worthy of standing in His presence, simply falling down before Him; nothing in their mouths of their own righteousness, but filled with confession of their sin and their great need of Him! We can’t help but be reminded of Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
How wondrous the response of the Lord Jesus to this woman! There was no condemnation, no lecturing, just a tremendous statement of His ability to make a difference. “Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.” Notice it is the Savior Who mentions her faith as He points out the blessings that are hers, because of Him. Her faith in the physicians was misplaced, but in Him, it made all the difference. “Faith” will not save you; put your faith in the Christ Who died and rose again and He will save you.
