True Faith Separates Christians from the Crowds!
25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth.
It is evident in the above record that Jesus, at this point in His ministry, was popular with the crowd. Later, the mob will ask for His death. In the above instance, however, Jesus is sought after. At the end of this section of Mark, something similar happens:
56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.
When you do major, public healings, you will be popular. There is no doubt, as the disciples stated to Jesus, many people in the crowd were touching Him. But it was one particular touch that released His power. The woman with the discharge of blood touched Jesus as an act of faith. She was not curious, she was in a state of belief. She was not in a frenzy of feeling, she was in a moment of faith. Faith releases Christ’s power. The others touched Him, but nothing happened. It was only those who touched Him in faith that were healed. There are many who are curious about Jesus. There are many who like the thought of Jesus and what He can do. But, there are people who faith who reach out and touch Jesus and His power comes to them to heal their needs. Faith is the avenue by which we receive the power of Christ. It is not enough to be intellectual about Jesus. It is not enough to be religious about Jesus. It is only those who touch Him by faith that are healed of their sickness, diseases, hurt and, more importantly, sin.
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