Not Every Touch Is The Same

Introduction

Today, we meet a woman who has lived with an issue of blood for twelve long years.

Twelve years is a long time to deal with the same problem.

Think about twelve years. In America, twelve years represents the length of time a child can enter kindergarten and graduate from high school. It represents approximately the time span of three presidential administrations.

For twelve years, this woman had been making doctor appointments, seeking treatment, and paying medical bills. For twelve years, she had been looking for an answer. But Mark tells us she had spent everything she had on physicians, and instead of getting better, she had grown worse.

She had reached the point where she had exhausted her resources.

But her problem was not merely physical.

Because of her continual bleeding, she was ceremonially unclean. Meaning her condition affected her social, religious, and family life. She could not simply live life as everyone else did. Her condition placed limitations on her relationships and her participation in the community.

Imagine what she must have felt like.

She couldn't simply walk into the community without consequences. She couldn't casually embrace family members. She couldn't live as though nothing was wrong.

She was isolated.

She was hurting.

She had ran out of options.

And perhaps worst of all, she had been living with this condition for twelve years.

But then, one day, Jesus came to town.

Jesus had just crossed over from the region of the Gerasenes, where He had delivered a demon-possessed man from a legion of demons. The demons entered a herd of pigs, and the pigs rushed down the hillside into the sea.

The people of the region were more concerned about what they had lost than what Jesus had restored. Instead of celebrating a man who had been tormented and was now clothed and in his right mind, they asked Jesus to leave.

So Jesus got back into the boat and crossed over.

And when He arrived, something was different.

The crowd was waiting for Him.

People were excited to see Jesus.

And among the crowd was a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue. Jairus fell at Jesus' feet and pleaded with Him to come to his house because his only daughter, about twelve years old, was dying.

Jesus began walking toward Jairus' house, and the crowd followed Him.

But somewhere in the crowd was another person who desperately needed Jesus.

A woman who had been suffering for twelve years.

A woman who had spent everything she had.

A woman who had exhausted every medical option.

A woman who had been isolated from the community.

A woman who had every reason to believe nothing would ever change.

But when she heard Jesus was passing by, she saw an opportunity.

She said within herself, in essence, “If I can just get close enough to Jesus—if I can just touch the hem of His garment—I believe I can be made whole.”

She couldn't afford another doctor.

She couldn't afford another prescription.

She couldn't afford another failed attempt.

But she could reach for Jesus.

And here is what she did.

She pressed her way through the crowd.

She came from behind Him.

And she touched the border of His garment.

And immediately, the flow of blood stopped.

Twelve years of suffering met Jesus in one moment of faith.

Luke 8:42–45 NKJV

42 for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. 43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. 45 And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”

The Crowd That Pressed Against Jesus

Press - In the Greek this means to crush. This means the people in the crowd were not just brushing up against Jesus.

“They touched Him, but they did not touch Him with faith.”

Diagnostic point: nearness is not the same as reaching for him

- Illustration: Imagine someone standing right next to a fire.

The fire is burning. The heat is present. They are close enough to feel its warmth. They may even hold their hands out toward the flames.

But they've been standing there so long that it has become routine.

They are near the fire, but they aren't paying attention to the fire.

They feel the warmth, but they never stop to appreciate the source of the warmth.

They are close—but they are not engaged.

That's what makes this crowd around Jesus so interesting.

The crowd was pressing against Jesus. They were close enough to touch Him. They were close enough to hear Him. They were close enough to see Him.

Not every touch is the same.

You can be close to the fire and never recognize its warmth.

You can be close to Jesus and never truly engage Him.

You can sit in church every Sunday, hear the Word, sing the songs, shake hands, and still never reach out to Jesus by faith.

Being near Jesus is not the same as reaching for Jesus.

“The crowd had proximity. The woman had faith.”

Luke 8:43–44 NKJV

43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.

She Pressed Her Way Through

Her desperation, her risk (ritual uncleanness woven in here to show what she's risking).

Heart of the central idea: “The heart of this passage centers on faith reaching Jesus when every other option has been exhausted.”

Tassel

The Law did not cause her uncleanness; her bleeding made her ceremonially unclean.

Numbers 15:38–39 gives you the tassel connection (Levitical uncleanness background Numbers 15:38-39 for the tassel), before she touches him, so the congregation feels the weight of her courage in real time

Numbers 15:38–39 NKJV

38 “Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. 39 And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined,

Point: She was carrying the very condition that made her ceremonially unclean. Yet she reached for the garment bearing the tassel—a visible reminder of God's covenant and commandments.

The Law had identified her condition.

The Law had regulated her uncleanness.

But when she reached out in faith and touched Jesus' garment, she discovered Jesus could do what the Law could not do—make her whole.

The woman reached out with faith, and Jesus changed her condition.

Luke 8:45–46 NKJV

45 And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” 46 But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.”

The Touch That Was Different

Jesus stops on the way to Jairus house, (distinguishing her one touch from the crowd's press)

Perceived - means to know.

Jesus knew healing power had gone out from Him.

Jesus noticing genuine faith amid noise

“The disciples saw the quantity of the crowd, but Jesus recognized the quality of the touch.”

The disciples saw how many people were touching Jesus.

Jesus knew why one particular person had touched Him.

Peter sees the crowd.

Jesus sees the individual.

Peter sees contact.

Jesus recognizes faith.

Point: We can be physically close to Jesus, surrounded by His presence, and still miss the significance of being in His presence.

We can:

Sit near Jesus but not seek Jesus.

Hear His Word but not respond to His Word.

Sing about Jesus but not trust Jesus.

Be surrounded by believers but not reach for Jesus ourselves.

Participate in worship but never allow worship to transform us

Illustration: Imagine a parent standing in a crowded room.

People are moving in every direction. Shoulders are bumping. People are brushing against them. Someone steps on their foot. Another person bumps into their side.

There is contact everywhere.

But suddenly, in the middle of all that noise and movement, the parent feels a small, deliberate tug on their sleeve.

They know immediately that this is different.

Why?

Because the parent knows the touch.

It wasn't accidental.

It wasn't just somebody passing by.

Someone was trying to get their attention.

Not every touch is the same.

Luke 8:47–48 NKJV

47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. 48 And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

The Testimony After the Touch

Her fearful confession

Jesus calling her "daughter"

"Your faith has saved you, go in peace" “Jesus speaks a blessing over her life.” This gives a benediction after the touch.

Now she has confessed and shared her testimony, notice how Jesus changes her relationship.

Jesus now calls her daughter.

Jesus gives her restoration

Jesus tells her to Go, which means He gives her permission to live again

The touch started the encounter, but the word of Jesus completed the restoration.

Closing

A young man went to a church service feeling defeated and overwhelmed, much like an old car barely running on fumes. He sat in the back, hoping for a miracle. During the service, the pastor spoke about God's grace, likening it to a tuning mechanic. The young man felt a spark of hope ignite in him. After responding to the message, he found his gears shifting smoothly again, much like that car restored. His testimony of transformation reminds us that a simple touch from God can revive our spirits, just as it done here in Luke 8 for the woman.

Don't rush this close. Build it in three waves.

Wave 1 — Her twelve years: Slow and reflective.

“Twelve years of doctors... twelve years of disappointment... twelve years of suffering...”

Church, let me close with this.

For twelve years, she had been fighting something she couldn't fix.

Twelve years of doctors.

Twelve years of disappointment.

Twelve years of spending.

Twelve years of suffering.

Twelve years of being separated.

Twelve years of wondering, “Will I ever get better?”

But one day...

Jesus came to town!

And when Jesus came to town, her situation changed.

She didn't have any more money.

She didn't have another doctor to call.

She didn't have another prescription to fill.

She didn't have another option.

But she still had faith!

Wave 2 — Her reach: Start increasing your pace.

“She pressed through the crowd! She pressed through her condition! She pressed through her shame! She pressed through her fear!”

Then pause.

“And when she finally got close enough... she reached out!”

you've got to reach!

Reach when you're tired!

Reach when you're hurting!

Reach when you're discouraged!

Reach when you've cried all night!

Reach when you've prayed and haven't seen an answer!

Reach when people have told you, “There's nothing else we can do.”

Reach for Jesus!

Because she understood something:

If I can just get to Jesus, everything can change!

She pressed through the crowd.

She pressed through her condition.

She pressed through her shame.

She pressed through her fear.

She pressed through everything standing between her and Jesus.

And when she finally got close enough...

She reached out!

Her hand touched the hem.

But her faith touched Him!

And the Bible says...

IMMEDIATELY!

The blood stopped!

The suffering stopped!

The twelve-year struggle stopped!

Because she had an encounter with Jesus!

But can I tell you something?

Jesus didn't stop with her healing!

He stopped the whole procession.

He called her out.

She came trembling.

She fell at His feet.

And Jesus looked at her and said...

“Daughter!”

Oh, I wish I had somebody who could hear that!

He didn't call her “the woman with the issue.”

He didn't call her “the unclean woman.”

He didn't call her “the woman who spent all her money.”

He called her...

Wave 3 — Jesus' word: Slow down again when you get to:

“Daughter...”

Then let the congregation sit with it.

“Your faith has made you well.”

“Go in peace.”

Then you can begin the final crescendo:

“Reach!”

That gives you a close that moves from pain → desperation → faith → power → identity → peace → invitation.

And I think “Daughter... Your faith has made you well... Go in peace” should be the emotional summit—not simply “reach for Jesus.” That's where the whole sermon lands.

Just A Touch Of Jesus

“She came to Jesus broken, but she left Jesus whole.”

When she went to Jesus she was testing Him, but when He exposed her she now has a Testimony

Like the woman today, I recommend you to reach out to Jesus.

You are doing everything the doctors says

You are trusting everything

“Don't let your medicine cabinet become your only place of hope—take your need to Jesus in prayer while faithfully using the means of care available to you.”

The woman hand touched the H.E.M. but her faith touched H.I.M.

"Will you take 10 seconds right now and pray for your health issues - maybe your high blood pressure, diabetes, feeling anxiety about the challenges on your job and with your family, or whatever you're carrying today. Will you, like the woman with the issue of blood, reach for Him in prayer, and bow down your head and direct your heart towards heaven - and pray to Him as though your life depends on it."