Who Touched Me?

While Jesus was speaking to a large crowd gathered at the lake side, near Capharnaum, a man named Jairus, one of the synagogue officials, came up to Jesus, fell to his knees, and pleaded, “My little girl is dying. Please come and lay hands on her so that she will be healed and live.

Jesus went with Jairus, and the crowd followed them. In the crowd, there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for a dozen years. She visited a number of doctors, spend a great deal of money, but she got no better – in fact, her health deteriorated further. She came up behind Jesus and touched his cloak, thinking to herself, “If I just touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Immediately, her bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she had been healed.

Jesus turned around and asked, “Who touched me?” The disciples said, “You see the crowd pressing in on you, how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’“ He looked around to see who had done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, came and fell down before him, and in a frightened and trembling voice, told him what had happened. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

Then some people came from the synagogue official’s house and told him, “Your daughter has died. Don’t bother the rabbi any longer.” Overhearing them, Jesus turned to the official and said, “Don’t be afraid, just have faith.”

Jesus allowed no one to follow him into the house but Peter, James and John. When they entered the house Jesus saw people weeping and wailing loudly. He said, “Why are you making such a commotion? The child is not dead; she’s asleep.” They laughed at him. Then he asked them all to leave, and took the child’s parents with him into the room where she lay. He took her by the hand and said, “Talitha, cum”, which means, “Little girl, get up.” And immediately the girl got up and began to walk around. Jesus told the people that no one should talk about what had happened. Then he told her parents to prepare something for her to eat.

A meditation : How the woman with the hemorrhage might have prayed

At that time, I was alone. There was no one I could turn to for support. I was unable to pray or to read, being terrified by so much fear and trepidation wondering whether the devil would deceive me. I felt anxious and weary. I did not know what to do with myself. I’ve felt this way some times, many times, but never to such an extreme. I remained in that state for about four or five hours. There was no consolation for me, not from here, and not from heaven. The LORD has allowed me to suffer, and to fear a thousand dangers.

My Lord, you are my true friend, and such a powerful friend! You never stop loving those who love you. Everything on earth praises you, LORD of the universe. Who will tell the world how faithful you are to your friends. All things fail, but you, LORD, never fail.

O my God, who has the understanding, the learning, and the now words with which to praise your deeds as my soul understands them? All else fails me, LORD; but if you sustain me, I will not fail you. Let learned men rise up against me; let all created beings persecute me; let the devils torment me. LORD, you never fail me, for I already have experience the gain that comes from the way you resuce those who trust in you alone.

Teresa de Jesus