“As Jesus was on his way (to heal the daughter of a synagogue ruler), the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, 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 he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
What an amazing story told in Luke 8:42-49! Jesus was being crushed on all sides by a crowd. He was trying His best to maneuver through a mob heading towards his destination to heal the daughter of Jairus, a synagogue leader. He was being pressed upon when one sick, very weak woman “touched” Him. Everyone else was pushing and shoving to see the show of this man healing people. They wanted a “front row” seat so that they could broadcast to others and brag about their experience. However, there was one humble woman who had been sick for 12 years and had spent all of her money on medicinal help without success. She was financially bankrupt desperately needing help and “came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.” This lady alone in the crowd realized this man was God, her potential savior and by faith was healed. Jesus immediately stopped the crowd until He located her. She sheepishly confessed that she was the one who had “touched” Him. Then Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
The story to Jesus was not the crowd but this one woman. She had softly, personally “touched” Him. Now, it was important for her to profess that to Him. She wanted to leave unnoticed but to Jesus it was important for her to confess her saving faith to Him even in the midst of this madness in front of others. He created a private moment for her to tell Him what she had done and was saved.
This is the same for all of us. In the middle of our hectic world, Jesus wants each of us daily to slow down and confess who He is privately and publicly. He does not want us to hide in the crowd and privately go about our own world. He desires and demands us to “confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9&10).
As you surmise from above, there is no such thing as “a mind ‘my own business’ Christian.” If you are a Christ-follower, you have been bought with the price of His own blood to confess your allegiance to Him daily and wherever you are to confess the gospel to others in the name of Jesus. Maybe your confession will draw others to “touch” Jesus.
Barnabas Man 