MATTHEW 9:20-22
20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
For twelve years, for as long as the little daughter of Jarius had been alive, this woman had suffered from a bloody discharge, the consequences left her financially broke, and ceremonially unclean according to the Law of Moses (Lev. 15:2; Num. 5:2). As might be expected, the lady had a deep longing to be healed.
21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
Like Jarius, the woman with the blood disorder had heard of Jesus. Like Jarius, she was in a desperate situation. Like Jesus, she was a woman of great faith, for she said within her heart, “If I can but touch His garment, I shall be whole.” There was no doubting, and that is something that pleases the Lord. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6). With faith in her outstretched fingers, the woman reached down and touched a tassel on the Lord’s garment, and she was made immediately healed.
Immediately Jesus knew that someone had touched Him in a different way than the movement of the bustling crowd pushing against Him as He walked. Someone had touched Him in faith so that it was said that “virtue” (Gk. dunamis), or, miraculous power went out of Him.
22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
What would Jesus have said to the women who needed a miracle? What should be said to a person who caused miraculous power to flow from Jesus? When Jesus saw the women, He said, “Daughter, your faith has made you whole.”
Faith is a large theme in Scripture. Five kinds of faith can be identified.
First, there is saving faith. “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:9). Saving faith is that faith which God imparts to the believer for salvation. It is a gift of divine favor and grace.
Second, there is sustaining faith, which enables a believer to live out the Christian life. “The just (righteous) shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17).
Third, there is ministering faith. “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith” (Rom. 12:3). It takes faith to be used by God in the work of ministering to others.
Fourth, there is a type of faith that can move a mountain. “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and cast into the sea’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says” (Mark 11:23). George Muller had mountain moving faith, as did Martin Luther, John Calvin, Abraham, Paul, and all the apostles.
Fifth, there is a special gift of faith which is to be prayed for in a specific time. “Now there are diversities of gifts… to another faith by the same Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:4a, 9a). It is the type of faith reflected in the prayer, “Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief” (Mark 9:25). The woman with the issue of blood had mountain moving faith, and she had saving faith as well. To every person who has touched Jesus by faith, “Be of good cheer.”
