The Best of the Portals of Prayer

Read: Mark 5:24-34 / Psalm 62

“Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘who touched My garments.’”
Mark 5:30

The Touch of Faith

Amazing! A throng of people presses toward Jesus, and a woman in pathetic physical condition makes her way through the packed crowd to touch her Savior’s garment. For her, nothing else had worked. She had spent everything on cures. But she had heard about Jesus. Impelled by what she had heard, she touched Jesus’ robe and, wonder of wonders, she was cured.
Faith distinguished the woman’s touch from others in that crowd. The woman touched Him intentionally, with the touch of faith. The woman touched Him because she knew her need, and was convinced of His power and willingness to heal. She was right. But it was not Christ’s garment that healed her, nor her touch. It was Jesus. And even her faith to reach out to Him was a gift created by the Word concerning Christ [Romans 10:17]. The healing power was not in the robe, but in the One who wore the robe. The healing power was not in the faith of the woman, but the One who created the faith in her.
Our Savior still comes to sin-sick souls offering His healing gifts. Through Word and Sacrament, He creates and nourishes faith and trust, even as He gives the fullness of His grace and the sweetness of His love. By His grace we reach out to Him with the tough of faith.

Savior, as You have said; “your faith has made you well, go in peace”, may we hear and believe. Amen.

April 27, 2005