Yoder: To Touch the Hem
By Kathy Yoder
“And behold, there came a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus’ feet, begging Him to come to his house, for his only daughter, about twelve years old, was dying. But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him” (Luke 8:41-42).
In the crowd, a woman presses forward, undeterred. She’s bold—unlike her usual self. In a society that confines women to be seen, not heard, she knows her place. Yet today, she steps beyond it. Her culture judges harshly, with rules and consequences as instinctive as a wild animal’s sense of danger. But she also knows, deep within, that only He can help her.
For twelve years, she’s suffered an issue of blood. Nonstop. She’s exhausted—physically, emotionally, spiritually. Doctors have drained her money but not her illness. Worse, she’s deemed unclean, an outcast, no better than a leper. Loneliness cuts deeper than her sickness. Yet, in this darkness, a flicker of hope ignites, growing brighter until it can no longer be contained.
I recall a season when grief left me feeling like an outcast, untouchable in my pain. I carried wounds I thought would never heal—until I turned to Jesus in prayer, trusting His presence to restore me. Like me, this woman knows who Jesus is: the promised One, walking among the hurting, the afflicted, the untouchables. She believes that if she can just touch the hem of His garment, she will be healed.
She’s heard of His miracles, but her faith runs deeper. It’s a conviction that propels her through the crowd—some curious, others just caught in the moment. But not her. The untouchable seeks the Healer, the Son of God. Kneeling in a servant’s position, her hand reaches out, faith soaring. She touches the hem. Instantly, she’s healed—completely, joy flooding her heart.
Jesus says, “Who touched Me?” No one speaks. “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me” (Luke 8:45-46). Trembling, she falls before Him. “I knew if I touched Your garment, I would be healed. And I was. Immediately!” Jesus replies, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace” (Luke 8:48).
Like her, Jairus sought Jesus in desperate faith. Messengers from his house arrive, saying his daughter is dead. But Jesus goes anyway, declaring, “She is only sleeping.” Amid laughter, He takes her hand and says, “Little girl, arise.” Her spirit returns, and she rises immediately (Luke 8:54-55). For twelve years—the same span as the woman’s suffering—this girl lived. Now, both are restored, their faith touching the Healer’s hem.
Jesus calls us to do the same. To reach for Him in our brokenness, trusting His power to heal. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Whether it’s a wound we’ve carried for years or sudden loss, like the recent Texas floods that left communities grieving, Jesus invites us to touch His hem. To let go of what makes us sick—bitterness, shame, or fear—and embrace His healing.
How do we touch the hem today? Pause to pray for a hurt you’ve buried. Forgive someone who’s wronged you. Extend kindness to another “outcast” in your life. These acts, small as they seem, connect us to Jesus’ transformative grace. He heals not just our bodies but our hearts, freeing us to love Him, others, and ourselves.
The woman arose, healed physically and spiritually. The girl arose, restored to life. Jesus calls us to arise too. Reach out. Touch the hem. Be healed. Then, live.
Kathy Yoder is a devotional writer and Christian author. She is reachable at Kathyyoder4@gmail.com and Kathyyoder.com.
