The following is an excerpt from Stretch Out Your Hand: Reflections on the Healing Ministry of Jesus by Amy Ekeh (Liturgical Press, 2025). Reprinted with permission of the author.
“Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” He looked all around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” (Mark 5:25-34)
Who doesn’t relate to this authentic woman? She has suffered for twelve years, seen many doctors, spent everything she had. But she is no better; in fact, she is worse, the very picture of hopelessness. And yet, she has “heard about Jesus,” and he is passing by.
Mark tells us once again that the crowd is pressing in on Jesus. He is surrounded, perhaps even jostled, by the crowd. Many are in need of healing. Some are just there to witness the growing phenomenon that is Jesus.
From deep within this jostling crowd, the woman steps forward. She has only one goal, one plan: to touch Jesus’ clothing. Perhaps it is all she thinks she can manage with the movement of the crowd. (I imagine Jesus was one to walk at a decent clip, even when surrounded.) Or perhaps she is afraid to touch his body. Perhaps she feels unworthy or unclean. Perhaps the sight of Jesus has left her overwhelmed, intimidated. She won’t touch or jostle him like the others. But neither will she give up.
Interestingly, while Mark writes that the woman “touched his cloak,” Matthew and Luke both say that she touched merely the “hem” or the “fringe” of his clothing (Matt 9:20; Luke 8:44). Just the fringe. It is all she can manage. But it is enough. After twelve long years, healing comes in a single moment. She feels it “in her body.”
Reaching for the fringe of Jesus’ clothing is an image worth contemplating. When we seek healing, we may first imagine an intimate scene of encounter, like many of the Gospel stories. We imagine the hands of Jesus touching us, the eyes of Jesus focused on us, the voice of Jesus speaking to us. But this scene—with all its jostling, its rapid movement, and its arm’s length interaction with the healer—might ring truer to our experience.
This woman had faith—there is no doubt about that. But she was tired—there is no doubt about that either. She believed . . . she wanted to believe. But she was discouraged. She had been disappointed so many times. No doubt she lived at the intersection of physical illness and inner conflict—motivated by an inner, hopeful voice, but tempered by all that life had been.
Sometimes stretching for the fringe of the healer’s garment is all we can manage. It isn’t a lack of faith or hope that places us there, carried along by a jostling crowd, at arm’s length from Jesus. Sometimes that is just where life takes us. But the healer is there, and we’ve heard about him. We’ll have our chance.
Elsewhere, the Gospels say that when crowds of the sick were brought to Jesus, they only asked to touch “the fringe of his cloak,” and all who touched it were healed (Matt 14:36; Mark 6:56). We may long for a prolonged, intimate encounter with Jesus of Nazareth. But sometimes—no, always—just a brush with the sacred is enough to change us.
Meditation: When we are in need of healing for ourselves or a loved one, there are times when we lose hope. Sometimes bad news just keeps coming. Sometimes chronic pain wears us out. Sometimes we just can’t get a handle on where life is taking us. In those times, take comfort in this story. And remember that Jesus noticed—the moment this woman stretched out her hand and touched his cloak, he noticed. He looked for her. And the Gospel doesn’t have to say it: we know he loved her.
Prayer: Jesus, sometimes it feels as though you’re just passing by, and all I can do is reach out. When that happens, please turn around and look for me. I am here.
Image: From the cover of Stretch Out Your Hand
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