:. stop crowding Jesus .:

The woman awoke with the same sense of despair she'd known for the past dozen years. She could hardly find the strength to drag herself out of bed every morning. Her medical condition had only grown worse with the passage of time, in spite of seeing every specialist she could find. She'd spent every last penny on doctor after doctor, trying all the latest advances in medicine as well as every quack cure, only to be told, "There's nothing I can do for you."

After twelve years of suffering, she was out of money, and out of hope.

On this morning, she managed to get up and get dressed; the pantry was bare and she had no choice but to go to the market. Oh, how she dreaded being out in crowds! Her malady wasn't usually obvious to outsiders, but there had been those embarrassing times when the blood had gushed out, staining her clothes for all to see. It was painful; it was humiliating.

The market was busier than usual that day; something or someone was drawing a massive crowd at the end of the street. Curious, the woman carefully made her way to the edge of the crowd. She inched her way in until she could see what was causing all the commotion.

Standing in the middle was Jesus.

The woman had heard about him. Some said he was the One Who Was to Come, the Messiah. Others said he was Beelzebub himself. She'd heard stories of how he had healed with a word or a simple touch. One story going around was that this Jesus had actually brought a dead man back to life.

Whatever the truth was about him, here he was now, right in front of her. If she wanted to, she could reach out and touch him, he was that close.

Reach out and touch him . . .
If the stories were true . . . if he is the Messiah, the Son of God . . .
If he really could heal with just a touch . . .

There was certainty in her movement as she reached for him. She somehow knew that all she needed was a single touch to his cloak and her suffering would be over.

Her finger lightly brushed the back of his garment. She was instantly aware of healing surging through her ravaged body; she knew that at last she had been freed from her affliction. She felt like her old self, the one she'd long forgotten.

Jesus stopped short, looked around the crowd and asked, "Who touched me?" His followers thought he was joking. "Everyone is crowding in on you, and you ask who touched you? Seriously?"
But Jesus continued to search the crowd until his eyes met those of the woman. Trembling, she fell at his feet and admitted that it was she. With tenderness in his voice, Jesus said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." *

It is possible to stand right next to Jesus, but never touch Him in faith. It is possible to crowd around the Savior, but never be freed from our sin. It is possible to follow Him, but never allow Him to change us.
Don't make the same mistake the crowd made. Go ahead and touch Him . . . really touch Him in faith. You'll be amazed at the results.

*the original story can be found in Mark 5