Touching Christ’s Cloak

“Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.  She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Matthew 9:20

A strange transformation takes place in those who meet Jesus. They seem to come out of the darkness into the spotlight of the center stage of history. They seem suddenly to be transfixed by history. They strangely share the master’s immortality. It makes no difference whether they are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, Jew or Samaritan. Once they encounter Christ, they never return to the obscurity again.

The woman in the story is one of those he transformed. Her story is made of the stuff of rich drama. Her worry long ailment, the hemorrhage, is slowly sapping her life. Her own cleanliness in the eyes of the religious law, her hopes and doctors are raised, then dashed. Then, she resolves to steal the blessing of Christ. The story is ideally etched. For her: “If I can but touch the holy tassel on his robe and instantly be healed, no one would ever need to know.”

New psychology calls it the power of autosuggestion or crowd emotion. To the modern theologian, her faith may be looked at as spiritually poor. Does it not smack up magic? “If I can but touch the tassel of his robe be, the holy charm?”

Henry Martin saw an old crone kissing the feet of the statue and wondered if his more intellectual faith could command it. Jesus honored this woman’s faith and said: “Somebody touched me.” She came out of the crowd as a nobody. To Jesus she was somebody. She had her faith touched him. Her faith however poor counted more than intellectual pride that robs life of its wonder: “Take heart daughter. Your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

Once more, we see the compassion of Jesus. He is not too busy despite the crowd or the press of the centurions’ command. Come to heal my daughter. Jesus dealt with her as though she were the only one. All she needed was enough courage and strength to reach out and touch his tassel.

This week one of the members of our Monday prayer group in the face of pending surgery said : “Prayer has taught me not to be anxious, but to put my life in God’s hands.” The faith the size of a grain of mustard seed is enough to touch the tassel of his robe. That’s enough. To know there’s something in the touch of a person that communicates more than anything else. The wonderful sense of touch. Even a little baby can feel that love of the mother through her touch. She can feel anxiety, too. The woman said if I can but touch the tassel of his robe that will be enough “I will be healed.”

It was the night of the Last Supper. Christ on his last full night with his spiritual shock troops. He must inspire them to be his witness in the world. What could he do? What tassel could he leave with them to touch. Aha. This would do it. He took the bread about to be broken and the wine about to be poured. This would be the tassel they would touch. He held the bread up as he broke it. “This is my body broken for you.” Then he took the wine. “This is my life outpoured.” “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup you will remember me. You will partake of my life and power. This do in remembrance of me.”

This morning you and I have come out of the darkness. Out of the obscurity of our lives. Some of us have lingering hemorrhages and physical illnesses. Take the tassel take and take the bread and the cup in faith and be healed. Some of us are anxious and disturbed, distraught and nervous and unspun. Take this tassel. Take bread and the cup and be healed. Some of us are spiritually sick. They heavens seem close to our prayers. Christ seems so far away. Take the tassel. Take the bread and the cup. Encounter Christ. He gives himself to you in this sacrament. This is the Worldwide Communion Sunday in the world torn by war. There are the bamboo curtains that divide us. Our ideology separates us. Christ says to our world take this tassel. Take this bread and wine drink it for the healing of the nations. When all the people, every man who I have created, black and white, capitalists and communists, rich and poor, every man, be made whole.

When she came out of the crowd, this woman was “nobody.” When she touched him, he called her “somebody.” Her faith embraces “everybody,” until every knee should bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, take this sacrament. Touch the tassel of the garment. Hear him say: “Take heart son daughter your faith has made you well.”

“For ho! Thy touch brought life and health. Gave me speech and strength in life and youth renewed in frenzy calmed. Owned thee, the Lord of the light.”