The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 243

nothing bettered, but rather grew worH;" "neither could be healed of e.ny." What is she now to ~o?. Where is she to seek relie!? To whom can she further go? la there. any appbce.tion she ce.n yet me.~e? Or 1s ther~ any remedy still remaining to be tned? 2. One resowrce yet remains. She has tried all the physicians· she has tried al. means of cure that have been prescribed, or suggested, or that she' has ever heard of; she has, beaides, spent her all in quest of health. Still one, and only one remains to be tried. She has heard of a wondrous l\1an who goes about continually'. domg good; she has been told of most wonderful cures he has effected ; of diseases previously deemed incurable, which he has healed; of sufferers whom, when all els; failed, he has relieved. She has never seen him, it is true-she has only heard of him• but what of that? Though she has not seen him, she has no reason to doubt th; reports she has heard of him; she has no reason to doubt the greatness of his power and the might of his mercy, in accordance with these reports; she believes the accuracy of these reports, she has somehow confidence in their correctness. She has schooled herself into faith in bis power to effect her cure and heal her disease. 3. Obstacles to be overcome. A difficulty here presents itself. Her disease is peculiar- such a one as she is loth to name in public. She cannot bring herself to talk of it in presence of so many people; womanly delicacy forbids her. Besides, it was such a disease as caused ceremonial uncleanness, so that her contact was polluting. People would, not without reason, upbraid her for coming among them, or thrust her away from them, as impure and contaminating. 4. .A happy thought. A happy thought occurred to her in her difficult position-a thought which we may regard at once as the outcome of strong faith, and the suggestion of deep affliction. It flashed on her mind as a bright idea. She had heard that the great Physician, to whom her thoughts now turned, often accomplished his cures and conferred health by a touch. She naturally infers that if she could but touch him even stealthily, her cure would be effected. Accordingly she conceived the thought of stealing a cure; she thought within herself, " If I may touch but his clothes," or his garment, or even the border of it, " I shall be whole." 5. Pressure of the crowd. Our Lord at this time was on his way to the house of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, in order to cure his daughter. The crowd that followed him on the occasion was unusually large. It was drawn together by respect for the distinguished official whose daughter was so ill, as also by the reruem- brauce of past miracles, and the prospect of seeing the performance of another. Dense as the crowd was, she kept to her purpose, pressing onward through it, and elbowing her way till she had got up to his very side. 6. The cwre effected, but concealment impossible. She attaius her object; she touches the hem of his garment, and all at once-strange circumstance I blessed relief I-the me.lady of me.ny years' standing is healed, the issue is staunched, the pain and grief have ceased. But a disquieting circumstance still remains; a matter of some uneasiness hns now to be got over. She is cured, it is true, but she is struck with terror at her own temerity; she is filled with alarm when she sees Jesus looking round inquisitively (1r•p1</3A<7r<To, imperffct, equi- valent to " he kept looking all round"), and hears him earnestly asking those about him," Who touched me?" She knew that her touch was polluting; she was well aware that it conveyed ceremonial defilement. She had, indeed, only touched the hem -the extreme border of his garment, as if in hope that so slight a touch would defile him but little, while it might benefit her so much. 7. .Astonishment of the bystanders. The persons next our Lord in the crowd were amazed at the question; some would be disposed to say in reply," All touched thee," e.nd others, again, would be inclined to think and to say, when they gave expression to their thought," None touched thee." At length, after all had denied, Peter as usual, acting as spokesman of the disciples, said, "Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee [ 0'11118Alf3airrm, equivalent to ' pressing greatly, or pressing upon on every side'], and sayest thou, Who touched me?" "Not so," says our Lord; "all tho persons in this large crowd do indeed throng and press around me, and yet but one touched me--' somebody touclied me.'" 8. Surprising gracious- ness of the Saviour. Our Lord looked round to discover the one individual in all that crowd who had touched him. At last his eye rested on the abashed, affrigbted woman; when, lo I instead of a rebuke for her temerity, instead of a sharp reproof for her audacity, instead of e. harsh reprimand for her polluting touch, instead of blaming her for her presumption, instead of a single unkind expression of e.ny sort, he commends  240 'l'HE GOSPEL ACCORDING 'l'O ST. MARK. [OH, V. 1--43,,