WHO TOUCHED ME?

  Miraculously healing is called “thaumaturgy.” When kings do it, it is called “the royal touch.” For French and English monarchs, as Christian rulers, they touched the afflicted by the laying-on of hands on those of any social class. Much of the time, the “king’s touch” was to heal those with scrofula. For those who have seen that affliction, it is so unsightly that ordinary people would not have touched it. Scrofula is believed to be caused primarily by impure air. People with scrofula were shunned, surely for two reasons: (1) fear of transmittal, and (2) it looks reprehensible.
  Scrofula was to the English and French what leprosy was to the Jews. Lepers were outcasts and that disease was not due to impure air, but transmission, as it is infectious. It is supposed that lepers were considered unclean by “doctors” in apostolic times because the etiology of diseases was largely unknown.
  Women were considered “unclean” at the normal time of menses.

¹⁹ And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.

²⁰ And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean.

²¹ And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

²² And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

²³ And if it be on her bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even.

²⁴ And if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean.

²⁵ And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean.

²⁶ Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation.

²⁷ And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

²⁸ But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.

²⁹ And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

³⁰ And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the Lord for the issue of her uncleanness. (Lev 15:19-30)

  I believe you get the point. Even women on their menstrual cycles were ritually unclean, and were separated from commerce with others. Women with blood issues “socially-distanced” themselves so long as the blood flowed (verse 25). (And you thought “social distancing” was a new thing!) The women with blood issues were set apart, indubitably because they might be infectious. If their uncleanness was to spread, the Jews would no longer have a future in God’s Plan for mankind. Jews believed that disease was a consequence of sin. Since women could not procreate during their “period,” obviously sexual engagement would have been for pleasure alone. Perhaps the isolation was to discourage coitus when pregnancy would not have been an outcome. Many believe that Adam’s and Eve’s original sin included coming together for pleasure rather than to multiply as they were directed. (That is cognate with the passage Jas 2:10 which indicates that breaking even one commandment is as breaking them all.)
  The point, however, is that for whatever reason, women with blood issues, even natural ones, were considered not only unclean but sinful as well. God knew what scientists just learned — that infectious diseases are more prevalent during menses (ScienceDaily.com), and especially social diseases. Why was menstruation sinful in the eyes of Jews? Surely it has to do with Eve being mother of all. In other words, Eve’s sin was not intentional, and women were to make sacrifices because they were women. There is much that is not known about God’s Plan for everyone, but God planned for the longevity for the Hebrews because they were a peculiar and chosen people (Deut 14:2) and much like Gentiles of apostolic times (1 Pet 2:9).
  Today's key verses are about the woman with the blood issue:

KEY VERSES: 

²⁵ And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

²⁶ And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

²⁷ When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

²⁸ For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
²⁹ And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

³⁰ And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

³¹ And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

³² And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

³³ But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

³⁴ And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. (Mark 5:25-34)

  Surely, this poor woman had been isolated and avoided. Menses lasts about seven days, and she would have isolated herself, but since the blood issue was prolonged, she sinned because she failed to distance herself from others. She was not only considered to be contagious but a great sinner as well! She had been treated by doctors to no avail. She dared not touch Jesus because she was both biologically and spiritually unclean; so, she touched his clothes.
  Jesus felt the Power that he had lost; “virtue had gone out of him” (Verse 30). Jesus did not touch her by his “royal touch” as a king would do, but exposed his hem for her to touch. It was not His faith that healed her, but her faith (verse 34). What was the condition that allowed her to be healed? She was humble; she knew her place and that was not to touch anyone. She was an untouchable and accepted her condition. There is no record of her bringing doves or pigeons as sin offerings. Her only “sin” was what everyone has and that is Eve’s original sin (from Adam of course.)
  The woman was healed from her biological malady when she touched Jesus’s garment (verse 29). Humble Jesus did not even need to touch her. He was Royal, but He did not lay on hands as a king would. It was what the woman did that healed her. She lost confidence in the doctors and trusted Jesus. She was “born again” (John 3:7) when she did that. Why so? She humbled herself and elevated Jesus — recognizing that He is God. She did what those during the Exodus did: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up” (John 3:14). She had quit depending on her own devices, using doctors who could not help, but lifted up the Son of Man (Jesus). She touched the hem of His garment. (Mat 9:20). What was she doing down there? Prostrating herself to Jesus. She was diminishing herself and lifting-up Jesus. She was “born again,” as Jesus would say.
  She was healed in two ways; her blood issue dried up, and her spirit was healed: “Thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague” (verse 34). She was cured of what plagued her, but more importantly her entire existence. Her flesh and spirit were healed. When Jesus lost His virtue to her, the woman received His healing Spirit. Her “regeneration” commenced right then. I say, “commenced” because perhaps entire regeneration is at the time of glorification. Her body was cured of the plague to preserve it to the time of her “gain” at death when Christians who have died in Christ become as they were when they were generated in the beginning.
  In the scripture, Adam’s duty was to “dress and keep the Garden” (Gen 2:15). That was the duty of “entirely good” Adam (Gen 1:31) — the one made in the image of God. “Dress and keep” can also be translated, “serve and preserve.” When Jesus healed the woman with the blood issue, the drying-up of life-giving blood, was Jesus serving her, and making her whole again was Jesus preserving her for a future. Blind Bartimaeus saw “men as trees; walking” (Mark 8:24). Jesus saw the woman has a tree kneeling, for Him to serve and preserve her. Jesus saw and experienced the “tree standing” because He was crucified on it. It surely pleased Him to see this “tree” kneeling in His Presence! Jesus was doing what Adam was designed to do, and those in Christ are to serve and preserve our fellow “trees.” We are to dress and keep others as the woman did on her knees anointing Jesus’s feet, and then as her servant, Jesus dressed and kept her! He even “dressed” her with His garment.
  Jesus knew who touched Him, but the crowd failed to see Jesus touching her with His Spirit. It is seldom what meets the eyes that is truth, but what goes on in the Spiritual world.
  What do I see with the coronavirus plague? I see Jesus waiting on His people to touch even the hem of His garment! Will that happen? Will we humble ourselves for this plague to dry-up? It depends on us who get on our knees and humble ourselves, and admitting, I am unclean… Jesus heal me of my uncleanness.
  I do not have coronavirus, but I may get it if I am not humble. Those who have it should ask, “Who touched me?” I submit that Jesus is touching us, and can heal our land as He already lost all His virtue to save the world from sin. His virtue is there to pour out and heal us, and people need only to humble themselves, and take what is already available for the cure of the plague and the healing of their souls.

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