It is not often that God asks a question. This week we’re noticing a few of the famous occasions when He did, however. What we’re learning is that when the All-knowing God does ask a question, He does so–not for His own benefit–but for man’s.
Today let’s consider another example of God (or Christ) asking a question.
Now we’ve said throughout this series that it is a rare thing for God to ask a question. Jesus, however, was fond of them. But the questions the Lord asked were done in the way a teacher would provoke the thoughts of his students. He would often stump the Pharisees with these questions, and would slowly pull His disciples into a deeper pool of understanding.
Every now and then, however, He would ask a different kind of question, more akin to those studied already in this series.
On one occasion Jesus was wading through a crowd when a sick women reached out and touched the hem of His garment. Now people today have been known to bow before other men (celebrities, religious leaders) and reach out hoping to touch them, but on this occasion the woman was moved by something sincere: not covetousness or blasphemous idolatry, but genuine reverence for Jesus.
Mark writes:
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?
Mark 5:30
The entire sequence of events here is fascinating to study (another time!), but consider this: a multitude of people had pressed against Him as He waded through the crowd (Mark 4:24). None of them had any miraculous healing come over them. Yet this woman touches the Lord and is healed of her illness. Why? How?
Because she made a conscious effort to seek out the Lord. She took a deliberate action to be healed of the Lord. In other words, she had faith and she acted on it. As the axiom goes: A faith that saves is a faith that obeys.
Jesus, being fully aware of His own Divinity, and aware of the hearts of those with whom He was engaged, asks the question: Who touched me?
Now we must pause and address the issue of Mark’s words: “knowing in Himself that virtue had gone out of Him…” The meaning, I think, is clear when paired with the question that follows and when you remember that Jesus (God) knows the answer to the question before He asks it.
Jesus knew this woman touched Him. Jesus healed this woman (He’s not only aware of His miraculous power but is in control of it), and then Jesus turns to confront, not only this woman, but the entire crowd around her.
He asks “Who touched me” and Mark notes that He looked for “her” that had touched Him. Again, the question is not for His benefit. It’s not even asked for the benefit of the woman. Think about it: What benefit is the question to her? She already had a saving faith, it motivated her to seek out and touch the Lord. She was already whole when Jesus told her she was. Jesus’ statement in v34 (“thy faith has made thee whole”) is not a proclamation of coming-salvation, but is an observation of already-received salvation. No, Jesus asks this of the whole crowd. He is teaching them that He will make everyone whole, but not just because they crowd around Him. He will save when they go to Him and reach out to Him.
Now put yourself in the crowd, watching this event. What is your response to the question? Certainly you didn’t touch the Lord, but I bet you want to now!
Will you reach out to Him? Will you apply your faith in Him to the action of obedience? If you will then you will be saved from the plague of sin.
Think about it,
have a great day!
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