Read It

There are a lot of things that I could discuss in this particular narrative. However, one thing in particular leaps out at me. The theme of touch runs through this narrative like an electric current. The touch of the crowds - unyielding, jostling, forceful. The touch of the woman - tentative, ashamed, yet full of faith. And the touch of Jesus - the touch that sets this story on its edge, rearranging our categories and challenging our assumptions.

What is so significant about Jesus' touch? To understand why this story is so amazing, we must first understand something of Old Testament law. Touch was a sacred thing, something to be guarded and used with caution. More specifically, touch was one way of becoming ritually unclean; coming in contact with unclean people or things would, in turn, make a person also unclean. In this story, two people in particular are notable for being unclean: the sick woman and the dead girl.

The reality of the narrative is that Jesus demolishes the barriers that separate Him from those who have been identified as "unclean". Speaking from the perspective of the Law, the sick woman should not have been where she was. In the middle of a crowd, she most likely would make dozens of people also ritually unclean as a result of contact with her. Her fear of discovery is grounded in the shame of one who has no right to be where she is. In the same way, a respectable Jewish rabbi would certainly not touch a dead body!

The irony of the story is that, not once, but twice Jesus steps over the bounds of propriety in compassion for others. In doing so, however, Jesus does not become "unclean" - in fact, the opposite occurs! Jesus' touch brings healing, wholeness, and life to those who are beyond the bounds of propriety. Jesus does not become "unclean" - the woman and the girl become clean again.