Two people arm-wrestling in this way find that there is an equal and sometimes a greater pressure coming against them. Without any pressure to overcome, there would be no contest involved.

As we are processed and changed by the Lord, He will bring across our paths circumstances that will press against us. Never more than we can handle . . . but almost! He is desiring to see us press the harder to overcome and experience the victory.

Here in the scriptures (KJV) there are two types of ‘pressing’.

The first is like a crowd of people ‘pressing’ forward in order to gain a better view or be nearer the person or object of their interest. Mark 5:25-34 and Luke 8:43-48 give us a picture of a crowd pressing against one each other making it hard for the needy person to break through the press (crowd) to press through to Jesus. She was, as it were, driven by the urgent need to ‘know Him and the power of His resurrection’ that she might be healed. Do you have a similar cry in your heart to be whole . . . yes, fully whole, in spirit mind and body?

If our hearts are set on getting through the press to Jesus, we will need an extra press because of the press(ure) of circumstances. Our situation will most likely appear to us like tribulation . . . that is not difficult to understand since the Greek word for ‘tribulation’ actually means ‘pressure’.

This crowd or press were probably so bent on their present desire that they were oblivious that someone was trying to see Jesus in order that they might be healed. We need to be more circumspect and be aware of others who are near us and be alert to their needs.

In our lives and our yearning for the fullness of the Spirit, we can come up against compacted ‘flesh’ with its self-centred thinking. These natural thoughts block the way to experiencing Christ . . . but, praise the Lord, they do not deter us!

If the crowd was so pressing on Jesus, how did she know that it was the garment of Jesus that she reached for and touched? She must have touched many garments en route to Jesus! I do not think that she was reaching forth and touching one at a time until she was successful. On the other hand, if she got down on her hands and knees and crawled forward, she would know when she had reached Jesus for He would be in the centre of the crowd! Also the hem of His garment would be reasonably easy to touch. All this is presuming that the crowd is stationary! A more realistic ‘press’ is present in that case.

With a similar cry in our hearts, are we prepared to get down on our knees and progress steadily towards Jesus until we touch Him?

When there is a hard situation in front of us which requires some special pressing through, it would be quite normal to ask the question, ‘Why is all this happening to me?’

Job 36:15 He delivers the poor in his affliction, and opens their ears in oppression.

‘oppression’ in the Hebrew = pressure.

One of the purposes God has for allowing us situations where we have to press through, is to see our ears opened that we might hear His voice more clearly. Our hearing needs to be unclogged from the natural emphasis of things so that we can hear His words clearly.

Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

As we have seen above, tribulation is basically ‘pressure’ like the opponent in the spiritual arm wrestling that is tough but not as strong as the Christ in us. Our ‘spiritual muscles’ are developed in this way.

Mark 5:27 When she had heard of Jesus, (she) came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

‘press’ 3793 = crowd of people who have come together . . . for a set purpose . . . straining to ‘get to the front’ . . . hence the emphasis of being ‘pressed’! Rt. word implying ‘to lay hold of’. Now on to our story . . .

Jesus was on His way to raise up the daughter of Jairus and He passed close by where the needy one was.

Mark 5:25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

This issue of blood was probably a bleeding ulcer or a cancerous wound or anything that would not heal or stop bleeding, but steadily grew worse. This condition was ruling (12) her whole life . . . trying everything that ‘man’ could offer, she spent everything she had with no positive improvement. With a hundred and forty-four months of frustration and disappointment, she must have felt like giving up! Not a single ‘rev. doctor’ had the answer that she was yearning for.

(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, (she) came in the press behind, and touched his garment. (Luke 8:44 - the hem of His garment).

Why is the hem of His garment important enough to receive special mention?

The hem of the High Priest’s Ephod was very significant because it was the only part that had bells and pomegranates attached to it. Exodus 28:33 describes this. The ‘bells of pure gold’ speak of God’s nature where His holiness is seen and heard (see Zechariah 14:20) while the ‘pomegranates’ speak of unlimited new life pictured by the countless number of seeds within. These were heard to rattle or ‘ding’ as the High Priest walked. In parallel today, when the many-membered Christ walks today (He is the High Priest in us) in the earth, there should be evidence of the bells and pomegranates which will attract the frustrated and disappointed ones.

Overall the hem speaks of resurrection life or Life out of death scenario. This woman was desperate for new life in her situation and she probably didn’t even know that Jesus was the High Priest of the ‘Tabernacle made without hands’.

(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.

Luke 8:44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

The bleeding stopped and she knew it . . . whether it was internal or external.

(30) And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him (see verse 31), turned Him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

Luke 8:45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

His life touched a needy one. . . if He had not enquired who it was, she could have gone on her way healed but missing out a personal encounter with Him.

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

Luke 8:46 And Jesus Said, Somebody has touched Me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of Me.

‘virtue’ Gk. DUNAMIS = (inherent) power.

An illustration of this: electric lights are on in your home and someone plugs in a high-wattage appliance. The lights immediately dim a fraction but do not go out, as power is drawn by the appliance. The power of God that is in Christ was drawn upon by this needy woman as she pressed in and plugged in!

(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.

Luke 8:47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before Him, she declared unto Him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed immediately.

This woman thought that she had stolen her healing from Jesus. Why else was she afraid? Fearful at being found out, she confessed her situation and her motive. She hid nothing. A wonderful example of simple faith in what she had been told about Jesus. She not only touched the hem of His garment. . . but her spirit . . . her whole being reached out and touched HIM.

(34) And He said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

‘whole’ : Gk.sozo4982 = to heal, keep safe and sound, deliver, save, be whole.

She had believed that Jesus was her answer to her need of being made whole. Her faith was accompanied by action as she pushed through from the back of the press (crowd). She had that extra determination, perseverance and discipline to carry her through to her target of touching Him. Others would probably have quit when such a ‘press’ was in their path.