Touching the Clothes of Christ

In Luke 8:40-48 Jesus is walking through the crowd on His way to the house of an important ruler whose daughter has died. On his way, a woman (who had suffered from a blood discharge disease for twelve years and gone to countless doctors and had yet to experience any breakthroughs) reached out from the crowd to touch even a small corner of his clothes. Scripture tells us upon contact, the blood flow stopped and she was healed.
Presumably sensing power going out from Him, Jesus asks the crowd, "who was it that touched me?". With that context, we look at verse 47;

And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before Him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed.

My first question I pose to you, readers, is this: why do you think Jesus asked "who touched me?" Perhaps the simplest answer, because He didn't know who had. Although possible, I would consider this unlikely in view of God's questions posed throughout the rest of scripture. Often when questions from God appear throughout the bible, they are not posed in search of an answer, as to enlighten God. God already knows the answer, and thus the question is usually asked for the audience's sake.

From that perspective, it would appear that Jesus wants the woman to speak out and declare her actions before the crowd. As we have established, this was not for his knowledge, but I would instead contend that the purpose was for her experience. It was most certainly as well, a test for her faith as well. Jesus has done something for her that she did not earn, and now He asks her to tell everyone around her what He has done. Sounds oddly familiar to the call that Jesus has on the lives of 21st century Christians as well, doesn't it?

Just like the woman in this story, we have reached out to Jesus and been healed. Our desperate condition of eternal death that was approaching, has now been destroyed and replaced with eternal life. Jesus asks us, "Who came to me?" with the intent of an answer before the people. We are in the same position as this woman, and are forced to consider our response. Will we wait in awkward silence and allow Our Lord to stand before the crowds and appear to be crazy as others mock Him with jeers of "No one touched you, Jesus. No one follows you."?

Our lives are meant as a testimony of God's work in us. Your story is meant to be a testimony of the goodness of God in human history. Pray over this challenge from scripture. How do we need to alter our response? If we remain silent, then who will testify of the work in our lives? We have orders to be witnesses for the nations! But how can they believe if no one tells them?

Jesus asks you, in front of everyone you know, "What have I done for you?".
What is your response?
-matt