Matthew 14:35-36 (NIV) And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

When Jesus came down from heaven to earth, He lived among the people He created and ministered to them at the point of their need. No one who came to Jesus for any kind of help ever left empty-handed. Jesus would ask them what their need was and then would provide for that need. Whether it was healing those that were sick, healing blindness and every type of infirmity, freedom from demon-possession, or even money to pay taxes (the story of Peter getting money out of the mouth of a fish - Matthew 17:27), Jesus provided it all. But then there were those who the Bible says just touched the edge of His cloak and were instantly healed...every single last one of them.

When we think of Jesus healing us, we usually ask Him to touch us with His hand of healing. Jesus, who is our Healer, has healed many of us in many ways. But these people took the initiative to touch Jesus and when they did, they were healed. Just like the woman who had the issue of blood touched the fringe of His garment when He wasn't looking and received her healing, these people begged to just be permitted to reach out and touch the edge of His cloak. When they touched it, they were healed. What kind of touch was this, since many people touched Jesus with nothing happening (i.e. the crowd that was pressing in on Him)? It was a touch of faith along with a receptive attitude. In other words, the way to touch Him is to do it expecting to receive your healing. But how can you touch Him today since He is not physically here? You can touch Him through prayer, praise, thanksgiving and worship.

We don't see a whole lot of healing going on in Christian circles in this country and I believe it's because there is an extreme lack of faith. A good portion of believers deny that Jesus still heals today, but there are just too many examples of people who have been miraculously healed to believe that. One of the names for our God is Jehovah-Rapha, which means the Lord who heals. So the question is, why would He stop now? The answer is that He has not stopped being God. The people spoken about in the scripture verses above were on to something that we need to grab a hold of for ourselves. They weren't passively waiting for a touch from Jesus but went enthusiastically to Him to just touch a piece of anything that He had on His person. They were sure that if they did, they would be healed.

Notice that they went to Jesus. Many don't go to Jesus for healing because it's hard for them to believe that they can be healed, or that Jesus may not be willing to heal them, or they just don't believe that He is still doing those kinds of miracles. According to your faith, it will be done to you (Matthew 9:29). Let's learn from the people who took the initiative to touch Jesus without doubting and receive our healing from Him. Everyone who touches Him in faith and with a receptive heart will receive their healing.

Pastor Joey Vazquez