Contemplative Bible Reading

Luke 8:46-48 (New Living Translation)

46 But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” 47 When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. 48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

This is the conclusion of the (hi)story of the women who had a disease for 12 years and came to touch the robe of Jesus and be healed.

In the words of Jesus, her faith made her well. Her faith in Jesus led her to touch His robe. There is the faith, and there is the touch or the gerund, i.e., a verb used as a noun.

Try this exercise: replace touch with any other word.

• The walk of faith
• The talk of faith
• The taste of faith
• The love of faith
• The thought of faith

What does each mean to each of us? What word came to mind? Why that word instead of another one? What does each mean to each of us?