Luke 8:46 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But Jesus said, "Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me."

NIV: But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me."

NASB: But Jesus said, 'Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had left Me.'

CSB: "Someone did touch me," said Jesus. "I know that power has gone out from me."

NLT: But Jesus said, 'Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.'

KJV: And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

NKJV: But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.”

Amid an aggressive mob, pushing against and reaching toward Him, Jesus feels a particular touch that draws power from Him. He asks who it is who touched Him. Peter sees the crowd and wonders how Jesus could hope to find the culprit (Luke 8:40–45).

Theologians also wonder why Jesus asked, but for a different reason. Jesus is God. As such, He has all the characteristics of God, like omnipotence and omniscience. Theologians debate as to whether He actively used these characteristics while He was on earth in a physical body. Many say yes—God does not change (Malachi 3:6) and so the character of Jesus' deity did not change. Jesus' question (Luke 8:45) would be consistent with God's habit of asking questions to invite people into conversation, not to gain information (Genesis 3:9; Job 1:7; Exodus 4:2).

Scripture seems to indicate another possibility. When Jesus was a child, He "increased in wisdom and in stature" (Luke 2:52). Hebrews says Jesus "learned obedience" (Hebrews 5:8). When Jesus became incarnate, He "emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7). That could imply Jesus deliberately limiting His use of certain divine powers to live a fully human life. Does Jesus know who touched Him? We don't know.

Scholars also debate as to what it means that power went out of—in this case, meaning flowed through, not drained from—Jesus. Is this the power He has by virtue of being God? Does the Holy Spirit empower Him (Mark 3:22–30; Luke 4:14)? Again, we don't know as it's not the point of the verse.

The purpose is to draw attention to the woman. She is trying to hide, knowing that by touching a religious leader while in a ceremonially unclean state, she has broken a serious taboo (Leviticus 15:25–30). Jesus is more concerned with her. By calling her out, He can publicly praise her faith and announce to everyone that she is now healed—she is no longer unclean—and she is able to join society again (Luke 8:48).

Luke 8:40–56 records the third and fourth examples of Jesus providing salvation from worldly hardships—this time, illness, shame, and death. Jairus begs Jesus to come heal his daughter. Along the way, a chronically ill woman touches Jesus' robe. Jesus stops, blesses her faith, and calls her "daughter." He then raises the young girl from the dead. Jairus and the woman both show their faith through their diligence and boldness to procure Jesus' healing power. Next, Jesus will imbue His disciples with His power to continue His work. These stories are also found in Matthew 9:18–26 and Mark 5:21–43.

Luke 8 includes portions of three sections of Jesus' Galilean Ministry. The women who support Jesus' ministry bridge the faithful outcasts of chapter 7 to the sower who spreads the news of God's kingdom (Luke 8:1–3). Luke 8:4–18 includes the parables of the sower and the lamp under the jar. These illustrate the importance of hearing Jesus' message with a mind to believe and obey. Luke 8:19–56 presents different faith reactions when Jesus' life, power, and authority elicit questions about His identity.

This passage continues Luke's pattern in the account of Jesus' Galilean ministry: alternating calls to discipleship with stories that describe the discipleship He expects. In Luke 6:17, Jesus transitioned from calling and training the Twelve to a more general call; in Luke 7, Jesus interacted specifically with those with less privilege in society. Chapter 8 reveals how people react when Jesus reveals who He is, mostly through miracles. In Luke 9:18–50, Jesus returns to intense discipleship of the Twelve to give them courage and faith, preparing them for the journey to Jerusalem and what they will witness there.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.