Virtue Went Out of Him

And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?  (Mark 5:29-30)

The Greek word translated as virtue here is dunamis, meaning power. Jesus could physically sense the moment power left Him and moved toward someone in faith. Amid a large, pressing crowd, with countless people touching Him by accident as they were jostled along, only one touch released power, because only one touch was connected to specific, targeted faith.

This detail is significant. Proximity to Jesus was not what released the power. Many in that crowd were physically closer to Him than this woman ultimately was. What released the power was faith that made direct, deliberate, and specific contact, rather than incidental contact that happened by accident in a crowd.

This also reveals something about how the anointing functions. The anointing is not just some mystical concept; it is fully tangible and moves toward faith that reaches for it. Jesus wasn’t scanning the crowd for people who might need healing. He was responding to the person who believed enough to make contact with Him. Casual proximity is not the same as deliberate, faith-filled reaching toward God. You must decide to reach toward Him.

Practical Application

Make a deliberate decision to reach for God through specific actions, faith declarations, and an expectant attitude toward your need. Don’t simply hope that being near Him is enough.

Luke 8:46; Acts 10:38