She Was Not Hid (Luke 8:47) - Charles Spurgeon Sermon

Devotional

Day 1: The Touch That Demanded a Voice

A desperate hand brushed the fringe of Christ’s cloak, stealing healing without words. Yet silence could not contain the miracle. What begins in secret must erupt into testimony, for grace compels confession. Hidden faith withers; named faith ignites. The same power that healed the body insists on healing the soul’s timidity. To touch Christ is to owe Him your story. [00:14]

And a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years and could not be healed by anyone came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” 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. (Luke 8:43–47, ESV)

Reflection: Where has Christ’s power quietly transformed you? What fear holds your tongue from naming His work aloud?

Day 2: When Hiding Seems Easier Than Healing

Twelve years of shame taught her to shrink, to calculate risks. But grace disrupts the arithmetic of fear. Excuses crumble under the weight of Christ’s gaze—timidity, busyness, even humility cannot justify stolen mercies. Healing is not a private transaction; it is a public coronation of the Healer. The crowd’s noise cannot drown out the call to step forward. [01:40]

For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 10:10–11, ESV)

Reflection: What “reasonable” excuse have you crafted to avoid confessing Christ? How does His deliberate pause for one woman redefine your worthiness?

Day 3: The Cost of Silent Discipleship

Martyrs once marched singing into flames; modern comfort prefers anonymous faith. But a church of hidden saints is a lamp under a bowl, a saltless feast. Compromise masquerades as prudence, yet Christ’s kingdom advances through declared allegiance. Every unspoken testimony starves a starving world. The cross was not suffered in secret; why should its victory be whispered? [03:22]

So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:32–33, ESV)

Reflection: What part of your faith feels too costly to voice? How might your silence leave others without a map to Christ?

Day 4: Confession as the Cure for Fear

Trembling gave way to peace when her secret became a sermon. What we bury festers; what we expose heals. Boldness is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it. To declare “He healed me” is to shackle shame and crown Christ. The same lips that trembled in hiding now sing freedom’s anthem. [27:34]

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord. (2 Timothy 1:7–8, ESV)

Reflection: What lingering doubt about your healing keeps you silent? How might speaking Christ’s name aloud dismantle the prison of your fears?

Day 5: Riding First Class in the Kingdom

Half-hearted faith buys a third-class ticket—eyes down, voice muted. But Christ reserves first-class seats for those who wear His name like a crown. Bold confession upgrades the journey: not to avoid storms, but to face them with the King’s banner unfurled. Why huddle in cattle cars when the palace coach awaits? [34:30]

The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. (Revelation 3:5, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you settled for a diminished version of discipleship? What would it look like to live as heaven’s royalty today?

Sermon Summary

The woman came behind the Savior, touched the border of His garment, and received immediate healing; yet she was not permitted to hide among the crowd. Her case seemed, of all cases, the most excusable for silence. Her natural timidity, the delicacy of her disease, the pressure of the multitude, and the certainty that her changed life would eventually speak for itself all appeared to plead for concealment.

Christ, however, would not allow His grace to become an excuse for cowardice. The narrative, if it had ended with a secret touch and a silent departure, would have furnished timid believers with a ready apology for escaping the cross. The natural love of ease would have said, “Touch the Lord for healing, and then run away from Him without making any profession of discipleship.” Christ therefore turns what might have been a defense of guilty silence into a grand argument for open confession.

Faith and confession belong together, though confession does not purchase salvation. The woman was healed before she spoke, for no sinner can confess a cure before receiving it. Yet her healing made confession fitting, necessary, and just. The saved soul owes Christ the acknowledgment of His grace. Godly living must indeed support Christian profession, but the shaft of godly living must be crowned with “the capital of a brave confession.”

Christ brings the trembling woman forward for His own glory, for the good of others, and for her own peace. Her cure was a seal upon His mission and an engraving that illustrated His words. If every healed soul hid the work of grace, Christ’s gospel would lose its visible witness, churches would wither, and hidden disciples would seek to enter heaven by the backstairs. Her testimony also strengthened Jairus, instructed the disciples, and has called hidden believers out through all generations.

Christ’s searching question, “Who touched me?” was therefore an act of tender love. Open obedience saved the woman from fearful suspicions that she had stolen a blessing, and Christ answered her confession with fuller assurance: “Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.” Obedience brought her a clearer sense of adoption, a stronger joy, a commendation of faith, and quietness of heart.

The cross-bearing procession remains the proper place for those whom Christ has washed, clothed, and accepted. Hidden faith deprives families, neighbors, churches, and laborers in the gospel of needed encouragement. Christ calls His healed ones out of Cowards’ Castle, not to make much of themselves, but to fly His colors at the masthead and never let the enemy take them down.

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Key Takeaways

1. Grace received must be grace confessed Faith does not earn Christ’s healing, for Christ heals freely and sovereignly. Yet grace received creates an obligation of love, gratitude, and obedience. The soul that has been brought from death to life should not treat the Savior’s work as a private possession. Christ deserves open acknowledgment from those whom He has openly redeemed. [14:46]
2. Silence often wears the clothes of humility Timidity may be real, but timidity can become a shelter for disobedience. Pretended insignificance does not excuse a soul bought with Christ’s blood. God thinks much of the lowly, and the smallest witness may carry holy influence into a household, a workplace, or a dark street. [42:58]
3. Obedience breaks the ice of fear Christ’s command to confess often feels like an ordeal before it becomes a joy. Open confession trains the trembling heart to speak for Christ among those who might otherwise never hear His name. The waters of life are set in motion when fear yields to obedience. [27:51]
4. Christ gives peace through yielded obedience Christ calls the woman “Daughter” after bringing her from hiding into the light. His words of comfort do not flatter disobedience, but reward faith that comes openly to His feet. Hidden disciples may have bread and water, yet courageous obedience brings the richer enjoyment of communion with Christ. [32:30]
5. Eternal salvation defeats fearful supposings Christ does not give a trumpery, temporary salvation that fails after a season. His living water becomes a well springing up into everlasting life. Faith must cease making dark suppositions and take His promise all the way through to the New Jerusalem.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:11] - The Woman Was Not Hid
[02:26] - No Excuse for Secret Discipleship
[06:46] - Her Hiding Seemed Excusable
[11:26] - Faith and Open Confession
[17:52] - Christ Would Not Permit Hiding
[18:33] - Confession for Christ’s Glory
[23:26] - Testimony for the Good of Others
[26:17] - Blessings of Open Obedience
[35:15] - Leave Cowards’ Castle
[41:55] - Answering the Objections
[49:02] - Eternal Salvation in Christ

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 8:43-48
“And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.” [00:00]

Romans 10:9-10
“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” [11:30]

Matthew 10:32-33
“So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

Observation questions

In Luke 8:43–48, what details show both the woman’s determination to reach Jesus and her desire to remain unnoticed?
What does the woman do once she realizes that she cannot remain hidden, and what does she tell Jesus before the crowd? [00:45]
What words does Jesus speak to the woman after her public confession, and what do those words reveal about His posture toward her?
According to Romans 10:9–10 and Matthew 10:32–33, how are inward faith and outward acknowledgment of Christ connected? [11:44]

Interpretation questions

The woman was healed before she spoke publicly. Why is it important to distinguish between confession as the cause of salvation and confession as the fitting response to salvation? [14:22]
Why might Jesus’ question, “Who touched me?” have been an act of kindness rather than an attempt to shame the woman? Consider the fears she may have carried away if she had remained silent. [26:21]
How could the woman’s testimony have strengthened Jairus, the disciples, and the crowd, even though her story was deeply personal? [24:24]
Matthew 10:32–33 warns against denying Christ, while this woman’s story shows a trembling believer being brought into the light. How should Christians distinguish between a fearful moment and a settled pattern of hiding allegiance to Christ?

Application questions

Are there places where timidity, a desire for privacy, or a wish to avoid discomfort has become an excuse for keeping faith in Christ hidden? What might open allegiance to Christ look like in that setting? [07:39]
Is there a specific person—a family member, friend, coworker, or neighbor—who would be encouraged or helped by hearing a simple and honest account of what Christ has done? What could be shared without exaggeration or trying to impress anyone? [38:43]
A godly life and a brave confession belong together. Does daily conduct clearly support the name of Christ, and is there also willingness to speak His name when an opportunity comes? [13:31]
For those who have trusted Christ but have not publicly identified with His people, what fears or practical barriers stand in the way of taking that step? How does the woman’s experience speak to those fears? [43:25]
When obedience to Christ feels like an ordeal, what past examples show that obedience later became a source of joy, peace, or courage? [44:05]
Do fears about future failure ever keep someone from openly confessing faith in Christ? How does the promise of eternal life help replace those fearful suppositions with trust? [49:10]

Sermon Clips

It is always necessary for a disciple to do what his Lord bids him. It is essential for a soldier of the cross to follow his captain's orders. Jesus bids us let our light shine. Dare we hide it away? If we have received grace at his hands, he would have us confess that we have received it, and surely our sense of justice makes it needful for us to own our obligation. [00:15:00]

Attention to one duty is no justification for the neglect of another. I charge you, disobey not in any point. Confess your Lord. Own what he has done for you. And be sure that the outcome of your life supports your confession. Have the shaft of godly living by all means, but crown it with the capital of a brave confession. [00:13:21]

I've known many persons cured of timidity by coming forward to confess Christ. I could mention cases of persons who have been very retiring and scarcely able to say a word upon any subject. But when they joined the church and were baptized, their open confession broke the ice and the waters of their life were set in motion. Our Lord removes this infirmity by our obedience. In keeping his commandments, there is great reward. [00:27:46]

Yet she had to acknowledge his grace openly, and so must you. She is a woman sick and faint, who for 12 years has been growing weaker and weaker. Yet when she is healed, she must come forward and confess the cure. Does this seem hard to you? Surely it is the least she can do, and she ought to do it of her own accord. [00:08:08]

Must Jesus work this wonder and nobody ever hear about it? As God is seen in his works of creation, Jesus is seen in his miracles of grace. Shall we rob him of his glory? God forbid that we should do him this serious dishonor. [00:22:01]

Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that. What is the most natural plan to use for the salvation of others but to bear your own personal testimony? [00:24:10]

The change wrought in the spiritual and moral condition of the saved is God's attestation of the gospel. And if this is not to be spoken of, how is the world to know that God has sent the gospel at all? [00:20:32]

But being cured, it then became necessary that she should confess it. Not necessary to the cure, that is clear, but necessary because of the cure. [00:14:44]

What might have been a defense for guilty silence, he turns into a grand argument for open confession. He will not allow concealment in this case because he will not tolerate it in any case, but will have us take up our cross and follow him. [00:05:53]

One of the best medicines for low spirits will be found in a courageous obedience to Jesus. Keep close to the crucified, and your own cross will grow light in fellowship with him. [00:31:12]

By this, He saved her from a host of fears which would have haunted her. Suppose she had gone home healed and had never confessed it. Surely she would have felt uneasy. A sense of having stolen the boon without leave or license would have caused her uneasy dreams and sad apprehensions. [00:26:21]

What choice revelations you lose through sinful silence I cannot tell you, but assuredly you miss many a cheering word from your Lord's own lip. If you will not own him, how can you expect him to give you the spirit of adoption? If you receive instead the spirit of bondage, you cannot wonder. [00:30:06]

Ah, but if that salvation means salvation from selfishness where is the selfishness of it? It is a very material point in salvation to be saved from hardness of heart and carelessness about others. [00:23:48]

I would advise you also to cast away all subterfuges, and remember that it is written, "He that with his heart believeth and with his mouth maketh confession of him shall be saved." [00:11:23]

No, but Jesus puts his own crown upon the head of faith. It is always safe for Jesus to crown faith, because faith always crowns Jesus. Her faith would answer, "Lord, I did nothing. Thou didst it all." [00:31:42]

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