In yesterday’s post, we explored how Jesus called a suffering woman “Daughter.” Today, I want to focus on something remarkable: in a pressing crowd where dozens of people touched Him, Jesus stopped everything for one person’s touch of faith.
The disciples were bewildered by Jesus’s question, “Who touched me?” Luke records their response: “Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?” (Luke 8:45). Their confusion was understandable. Crowds were pushing in from every direction—how could He single out one touch?
But Jesus knew the difference between the casual press of the crowd and the deliberate touch of faith. “Somebody hath touched me,” He insisted, “for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me” (Luke 8:46).
This divine pattern of noticing the one appears throughout scripture. Perhaps its most tender expression came when Christ visited the Nephites. Though thousands were present, He took time to bless their little ones “one by one” (3 Nephi 17:21). Each child mattered. Each blessing was personal. Each moment was sacred—a testament to His perfect love for each soul.
This same personal ministry continues today. As President M. Russell Ballard testified: “I think often of those of you who are suffering, worried, afraid, or feeling alone. I assure each one of you that the Lord knows you, that He is aware of your concern and anguish, and that He loves you—intimately, personally, deeply, and forever.”
These accounts reveal something powerful about our Savior’s love: it isn’t divided or diminished by numbers. When that woman touched His garment, the healing had already occurred—He could have continued walking. But He stopped. He took time. He made sure she knew she wasn’t just another face in the crowd, but a daughter of God, seen and known personally by her Savior.
I experienced this personal awareness recently during our Online MTC class, which I wrote about last week. As the instructor shared an example about reaching out to students to make them feel loved, he randomly used my name: “Hey Billy, I just want you to know I’m thinking about you and I love you and your Father in Heaven loves you.” To others on the Zoom call, where my name showed as “Elder Linder,” this probably seemed like an arbitrary example. But in that moment, when my heart was heavy with personal challenges, I felt the Spirit whisper that this wasn’t random at all. Through this instructor, the Lord was speaking directly to me, showing His perfect awareness of my needs.
Following the Savior means learning to minister as He did—one person at a time. In our busy world of programs and activities, it’s easy to focus on numbers and overlook individuals. But Christ’s example teaches us that true ministry happens in moments of one-on-one connection: noticing the person sitting alone, listening to the unspoken struggle, responding to the quiet plea for help. These are the moments that matter most.
Today, you might feel lost in the crowd, wondering if your struggles matter to anyone. Take courage from this woman’s story. The same Jesus who felt one touch among thousands knows your heart. The same Lord who stopped everything for one person’s need sees you. The same God who made time for her will make time for you—because in His eyes, there is no crowd. There are only individuals, each known by name, each precious, each worth stopping for. May we have the courage to reach out, knowing that even in our most crowded moments, He always notices the one.
Elder Linder 