Originally posted 2/25/25
Mark 5:25-28: “And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.””
The situation with the bleeding woman is remarkable. There is no evidence that she was married. We know that she suffered for twelve years with this ailment and exhausted her funds. We can only assume the toll it took on her body. Even today we often have many doctor appointments and tests before there is an answer. Unfortunately, sometimes there is no answer.
She suffered for twelve years. According to Leviticus 15:25-27, “If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness. As in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean. 26 Every bed on which she lies, all the days of her discharge, shall be to her as the bed of her impurity. And everything on which she sits shall be unclean, as in the uncleanness of her menstrual impurity. 27 And whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening.”
She would have been ostracized from everyone. She is an unnamed women who had no place in society. She knew that she had only one option. She needed to get to Jesus for healing. If she could only touch the hem of his garment, she could find the healing she so desparately needed and wanted. She believed that she just had to reach the hem in order to change her entire life.
We read Christ’s response in [Mark 5:29-34, “And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.””
I am struck by the word “immediately”. Her healing was immediate. Her ailment didn’t just gradually improve. We need to pay attention to when Scripture tells us something happened immediately. Jesus felt the healing leave his body. I don’t even pretend to know what that was like. Jesus knew that someone had touched him. Those around him in the crowds seemed to be surprised that Jesus knew someone had touched him. Anytime when you are in a crowd, people bump into you. It should have been expected.
Christ could have moved on with little or no response. However, he stopped and inquired about who had touched him. This woman didn’t seem to want to call attention to herself. She just wanted to get away from the crowd. Christ showed her great kindness. He acknowledged the woman and the healing she need. She fell down before her Lord and told him everything. Jesus commended her for her faith. Jesus could have let the situation pass and no one would have known anything about it. He chose to engage in a conversation. Her faith made the healing possible.
What would our lives look like if we exercised the type of faith that this woman did? Would our lives be drastically different? Would our churches be different? Would our communities be different? How can we influence those around us and demonstrate our faith in Christ?
#faith, #Bible, #Scriptures, #Christian Women, #Discipleship, #womenintheBible, #Bleeding Woman