The Woman with the Issue of Blood

In our daily devotional, we are continuing to think about the supernatural acts of Jesus. Let’s look now at The Woman with the Issue of Blood:

²⁵A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, ²⁶and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse— ²⁷after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. ²⁸For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” ²⁹Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. ³⁰Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” ³¹And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” ³²And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. ³³But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. ³⁴And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction” (Mark 5:25-34).

How wonderful it is that God responds to faith. This woman’s faith was born out of desperation. Matthew in his gospel (9:20) tells us the woman had internal bleeding for 12 years. What would it have been like to be in her situation? Her condition was one where it was illegal for her to be in a public place, for fear of contaminating anyone else. Leviticus 15:25 says, “When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period.” She could never enter the Temple, synagogue, or fellowship with others. Her condition excluded her from the social structure of the day. Mark further tells us she had spent all her money on doctors (Mark 5:26), but was no better, but rather grew worse. This poor woman was financially at an end, and more than likely had not slept in a bed for some time, what hotel would have her in her condition. What friend would let her stay at their house? Everything she touched would be ceremonially unclean.

How scared she must have been as she was mingling with the crowd trying not to be seen and recognized, desperately trying to reach Jesus, her only hope. Mark tells us that when she touched Him and was instantly healed, Jesus turned and looked on the crowd, saying, “Who touched my garments?” (v. 31). Her response was one of fear. She fell at his feet, trembling with fear (v. 33). Why was she trembling? She took a considerable risk. Jesus was well known as a Rabbi in whom is the Spirit of God. She perhaps thought she would contaminate Him with her uncleanness and render him not able to heal the ruler of the Synagogue’s daughter. We can assume she expected to be severely told off and brought before a court for touching a person when unclean.

I love the Lord’s response to her, “Daughter your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Her history over 12 years of having this condition was one of rejection by people. How beautiful to see grace, acceptance, understanding, and joy in the face of our Savior.  Doesn't grace and kindness capture your heart? Hasn't He been like that with you? I long to be accepting of the poor and hurting like Him. 

Prayer: Oh God, make us more like Jesus, full of grace and truth.

Keith Thomas