Anyone who would suggest that Mark is an undisciplined writer of a string of unrelated events fails to understand the precision and the pattern of his writing. He has shown that Jesus is the Master over the worst of physical nature(4:35-41) and psychological demons (5:1-20), Mark then focuses on Jesus' power to heal incurable disease (5:21-34).
Jairus, the ruler of the Synagogue, comes to Jesus on behalf of his 12 year old daughter is ill. As Jesus journeys to Jairus' home a great crowd of people began to follow. In the crowd is a desperate woman with an incurable blood disease. She has suffered with the disease for 12 years. As long as Jairus' daughter has lived, this poor woman has battled the disease. Drawing upon her last ounce of strength she pushes through the crowd to touch Jesus robe. When she touches Him she is healed and Jesus stops as asks who touched Him. One touch of need stopped Jesus in His tracks. Mark wants us to see the sensitivity of Jesus who can sense the difference between an anxious tug of faith and the casual bumps of the crowd. Jesus declares to her that her faith made her well.
The woman's faith became a lever that engaged with the power of Jesus. Jesus didn't have to call her name or even be looking in her direction, the healing power was drawn from Jesus by her faith. It was the grasp of her faith not the touch of her hand that secured healing. Augustine said, "Flesh presses, faith touches."
This woman represents many of us. We are ill. We have spent our resources trying remedies which do not work. Christ comes to us from the cross. We need to touch him by faith. Do not fear that He ill not respond. Do not fear that you are unworthy. Fear only one thing - that you let Him pass without reaching out and touching Him by faith.
This passage reminds us that our healing i only given freely to us because of the price that Jesus paid. Isiah's prophecy in Isaiah 53:5 "But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed", comes true in Jesus' gift to the woman and in the price for her healing.
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you today?
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