There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. 28 She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” 29 Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. 30 Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?” 31 But his disciples said to him, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”
The woman with the hemorrhage had deep faith that Jesus could heal her and a strong belief that she would be healed just by touching Jesus or his clothes (Mk. 3:10; Mk. 6:56; Mt. 14:36). Jesus told his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him (Mk. 11:23).”’ The woman was afraid to tell her story to Jesus in the presence of the crowd because her menstrual condition meant that she was legally unclean and anyone she touched would also become ritually unclean (Lev. 15: 25-30). She hoped to be cured by secretly touching Jesus without having to publicly tell her story. As with most of Jesus’ healings, the woman was instantly and completely cured when she touched Jesus. No spoken word, no laying on of hands; it was just the woman’s faith and conviction of heart that allowed the divine healing power of God to flow from Jesus to her.
The disciples were surprised when Jesus asked, “Who has touched my clothes,” as it was impossible to tell since there was a large crowd around him. Jesus wanted the woman to know he was aware that she had been healed. The woman approached Jesus ‘in fear and trembling (v. 33)' and told her story. Jesus dismissed her saying “Daughter, your faith has saved you.” Jesus allowed the miracle because of the woman’s faith. Mark’s message to the early Christians was to be bold in approaching God and if it is God’s will, he will heal them of all infirmities if they have faith, and believe in the power of God that comes from Jesus.
Almighty God, cast the doubts and fears from our hearts that prevent us from making a total commitment to you. Increase our faith that we may deeply believe in the saving power of your Son and be healed of all that separates us from you. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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