Jesus Heals the Woman with Blood Issue

Bible Study Lesson:

• Mark 5: 24-34

Other Passages : Luke 8:42-48

What can we know about condition of this woman from Mark 5: 25, 26?

• She was suffering from menstrual bleeding issue for twelve years.
• She had spent all she had to get cured. But it had gotten worst.
• She did not give up in spite of her suffering for 12 years. In Jesus, she saw the hope of healing.

Why did she not ask directly to Jesus for healing? (Leviticus 15:19-28)

• According to the Jewish law, a man who touches a menstruating woman becomes ceremonially unclean. (Levi 15: 19-28)

Leviticus 15:19 – “When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of her monthly period will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening.”

• In this regard, she would have been ‘untouchable’ for 12 years.
• She might have feared being ostracized, for she would have been in contact with many on her way to Jesus in the crowd.
• She might have feared that Jesus would avoid healing her.
• Even though she did not doubt that Jesus had a power to heal her. The nature of her disease may also be the reason. In the eastern cultures, women issues are not spoken of in public.
• Perhaps, she thought about her past failure. So, she decided to take a secretive way. If she did not get healed, no one would have known that she even tried.
• Therefore, she thought to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

What fears or issues in your life keep you from approaching God? Are you ashamed of something from your past?

Did Jesus know who touched him? (Also Mark 12:32)

• It is unclear whether Jesus knew who touched him or not. There are two opinions about it.
• The first one says that Jesus knew who touched him, but he wanted her to come forward and profess her faith and healing. Jesus, being God, must have known who touched him.
• The second opinion is that he really did not know who touched him. From his conversation with Peter, it seems likely that he knew that power had gone out from him, but not sure how. There were other things, Jesus said he did not know.

Mark 13:32 – “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

How did the woman show great courage, after being timid at first?

• Even when she was healed, she did not come forward immediately. She thought that she could go unnoticed, disappear in the crowd.
• But Jesus noticed, he felt that the power had gone out of him. And he was persistent to know who that person was.
• Finally she came trembling at Jesus’ feet, but then she went on to tell everyone, why she touched him and how she was instantly healed.
• Notice that Jesus only asked “who” touched him and not “why” or how!

How can you share the testimony of God’s blessings in your life with others?

• We often have a tendency to act in a way so that we can go unnoticed; we can slip in the crowd. We do not want to profess it publicly. Often we hear that our faith is a personal matter. Yes, it is a personal decision, but we also need to acknowledge it to others.
• One of the most powerful ways in which we can share gospel with others, is through our own personal testimony.

What was so significant about her action? What makes her faith so special? (Hebrews11:1)

• She had an unshakable faith. She did not let the circumstances or doubts shake her faith.
• Her faith was truly unbelievable. She could see the unseen. But that is the very definition of faith.

Hebrew 11:1 – “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

• Faith at its core is a simple trust and belief in a person. It is the childlike faith that moves the mountain.
• Even after receiving the healing, she showed an extraordinary courage to come forward and share everything in presence of the people.
• Jesus commended her extraordinary faith and blessed her. Jesus wanted to instill this kind of faith in his disciples (who often failed to exercise such faith). He often rebuked them for being ‘of little faith’.
• it was a powerful testimony of God’s power and faith of a person at work.
• Testimony of healing can have a powerful impact on people, especially those who do not know Jesus.

Life Applications and Reflections

• The extraordinary faith, at its core, is a simple, unwavering, childlike faith in Him. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.
• Are you willing to put your trust in Him? You may be going through physical, emotional, spiritual suffering or sickness; He can heal you if you put your trust in Him.
• How will you demonstrate your faith in action in Jesus?

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Check out our eBook, The Miracles of Jesus Christ – 7-part Bible Study Series on the Healing Miracles of Jesus Christ for Small Groups & Personal Study.