Mark 5, verses 21 to 34, part 2, comments; the issue of blood

 

Mark 5:21 ¶  And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea. 22  And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, 23  And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. 24  And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. 25  And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 26  And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27  When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28  For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29  And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30  And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 31  And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 32  And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 33  But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34  And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

5:24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. 25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

This woman didn’t even seek God’s attention. She just believed that if she drew near to Him and touched Him she would be healed. She had already tried every temporal way to be healed and had spent all of her money. She came to Christ and drew near to Him to be healed of her sickness.

There are two types of Christians in type in this passage in Mark. One, Jairus, pleads with God to come to him and he wants to journey with God. The other just, in their misery, draws near to Him. Both will get, by faith, what they desired. I am sure there are many more examples that can come from these events.

Twelve is an important number in the scriptures. Twelve tribes of Israel, twelve apostles, 2 x 12 elders sitting around the throne of God, 12 baskets of food left over after feeding the 5,000, twelve years Sodom and its allies served the king of Elam, twelve princes from Ishmael, etc. etc.

Twelve years this woman suffered before she was healed. Like people who follow a false religion she suffered many things at the hands of physicians before finding true healing in Christ. They will give all their money and time to false preachers who twist the Bible into knots to justify their own delusions of grandeur and then when all is said and done nothing is accomplished but to leave the sinner still bent over and bleeding, but now broke and more hopeless than ever until they turn, not to men, but to the Saviour.

5:28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

Jesus, unlike a physician or human religion, heals instantaneously and completely, not just temporarily.

5:30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

Jesus is aware that He has been touched and that a sinner is healed.

Luke 6:18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. 19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

Virtue is inherent power harnessed to do good. It is the power of God to do His will in the world which we as believers are given.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

2Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

2Peter 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

Virtue is moral courage, moral power. The fictional character, Tom, in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin conquered his final foe with moral power, refusing to do evil unto death and even converting his two murderers to Christ before his death. The evil Simon Legree is left a shattered shell to finish out his life and enter Hell in abject misery.

The real-life William Kiffin was a Baptist minister in England. He once obtained the release from prison of a judge who had sent him there previously. He was a man incapable of revenge and totally dependent upon God. He did good to those who hurt him and lived his life in such a way that even a wicked king, Charles II, refused to believe any bad intent on Kiffin’s part. He refused to accept another wicked king, James II’s, declaration of liberty of conscience for he knew it was a fraud. He watched sons die and grandsons be executed but his character and Christian humility was beyond belief as he taught Baptist principles and doctrines in a country that executed men for doing so. He had moral courage, moral power, and virtue his entire life as a Christian and nothing said against him could stick because his most ardent enemies knew he would do no wrong..

There are people today who try to pretend that they are the conduit through which Christ heals.

Proverbs 25:14 Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.

They are fakers and frauds. Come to Christ and draw near to Him to be healed. Ask Him to come to you and with you to be healed. You don’t need an intermediary.

5:31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

The disciples, particularly Peter, are incredulous that He asks them, in this crowd, who touched Him.

Luke 8:45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

5:32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

Here is another point of how the word, all, is used. All can be without exception as in all men are sinners and all can be without distinction as in what she said was the truth, or as part of my analogy, all men can be saved or it is God’s desire that all men be saved.

5:34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

This was a clear, physical healing. Let’s look at the type for us. Like in salvation, God responds to our faith by making us whole and healing us from our sin. Now, she would still have been healed if she didn’t make this public profession she made in verse 33 but it would have been different. We are called to make a public profession and, in my understanding in the New Testament church, your baptism was the public profession of faith. Your faith, or more completely, God’s response to your faith, will make you whole.