Mark 5:24-34
24A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
Introduction
For millennia, humans have been plagued by sickness, whether it be a chronic illness, mental health problems, disease, or in recent times Covid-19. However, good health and wellness is something that we know is important to God. Themes of health and wellbeing are continually repeated in the Bible. 1 Corinthians famously states that our bodies are a temple with which we honour the Lord. God’s desire for our good health is also evidenced through the actions of Jesus during his time on Earth. Throughout Scripture, we see him perform healing miracles. In fact, most of Jesus’ miracles on Earth were miracles that restored health: the healing of the blind man, healing the leper, or the paralytic whose friends lifted him up through a roof to be closer to God’s healing touch.
In each of these instances Jesus gave healing freely and without discrimination.
One of Jesus’ most famous instances of healing is that of the bleeding woman. In Jesus' day women were seen as outcasts. They were overlooked in society, a patriarchal stain that persists in modern society. We don’t even know her name. Yet Jesus saw her as worthy of healing.
The ugly truth is that even today, women and the marginalised are overlooked. Consequently, the unique health needs of these groups are cast aside by healthcare systems. This results in devastating statistics, such as high maternal mortality rates, 90% of which occur in low- and middle-income countries, or high mortality rates of those under the age of 5 in rural communities. What these statistics make clear is how society marginalises the health needs of certain groups and causes health inequities to persist.
Despite the shortcomings of society, the Bible is steadfast in assuring that the healing power of God is for all. Jesus provides equal access to healing regardless of status, income, age, or gender.
The bleeding woman was still healed. Without reservations. Without questions.
The bleeding woman is not only an example of the healing power of Jesus, but also of how we should constantly be seeking and reaching out for him in our journey of faith. It is ultimately up to us to not only take the first step but to continue pursuing him, not just when we are experiencing suffering, whether that be physical, spiritual, or mental, but also in times of joy in a spirit of gratitude and celebration.
We know that we can seek God for healing, but we also must make our own efforts to maintain our health. Our bodies are temples for the Lord, and we should honour him by preserving our mental and physical strength in order to fully engage in our role in the kingdom.
As we continue to be transformed into the image of Christ, may we have the faith of the bleeding woman to continually pursue him and strive towards justice for the marginalised.
Download a printable file here: Jesus the Healer