The Healed Woman: Mark 5:25-34
“26) A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, 27) and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse— after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. 28) For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” 29) Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. 30) Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” 31) And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” 32) And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. 33) But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34) And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”” Mark 5:25-34
This is an amazing miracle and story about healing. The woman had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years. That’s a long time to be sick. She sought help from many doctors, spent all of her money and her condition only got worse.
I have seen this happen to many people today. She was not alone in her plight. There is a place for medical intervention, but not to the exclusion of God. Good doctors are the first to point people to God, faith and the need for prayer.
As Jesus and the crowd walked past her, she developed an interesting plan. She thought to herself, “If I just touch His garments, I shall get well.” She had gained huge faith in the healing power of Jesus Christ. She had lost all faith in doctors.
Her problem had not been a lack of faith, her problem was misplaced faith. She had been believing in doctors, medicine and various medical treatments above God!
Sure enough, as she touched the garments of Jesus, she was immediately healed. Her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Much has been written and preached about this story. Some imply that you need to touch Jesus just right or be sincere enough in order to be healed.
I maintain that small faith in the right object can make a huge difference. It wasn’t the amount of her faith that suddenly made the difference, it was that she finally put her faith in Jesus. He was and is the right object!
The interesting part of the story is that Jesus perceived that power had gone out of Him. This seems to indicate that the healing was not from His active will, it was from sincere belief in His identity, authority and power. Why? He alone has the authority and power to heal!
I am sorry, but the context forces that conclusion. She was not double minded. She didn’t wrestle with whether or not it was Gods “will” to heal her. She put her faith in the identity, authority and power of Jesus. She didn’t even ask Him to heal her. For her, the healing had nothing to do with His will, it was about His identity.
Jesus immediately looked around to see who had touched Him. The disciples noted the size of the crowd and the many incidentally bumping into Jesus. But Jesus was looking for the one who was healed!
Soon, the woman fearing and trembling came and bowed down before Jesus and told the whole truth. Then, In verse 34, Jesus openly commended her faith. She went away healed.
I like this story! It stretches my understanding of faith, healing and the authority of Jesus Christ. When praying for healing, I no longer say; “If it be your will.” That is a confession of double mindedness. I cringe when people join the praying and cancel all faith with that phrase.
James 1:5-8 exposes the futility of double mindedness. Later, in James 5:13-16, James commands the sick to call the church leaders and pray for healing.
This text helped me settled the issue about Gods will when it comes to praying for healing. According to James; it is always God’s will for us to pray for healing. I removed the phrase “If it be Thy will” from my praying for the sick.
Honestly, the more biblical prayer would be; “Jesus, I ask you to heal because of your identity, authority and power… and I am praying this way because your Word commands us to pray for healing.”
Another version might be; “I now command your healing based on the identity, authority and power of Jesus Christ!” Jesus sent His disciples out to preach the gospel, heal the sick and cast out unclean spirits. It must be His will that we do so! (Matthew 10:1; 7-8)
When I pastor a church, I adopt the policy; “if you’re sick enough to go to the doctor, you’re sick enough to call the elders to anoint you with oil and pray in faith for healing!” We have seen God do some amazing things. It always helped!
I will leave you to wrestle with this text and these concepts. More and more, I am moving to “the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick…” (James 5:18) Did you notice the word “will” in that verse?
My faith is not in healing or a personal gift of healing. My faith is in the identity, authority and power of Jesus Christ. My focus is on Him. My faith is in Him. I make Him responsible for the healing. In this way, His Name and reputation are at stake for the results!
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global.
“26) A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, 27) and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse— after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. 28) For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” 29) Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. 30) Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” 31) And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” 32) And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. 33) But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34) And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”” Mark 5:25-34
This is an amazing miracle and story about healing. The woman had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years. That’s a long time to be sick. She sought help from many doctors, spent all of her money and her condition only got worse.
I have seen this happen to many people today. She was not alone in her plight. There is a place for medical intervention, but not to the exclusion of God. Good doctors are the first to point people to God, faith and the need for prayer.
As Jesus and the crowd walked past her, she developed an interesting plan. She thought to herself, “If I just touch His garments, I shall get well.” She had gained huge faith in the healing power of Jesus Christ. She had lost all faith in doctors.
Her problem had not been a lack of faith, her problem was misplaced faith. She had been believing in doctors, medicine and various medical treatments above God!
Sure enough, as she touched the garments of Jesus, she was immediately healed. Her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Much has been written and preached about this story. Some imply that you need to touch Jesus just right or be sincere enough in order to be healed.
I maintain that small faith in the right object can make a huge difference. It wasn’t the amount of her faith that suddenly made the difference, it was that she finally put her faith in Jesus. He was and is the right object!
The interesting part of the story is that Jesus perceived that power had gone out of Him. This seems to indicate that the healing was not from His active will, it was from sincere belief in His identity, authority and power. Why? He alone has the authority and power to heal!
I am sorry, but the context forces that conclusion. She was not double minded. She didn’t wrestle with whether or not it was Gods “will” to heal her. She put her faith in the identity, authority and power of Jesus. She didn’t even ask Him to heal her. For her, the healing had nothing to do with His will, it was about His identity.
Jesus immediately looked around to see who had touched Him. The disciples noted the size of the crowd and the many incidentally bumping into Jesus. But Jesus was looking for the one who was healed!
Soon, the woman fearing and trembling came and bowed down before Jesus and told the whole truth. Then, In verse 34, Jesus openly commended her faith. She went away healed.
I like this story! It stretches my understanding of faith, healing and the authority of Jesus Christ. When praying for healing, I no longer say; “If it be your will.” That is a confession of double mindedness. I cringe when people join the praying and cancel all faith with that phrase.
James 1:5-8 exposes the futility of double mindedness. Later, in James 5:13-16, James commands the sick to call the church leaders and pray for healing.
This text helped me settled the issue about Gods will when it comes to praying for healing. According to James; it is always God’s will for us to pray for healing. I removed the phrase “If it be Thy will” from my praying for the sick.
Honestly, the more biblical prayer would be; “Jesus, I ask you to heal because of your identity, authority and power… and I am praying this way because your Word commands us to pray for healing.”
Another version might be; “I now command your healing based on the identity, authority and power of Jesus Christ!” Jesus sent His disciples out to preach the gospel, heal the sick and cast out unclean spirits. It must be His will that we do so! (Matthew 10:1; 7-8)
When I pastor a church, I adopt the policy; “if you’re sick enough to go to the doctor, you’re sick enough to call the elders to anoint you with oil and pray in faith for healing!” We have seen God do some amazing things. It always helped!
I will leave you to wrestle with this text and these concepts. More and more, I am moving to “the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick…” (James 5:18) Did you notice the word “will” in that verse?
My faith is not in healing or a personal gift of healing. My faith is in the identity, authority and power of Jesus Christ. My focus is on Him. My faith is in Him. I make Him responsible for the healing. In this way, His Name and reputation are at stake for the results!
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global.
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