The Woman With The Issue Of Blood In The Bible: Her Story Of Faith And Healing
Suffering from health conditions can make anyone feel hopeless. In the Bible, there is an incredible story of a woman who had been dealing with constant illness for over a decade. Despite her circumstances, her faith in Jesus leads to an amazing miracle.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer:
The woman with the issue of blood is an unnamed woman who appears in the Gospels and had been suffering from constant vaginal bleeding for 12 years. When she heard Jesus was passing by, she knew He had the power to heal her.
She touched his garment in faith and was instantly healed, with Jesus confirming her healing was because of her great faith.
The Woman’s Condition
Suffered from bleeding for 12 years
This unnamed woman in the Gospels had been bleeding constantly for 12 long years. Her condition, known medically as chronic hemorrhage or menorrhagia, resulted in severe anemia and weakness from blood loss over such an extended period.
Having to deal with this day after day surely took a tremendous physical toll.
Tried many doctors and treatments without success
Desperate to find healing, the woman “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” (Mark 5:26).
Ancient medical literature confirms doctors often prescribed costly and painful treatments like potions, poultices, bleedings, and dubious cures, all to no avail in her case.
Considered ceremonially unclean according to Levitical law
On top of her illness difficulties, the continual bleeding would have rendered this woman in a state of ceremonial uncleanness (Leviticus 15:25-27).
This meant she could not participate in religious or community life. Anyone who touched her also became unclean.
No doubt shunned, isolated and exhausted, she would have felt spiritually abandoned as well.
Constant illness left her poor and marginalized
The woman’s physical suffering, social isolation and inability to work and earn money left her “impoverished from the expensive remedies” (Eerdman’s Commentary on the Bible, p. 374). Too weak to labor and considered a social outcast, her situation was dire.
Despite over a decade of misery, this woman’s story would take a miraculous turn when she dared to believe Jesus could heal her if she but touched His garment (Mark 5:27-28).
Her courage and risk-taking faith even in her affliction puts her desperate situation in perspective.
Her Encounter with Jesus
Heard Jesus was passing through her town
The woman with the bleeding issue had suffered for 12 long years with no relief (Mark 5:25). Doctors could not heal her and she spent all her money seeking a cure to no avail.
Her situation was dire until the remarkable day she heard that Jesus was passing through her town.
Stories of his healing miracles, like making the blind see and the paralyzed walk, gave her hope that he could free her from this affliction.
Touched his garment with faith she would be healed
As Jesus made his way through the masses, the woman saw an opening and courageously pressed forward. She stretched out her arm, and touched his garment with faith she would be healed.
The woman believed that Jesus’ cloak contained healing power.
Was instantly healed from her bleeding
The moment she touched Jesus’ garment, the woman was instantly healed from her bleeding. Her decade-long illness vanished in an instant (Mark 5:29).
The woman must have felt awestruck, overjoyed and profoundly grateful. This miraculous healing revealed Jesus’ identity and power as the Son of God.
It also demonstrated how sincere faith, however small, can unleash God’s transformative grace. The crowds likely stood amazed as God worked an incredible miracle through this faithful, persevering woman.
Jesus’ Response to Her Healing
Felt power go out from him and asked who touched him
As Jesus made His way through the pressing crowd, intent on reaching Jairus’ house, He suddenly stopped and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” (Mark 5:30).
His disciples were bewildered by this odd question since many people were jostling and brushing up against Him in the crowd.
But Jesus knew intuitively that power had gone out from Him, indicating a deliberate touch of faith to receive healing, not just an incidental crowd contact.
Woman came forward trembling and told him her story
The timid, trembling woman came forward and fell at Jesus’ feet. Through frightened tears, she testified openly before all, telling Jesus and the crowds her long, heartbreaking story of suffering from constant bleeding for 12 long years (Mark 5:33).
This required great courage on her part to “go public” with such private, female issues in that culture.
Jesus listened patiently and compassionately as she described fruitless, painful efforts to obtain healing from all sources, resulting in great financial burdens instead of health improvements (Mark 5:26).
But hearing of Jesus, she determined, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed” (Mark 5:28). Her desperate, furtive act reflected that audacious, mustard seed-sized faith Jesus so highly valued (Matthew 17:20).
Jesus said her faith had healed her and to go in peace
In response to her story, Jesus affectionately called her “daughter” and proclaimed it was indeed her faith that provided the conduit for her healing (Mark 5:34).
He pronounced peace, shalom – total wellbeing for her body, soul and spirit – and permanent freedom from affliction.
This formerly anonymous, marginalized woman left with public affirmation from the Son of God Himself regarding her dignity and significance in His kingdom.
Her courage and testimony increased fame of His healing ministry (Mark 5:33).
As she trod home on now steady legs, feeling vibrant blood coursing through pain-free veins, she walked in literal shalom, true life more abundant (John 10:10).
Significance of Her Story
Demonstrates Jesus’ compassion to outcasts
The story of the woman with the issue of blood demonstrates Jesus’ compassion towards those considered social and religious outcasts.
According to Leviticus 15:19-33, her bleeding condition would have made her ceremonially unclean, excluding her from normal social and religious life.
Yet Jesus warmly received her touch and commended her faith. This reveals his mercy to those marginalized and rejected by society.
Through his ministry, Jesus consistently reached out to and welcomed outsiders, including lepers, tax collectors, and prostitutes.
The bleeding woman’s story reminds us of Christ’s all-embracing grace.
Shows the power of faith even in desperate circumstances
This woman’s dire health condition had persisted for 12 years, during which “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” (Mark 5:26).
Her hopeless situation highlights the remarkable power of her faith in Jesus’ healing ability. Despite over a decade of fruitless efforts, she tenaciously believed that simply touching Christ’s clothes would make her well.
Her bold faith was honored, as “Immediately her bleeding stopped” when she touched him (Mark 5:29). The story inspires us to persist in faith no matter how hopeless circumstances may seem.
Illustrates Jesus’ authority over sickness and ritual impurity
The healing of this woman with chronic bleeding displays Christ’s supreme authority. Her illness rendered her ceremonially unclean under Jewish law. Humanly speaking, her touch should have defiled Jesus with ritual contamination.
Yet instead his power removed her affliction, overturning ceremonial uncleanness.
This demonstrates that Christ has higher authority than human regulations, enough to overrule natural laws and limitations. It previews how Jesus’ power would triumph over death itself in his resurrection.
The bleeding woman’s story displays in a tangible way Christ’s dominion over both disease and ceremonial defilement.
Inspires us to persist in faith despite long trials
This woman suffered chronic bleeding for over a decade, trying every medical option available but only getting worse. The treatments cost a fortune, consumed all her money. Her situation seemed utterly hopeless.
Yet despite 12 years of disappointment, she still tenaciously trusted that Jesus could heal her.
And she was right! Her remarkable story inspires us to persist through long seasons of unanswered prayers and unrealized hopes. It reminds us that breakthrough can come at any time.
Like this woman, we must press on in faith no matter how many years we have awaited God’s answer.
Conclusion
The story of the woman with the issue of blood is a powerful example of steadfast faith and Jesus’ healing power. Her persistence in the face of years of illness shows how we must never lose hope. No situation is too difficult for Jesus to overcome.
May her story inspire us to reach out to him in faith, no matter what we face.
