Healing and Faith:

Let’s read and learn about the woman who had a blood issue. She is only mentioned in the Books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Matthew’s version is the shortest, “And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort, their faith hath made thee whole, And the woman was made whole from that hour” (Matthew 9:20–22).

By reading this, we learn that she did not touch Jesus but his garment, she probably didn’t want to touch Jesus because everything she touched would be considered unclean. The Jews would have believed that this disease was unclean (Lev 15:25–27). According to Matthew, the woman was healed from that hour but in the other two gospels, she was immediately healed.

In Mark’s account, it says, “And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 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? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And her said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace and be whole of thy plague” (Mark 5:25–34).

This poor woman had to suffer for twelve years of this plague trying to be healed by physicians, trying anything to get better all for nothing except getting worse and spending all her money. Then she hears about Jesus, touches his garment, and is instantly healed. Faith that this woman had because according to Jesus, it was her faith in him that healed her. She knew that by touching his garment Jesus would heal her. She did this in the crowd so she wouldn’t be noticed. Can you imagine having a disease for twelve years then with one touch you can feel yourself being healed? She must have been happy and afraid. Jesus knew he had healed someone but wanted that person to come and confess her act of faith. He also knew who was healed and she did come forward and confess afraid and trembling. That must have taken courage to come forward and confess to a huge crowd.

Luke’s account is “And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 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? And Jesus said, somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: they faith hath made thee whole; go in peace” (Luke 8:43–48).

Can you imagine how she felt after she was healed? Knowing that her disease was gone. How relieved she must have felt knowing that she didn’t have to spend any more money on physicians who couldn’t help her. It makes you wonder if the physicians knew they couldn’t help her but took her money anyway.

I wonder if after she was healed she spent the rest of her life living for Jesus, telling everyone about Jesus and how she was healed. When she touched Jesus’s garment, she may have been hiding from men but not Jesus. He knew because he felt someone’s faith which meant he felt virtue leaving him. The apostles didn’t understand why Jesus said Who touched me? We can learn from this woman. By reading about this woman we know that she was sick for a long time, that she was considered to be unclean, that she was willing to try anything to get better, and that she had faith in Jesus to heal her. We must have this kind of faith in Jesus. We must live for him and preach his word. I hope to one day meet this woman.