What have you heard about Jesus?
I love the story about the woman with the issue of blood. Her story can be found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Mark’s account is my favorite because it gives us three points in understanding about the woman’s healing journey: hearing, speaking, and receiving.
27“When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.
Point One: Faith Hears! (Mark 5:27)
What did the woman hear about Jesus that made her fully persuaded that all she had to do was touch the hem of His garment and she would be healed? I believe she heard that there was healing in His Wings!
Malachi 4:2 says, “The Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in His Wings.”
Matthew 14:35 – 36 says, “And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, 36 and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.”
These two scriptures helped me to realize that the woman had heard that others had been healed when they touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. When Jesus entered her Galilee region, He was wearing the traditional prayer shawl with tassels at the bottom. These tassels are called wings. The woman would have been familiar with the scripture in Malachi that indicates Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness, and He has healing available to those who know about Him, trust and believe He is Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals (Exodus 15:26).
Point Two: Faith Speaks! (Mark 5:28)
We need to speak out our healing and the promises of God. Healing is voice activated. It is not only our thoughts of faith that count, but what is behind our thoughts and the words we speak. God’s Word needs to be able to “squash” out the negative thoughts doctors have planted in our minds that cause unbelief and doubt for healing.
The woman, after hearing about Jesus, spoke out that all she had to do was touch the hem of His garment and she would be healed and made whole. She wasn’t only looking for a healing, she was expecting to be made whole. The word “whole” in Greek means to save, to rescue from danger, save one from suffering from a disease, to make well, be healed and restored to health. I believe the moment she touched the hem of His garment she was fully restored to health and had come crawling to Jesus on her hands and knees and left dancing all the way back home. The dancing reference is not found in the Bible, but is in my imagination as I read her story.
Point Three: Faith Receives! (Mark 5:29)
She received her healing immediately; some translations say instantly. The woman did not have to wait for her healing after touching Jesus or have some tests done to prove she was healed—she heard about Jesus, spoke out her faith and received her miracle instantly. Jesus tells her (and us) in Mark 5:34 that is was her faith that made her well. Her faith pulled on the anointing that was inside of Jesus enabling her to receive her healing.
I love her healing journey because Jesus didn’t lay hands on her for her to receive—it was her faith that enabled her to receive healing. This shows us that we don’t need Jesus in the flesh or a person with the gifts of healing to touch us; we can receive healing through the Word of God and what we’ve heard about Jesus!
~Donna Jones