Mar 5:25-34 | KingComments | STEP | The slowing down which the Lord experienced on the way to Jairus’ daughter even becomes a delay. He is stopped by a woman in great distress who, in her misery, knows no one else who can offer a solution but He. For twelve years she has had a flow of blood. She is unclean as long as the little girl is old. She feels life slowly flowing away from her. By herself, like the little girl, she is incapable of changing her condition. In the little girl we can see a picture of Israel that is temporarily set aside. Although the Lord has come for Israel as a whole, His attention goes first to the few in the people who call upon Him. We see this in the woman who comes to Him. The woman has already tried everything to find healing. It has cost her everything, but without result. No, all the attempts to stop the ailment have only made it worse. This is how it is with someone who lives without God and sees that this life does not satisfy. He tries everything to make his life livable. He spends all his money on it. But the emptiness remains and only gets bigger after every attempt. Only when the Lord Jesus comes into his life is it possible to live the true life. Just like Jairus, there is nothing left for the woman but to go to Christ. But unlike Jairus, she does not dare to come openly to Him. She therefore approaches Him as inconspicuously as possible from behind and touches His cloak. The woman has so much faith in Him that she believes that even a touch of His garments will heal her from her affliction. This speaks of a faith that sees in Him the unique Man. Why should His garments have more strength than other people’s garments? Because He wears them. His garments speak of His outer revelation. As a Man He has always done only the will of God. No other man has ever done that. His garments speak of the perfection of His life, a life that has never known or done anything of sin ( ; ). There is no sin in Him ( ), no sinful nature. For He is “that holy Child” Who was born ( ). That makes Him the unique Man also now in heaven and that He will remain forever. The touch of faith is not without results. The woman receives according to her faith. As soon as she has touched Him, she notices that the flowing of blood has stopped.

‏ Mark 5:25-34

A Woman Healed of the Flow of Her Blood

The slowing down which the Lord experienced on the way to Jairus’ daughter even becomes a delay. He is stopped by a woman in great distress who, in her misery, knows no one else who can offer a solution but He. For twelve years she has had a flow of blood. She is unclean as long as the little girl is old. She feels life slowly flowing away from her. By herself, like the little girl, she is incapable of changing her condition.

In the little girl we can see a picture of Israel that is temporarily set aside. Although the Lord has come for Israel as a whole, His attention goes first to the few in the people who call upon Him. We see this in the woman who comes to Him.

The woman has already tried everything to find healing. It has cost her everything, but without result. No, all the attempts to stop the ailment have only made it worse. This is how it is with someone who lives without God and sees that this life does not satisfy. He tries everything to make his life livable. He spends all his money on it. But the emptiness remains and only gets bigger after every attempt. Only when the Lord Jesus comes into his life is it possible to live the true life.

Just like Jairus, there is nothing left for the woman but to go to Christ. But unlike Jairus, she does not dare to come openly to Him. She therefore approaches Him as inconspicuously as possible from behind and touches His cloak.

The woman has so much faith in Him that she believes that even a touch of His garments will heal her from her affliction. This speaks of a faith that sees in Him the unique Man. Why should His garments have more strength than other people’s garments? Because He wears them. His garments speak of His outer revelation. As a Man He has always done only the will of God. No other man has ever done that.

His garments speak of the perfection of His life, a life that has never known or done anything of sin (2Cor 5:21; 1Pet 2:22). There is no sin in Him (1Jn 3:5), no sinful nature. For He is “that holy Child” Who was born (Lk 1:35). That makes Him the unique Man also now in heaven and that He will remain forever.

The touch of faith is not without results. The woman receives according to her faith. As soon as she has touched Him, she notices that the flowing of blood has stopped.

The Woman Sent Away in Peace

This deed of healing is not a deed that costs the Lord nothing. As with any healing, in healing this affliction He feels the pain of the disease (Mt 8:17). He notices that power has gone forth from Him. Of course, He also knows who has touched Him. However, He asks for it because He wants the woman to make herself known. Otherwise she would live on with a stolen blessing, as it were.

The disciples still understand little of their Master. They think they have to point out to Him a self-evident matter. In their eyes it is not logical to ask such a question. However, they do not understand that He knows every person who touches Him, whether accidentally or consciously. He also knows that among all these people only this woman has touched Him because she has faith in Him.

He knows all those people who profess to be connected with Him and are recorded in church records as members of this or that denomination. He also knows all those people who preach about Him. They are all people who have some connection with Him. He knows among all those people also those who truly have faith in Him.

The Lord does not respond to the well-intentioned but very misplaced comments of His disciples. All His attention goes to the woman “who had done this”, who has accomplished this act of faith. He searches especially for her. His interest is always in those who seek Him in their need. He not only wants to heal them, but also to give them His peace.

Because the woman has, as it were, stolen the blessing, she must come forward. The Lord wants her to receive His blessing as a free, complete gift in a personal and open encounter with Him. With fear and trembling, she tells “Him the whole truth”. The Lord Jesus confirms His blessing by assuring her of being made well, peace and healing. He thereby puts His seal, as it were, on her faith.

He is the Son of God Who has life in Himself (Jn 5:26). Faith therein reveals its power by touching Him. Outwardly He is in the midst of Israel, but only faith enjoys the blessing because it has a sense of its own need and of His glory. Where man’s need is brought into connection with His glory, the consequence is that the need disappears and His glory becomes radiantly visible.