Anchor My Faith

Woman’s Plan Worked

Scripture: Matthew 9:22; Mark 5:30-34; Luke 8:45-47

We ended the previous lesson with a woman, who had worked her way through the crowd, and touched the garment Jesus was wearing. She was unclean because of a flow of blood and she technically made everyone she touched in the crowd unclean. When she reached Jesus and touched his garment she was immediately healed. ^{Mk 5:30} “[Now] Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?”’

The woman thought she had accomplished her faith mission in secret, but with the words of Jesus she realized, probably with great fear, that she was in trouble because of defiling so many in the crowd, including Jesus. She had a choice to make; should she try to slip away unnoticed or confess to what she had done? The question Jesus asked would seem rather strange to those pressing in on him, and not knowing the implication of an “I did” response, you might expect everyone to deny that they had.

^{Lk 8:45} “When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” ^{Mk 5:31} and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’”’ Clearly, Peter did not understand why Jesus asked such a question. Why should Jesus care who just touched him as they walked together toward the home of Jairus. The question Peter asked was to understand why Jesus wanted to know who touched him at that given time.

Jesus is insistent in knowing. ^{Lk 8:46} “But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” ^{Mk 5:32} And he looked around to see who had done it.” Now we understand that this touch was different that other touches because with this touch there was a faith connection and he felt power being transmitted from him. As he made that statement, he probably looked carefully at each person who was close by him or trying to escape from him. That look probably caught her eye, causing conviction in her heart.

^{Mk 5:33} “[Now] the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth ^{Lk 8:47} in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed.” Try to put yourself in the woman’s place and think about what might happen to you when the crowd realized they had been made unclean by your actions. What will the Jewish leadership do? What will Jesus do? The woman comes forth and confesses everything. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 ESV). Her confession to Jesus should result in forgiveness and cleansing from her from her sin and I believe, in this case, for those in the crowd.

^{Mk 5:34} “[Jesus] said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your disease.” ^{Mt 9:22} and instantly the woman was made well.” It was her faith in Jesus that made her well. Jesus assures her that her disease would not return.

There is a harmonization issue in the above section of text. The phrase “and instantly the woman was made well” comes from Matthew and does not fit well at the end of what Mark said. We need to be careful when we cut up verses to form harmonization that we don’t abuse the context.

^{Lk 8:49} “While [Jesus] was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.”’ Did this delay by this woman result in the untimely death of the daughter of Jairus? We will continue our study in the next lesson.

Prayer

Father, the more I study the more connections I see between verses. Walking with Jesus in this harmonization study is more exciting and meaningful to me than the offerings of the world. As I understand more and more about Jesus, my desire to be with him in heaven continues to grow.