Parable Of Healing And Faith

Parable of Healing and Faith

Mark 5:25-34

And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well, go in peace and be healed of your affliction.” - Mark 5:34

A business executive became depressed. Things were not going well at work. Every evening he would eat his dinner in silence, shutting out his wife and five-year-old daughter. Then he would go into the study and read the paper, using the newspaper to keep his family out of his life. After several nights, one evening his daughter took her little hand and pushed the newspaper down. She then jumped into her father’s lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him strongly. The father said, “Honey, you are hugging me to death!” “No, Daddy,” the little girl said, “I’m hugging you back to life!”

This was the greatness of Jesus. He takes people where they were and hugs them to life. That is precisely what we see Jesus doing here in Mark 5. He is loving the needy and broken people, and hugging them to life. In this passage there is a hemorrhaging woman in the crowd. She was a social outcast. The woman was considered unclean as one who was under the judgment of God, and therefore she was not allowed to set foot in the synagogue. But an unexpected miracle of healing takes place in this passage.

Now remember that miracles of healing are parables of grace. In fact, the Apostle John calls miracles "signs." A sign is something that points to something else. Miracles are signs that point to a higher truth. "Every parable is a miracle of teaching, but every miracle is a parable of teaching." This miracle of physical healing points to a greater miracle of spiritual healing. As we look at this miracle in Mark's gospel, let us meditate on the parable of healing and faith.

I. The Trouble That Cursed This Woman

This woman was miserable. She was a Diseased Woman. "Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years." (Mark 5:25). This woman was suffering from a 12 year hemorrhage that had never stopped. She was literally dying. She had a blood disease. Leviticus 17:11 tells us, "the life of the flesh is in the blood." This continual loss of blood would eventually lead to her death. But in the Bible, physical sickness always illustrates the greater spiritual sickness. Just as this sickness was killing this woman, we also have a disease that is killing us called sin. "For the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23)

Now this woman knew she was going to die; she was getting weaker and weaker and weaker. "She had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse." (Mark 5:26). She had spent all of her wealth trying to get back all of her health. She was looking for relief. She had gone from doctor to doctor; but the only thing that they had relieved her of was her money. Imagine our American healthcare system and insurance. Her disease had totally drained her finances.

And like a parable, this tells us that sin is very expensive. Sin will cost you. It will cost you a clear conscience; it will cost you peace of mind; it will cost you a good reputation; it will cost you fellowship with God; it will cost you your marriage; it will cost you your family; and it will cost you your health. You see, sin does not only have an earthly cost, it has an eternal cost. Because sin will ultimately cost you your soul and a home in heaven, if you are not saved. And you are saved only by the grace of God.

Back to the story, because of this woman's disease, she was outcasted by society. By the very law of her own people, she was divorced from her husband, and could not live in her home. She was forbidden from being with her children. She was excluded from going to the temple to worship. She was physically sick, financially drained, emotionally destroyed, and socially rejected with no one to talk to and no one to turn to.

II. The Touch that Cleaned this Woman

"When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment." (Mark 5:27) Now understand, if this crowd found out who she was, she would most likely have been stoned to death, because she was considered unclean. But she was willing to risk her life just to touch the hem of His garment.

Sometimes God puts people in a place of desperation, so that they could be willing to come to Jesus. There are some people who will never think of their spiritual need until death begins to knock on their door. Some people will not come to God until a loved one is gravely ill. Some will lose their health and be placed in a hospital bed before they will look up to heaven. The prodigal son almost starved to death before he said, "I will arise and go to my father."