Jesus heals the woman with issue of blood - This is a miracle recorded in 3 gospels of the Bible.
Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48
Matthew 9:20-22 - And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; syour faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
Mark records the same incident in greater detail:
Mark 5:25-34
Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the [a]affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”
But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”
And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
Jesus left Decapolis where He did a notable miracle of healing a demon-possessed man and crossed over by boat to the other side. The news about Jesus’ arrival spread widely in that region and a great multitude gathered around Him. A ruler of the synagogue named Jairus approached Him and begged Him to come to his house and heal his 12-year-old daughter. Now, Jesus was on the mission to go to Jairus’ house and heal his daughter. On His way, a woman approached Him and touched the hem of His garment. This Jewish woman had been suffering with this issue of blood for 12 long years. She had sought help from one physician after another and spent all her money. But she had not been helped. In fact, her problem got worse. Adding to her physical issue was the social stigma of those days. Under the Mosaic Law in Leviticus 15:25 – 27 - If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean. Every bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her impurity; and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her impurity. Whoever touches those things shall be unclean; he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.
If a woman had a discharge of blood, she was ceremonially unclean. A person touching her or her blood-stained garments required to wash and was also unclean until the evening.
Living in isolation for 12 long years is not an easy task.
This woman heard about Jesus, meaning she would have heard about the compassion of Jesus and the great miracles that he performed. The reports that she heard built faith within her. She decided to reach out to Him. She was unclean and as per the law, she could not touch anybody but to approach Jesus, she had to pass a great multitude. She did that as inconspicuously as possible. Notice how great her faith was. She said within herself, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” It happened just as she believed. The moment she touched the hem of his garment, she realized that her flow of blood had stopped. She received her miracle that she was waiting for 12 long years.
John 11:40 - If you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
Jesus knew that power went out of Him and asked, “Who touched me?”
His disciples (Luke records that it was Peter Luke 8:45) said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?
Multitudes were thronging Him, meaning multitudes were touching Jesus on all sides. This multitude would have included people with various needs and sicknesses. But none of them received their miracle. Power did not do go out of Jesus when they touched Him.
What made the difference?
Not the touch but the faith associated with the touch.
The same is true for us to receive our miracles as well. Many approach Jesus in prayer but not all receive supernatural miracles. Only those who cling on to Him in faith receive their miracles.
Hebrews 11:6 says “without faith it is impossible to please God”
What is your measure of faith today?
Not all have the same level of faith
Romans 12: 3 says that each one has a different measure of faith.
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
1. Fullness of faith
When talking about Stephen, Bible records that Stephen was full of faith.
Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people
2. Little faith
On the other hand, during His earthly ministry, Jesus condemned the disciples for their little faith
Matthew 8:26 - When disciples were worried because of the great tempest, Jesus said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?”
3. Lack of faith
Matthew 17:20 - When the disciples failed to cast out the demons and asked Jesus the reason for their failure, He replied, “Because of your unbelief.”
Jesus performed several miracles during His earthly ministry, but he could not do many miracles in His own place – Nazareth. Why? Was the hand of the Lord shortened? Bible specifies the reason as unbelief of the people
Matthew 13:58 - Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
4. Faith that can move mountains
Jesus also talks about the level of faith that can move mountains.
Matthew 11:23 - For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
What is your measure of faith today? Your miracle is directly proportional to your faith.
