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."
This woman had long ago lost her pride. She didn't care who, when, or how, she just wanted to be healed. A patient will never be cured until he admits he is sick, and a sinner will never be saved until he admits he is lost.
See how this woman bravely pushes her way through the crowd with her trembling body, shaking from weakness. But where her flesh was weak, her spirit was willing. She reaches out and puts the finger of faith on the hem of heaven, and she is healed. "Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up." (Mark 5:29a) She was not gradually healed; the flow of her blood was not slowed, it was immediately stopped.
Now just as her sickness parables sin, her healing parables salvation. This woman was healed immediately. There is no such thing as growing into salvation. There is no such thing as progressively becoming a Christian. There is no middle ground. A man is not partly saved, and partly lost; mostly saved and slightly lost. They are either saved or they are lost.
"And she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction." (v.29b) Now there were many sick people in that crowd, but only one person who was healed. There were many in that crowd who got very close to Jesus, who might have brushed up against Jesus; but the only one who reached out and touched him and was healed, was this little woman. Many had come just out of curiosity. Others had come to be entertained; to see the great miracle worker put on another show. But there was one person who did not come just to see or to hear, but to touch and to receive a blessing.
The difference between the crowd and the woman is the difference between flesh and faith. Flesh wants to see a sign, but faith wants to touch a Savior. Jesus can always distinguish between a curious crowd and the touch of a needy soul led by faith. Yes, there were many in that crowd that day who heard Jesus, saw Jesus, got a glimpse of Jesus, and brushed against Jesus, but the only one who touched him, and the only one who was both healed and saved, was the one who came to God with absolute faith, desperation, and humility.
III. The Truth That Changed This Woman
Now remember this story is not just about literal physical healing. It is an illustration or a parable of a greater spiritual healing. There are two great truths that are illustrated in this magnificent miracle: the faith of a sinner and the grace of a Savior. Abounding faith is always met by amazing grace, and the result is salvation. Let us meditate and look into what Jesus did for this woman.
"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?' (Mark 5:30). The moment this woman touched Jesus, He knew because He felt power go out of him. Somebody had touched him in a special way. Now the disciples did not realize it, but Jesus knew.
Why did Jesus acknowledge this woman? Why did Jesus want this crowd to know what had taken place? Jesus wanted everyone to know a miracle occurred. The reason that Jesus acknowledged her was because He wanted her to acknowledge Him. You see, this woman tried to take a blessing without acknowledging God, but Jesus would not let her. This same story is told in Luke chapter 8, and we are told there that she tried to hide. But when she found she could not, she "declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him, and how she was healed immediately." (Luke 8:47)
When a person is saved, Jesus expects a public confession so that God will receive the glory. Jesus did not want there to be any misunderstanding on how this miracle took place. That is why Jesus said to her, "Your faith has made you well." (Mark 5:34) He wanted her, and everyone else, to understand it was not his garment, nor her finger, but it was her faith that saved her.
"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.'" (Mark 5:33-34) This is the only time Jesus ever addressed a woman with the term "daughter." You see, Jesus not only acknowledged her, but he also adopted her. He not only healed her, but he also saved her, and she was now a part of the family of God.
She had not only accepted Jesus, but Jesus had also accepted her. "But as many as received Him, to them He gives the right to become children of God." (John. 1:12) She was dirty, diseased, despised, and deserted; but now she was a child of God.
Jesus gives his farewell by saying, "Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction." (Mark 5:34) For twelve years she had been living in the shadows of sin, but now she could enjoy the sunshine of salvation. She had a peace that passes all understanding. She was healthy, she was happy, and now she was holy.
Conclusion:
Real peace is not found in health nor wealth. It is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. You can have a well body, and a sick soul. You can be financially rich, but spiritually poor. But there is no wealth and there is no health that can compare to peace of heart, peace of soul, and peace of mind, and you can have it with just the right touch.
You may think you are just one in a crowd today, but I want to tell you that Jesus is passing by. He is waiting on you just to reach out and touch Him. Because when you reach out and touch Him, He will reach out and touch you; and you will never be the same again. Amen.
