About Jesus\’ Amazing Healing Powers
Mark 5:21-34
A woman, who had already passed the joyous years of childhood, began to bleed. Filled with fear, she sought all the medical care then available. Nothing could be done to stop her menstrual bleeding. Considered unclean by others in the Jewish society of those days, she found her social life over.
This would have been very serious because among the Jews a menstruating woman was “unclean,” and being perpetually unclean for twelve years couldn\’t have been pleasant, even if the condition itself wasn\’t physically troublesome. Thus, we have is a person who is not only experiencing a physical malady but a religious one as well.
She must have been humiliated and filled with despair. Where could she turn to? Those who have suffered a chronic ailment know that there comes a time when death can seem preferable to continuing with the burden. But one day word came to her about Jesus, the Divine Healer.
She had no money to offer a healer, other healers had taken all she had over the twelve years she had been ill. Besides, she felt like such a pitiable wretch that she could not bear to stand before Jesus and ask for healing. Because of her impurity, her condition was so much worse than everyone else\’s. She could not talk about it without feeling the redness of shame rising in her face. But perhaps there was a way. Perhaps if she could just touch Him, that would be enough. Maybe there was hope. She set out to find Jesus.
Then the bleeding woman found Jesus and touched Him. Knowing that He had healed someone, Jesus stopped and called her to Him. Feeling that the healing she now felt might be taken from her, she came to Him, fell at His feet, and confessed her need. She doesn\’t actually approach to ask for Jesus\’ help, which makes sense if she considers herself unclean. Instead, she joins those pressing close to him and touches his garment. This, for some reason, works. Just touching Jesus\’ clothing heals her immediately, as if Jesus has imbued his clothing with his power or is leaking healthy energy.
Why does Jesus ask who touched him? It\’s a bizarre question — even his disciples think he\’s being goofy in asking it. They are surrounded by a crowd of people pressing him to see him. Who touched Jesus? Everyone did — two or three times, probably. Of course, that leads us to wonder why this woman in particular was healed.
But the only words he had for her were words of reassurance. Her joy at healing returned, and she went away with peace in her heart. All had shunned her before because of her uncleanness, but Jesus had called her “Daughter.” In doing so, He placed her on equal footing with Jairus\’s daughter in God\’s love.
Never Give up
The answer comes from Jesus: she was healed not because Jesus wanted to heal her or because she was the only one who needed healing, but rather because she had faith. As with previous instances of Jesus healing someone, it ultimately comes back to the quality of their faith which determines whether it is possible. In the end, being relieved of her presumed uncleanliness was just a matter of having the right sort of faith. There was no need to perform sacrifices or rituals or obey complicated laws to get healed.
God\’s will is for us to sense our own need and come to Him. He will heal us. His love assures us of that. He also wants us to believe that others can be healed with His love and to have faith that this will happen.
Holy Eucharist
If you believe the Holy Eucharist as the Body of Christ, the moment you “touch” and consume it, you are touching Jesus. You are touching God!!!. He will know the moment you come in contact with Him. Even if you are unclean and a sinner, you will be made transformed like “Christ”. It is amazing!!!!!!!
