The woman with a discharge of blood healed

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chuckd

Puritan Board Junior
Matt. 9:20-21 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.”

Mark 5:27-30 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?”

Luke 8:44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.


This seems somewhat superstitious to me. That believing touching Christ's garments would make this woman well.

Especially the account in Mark where it records she was healed and Jesus felt that power had gone out from him. It reminds me of the Catholic relics.

Is this simply an accommodation to give him a reason to turn and talk to her?
 
Matt. 9:20-21 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.”

Mark 5:27-30 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?”

Luke 8:44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.


This seems somewhat superstitious to me. That believing touching Christ's garments would make this woman well.

Especially the account in Mark where it records she was healed and Jesus felt that power had gone out from him. It reminds me of the Catholic relics.

Is this simply an accommodation to give him a reason to turn and talk to her?

How funny. This was last Sunday's text in my church.

Here is Calvin's commentary:

"she had spent all her substance on physicians All this is expressly stated by the Evangelists, that the miracle may shine with brighter glory. When an incurable disease was removed so suddenly, and by the mere touch of a garment, it is perfectly obvious that it was not accomplished by human power. The thought of the woman that, if she only touched Christ’s garment, she would immediately be cured, arose from an extraordinary impulse of the Holy Spirit, and ought not to be regarded as a general rule. We know how eagerly superstition is wont to sport in foolish and thoughtless attempts to copy the saints; but they are apes, and not imitators, who take up some remarkable example without the command of God, and are led rather by their own senses than by the direction of the Spirit.

It is even possible that there was a mixture of sin and error in the woman’s faith, which Christ graciously bears and forgives. Certainly, when she afterwards thinks that she has done wrong, and fears and trembles, there is no apology for that kind of doubt: for it is opposed to faith.
Why did she not rather go straight to Christ? If her reverence for him prevented, from what other source than from his mercy did she expect aid? How comes it, then, that she is afraid of offending him, if she was convinced of his favorable regard?

Yet Christ bestows high commendation on her faith. This agrees with what I have lately noticed, that God deals kindly and gently with his people, — accepts their faith, though imperfect and weak, — and does not lay to their charge the faults and imperfections with which it is connected. It was by the guidance of faith, therefore, that the woman approached to Christ. When she stopped at the garment, instead of presenting herself in prayers that she might be cured, inconsiderate zeal may have drawn her a little aside from the right path; particularly as she soon afterwards shows that she had made the attempt with some degree of doubt and uncertainty. Were we even to grant that this was suggested to her by the Spirit, it still remains a fixed rule, that our faith must not be driven hither and thither by particular examples, but ought to rest wholly on the word of God, according to the saying of Paul, Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, (Romans 10:17.) This is a highly necessary warning, that we may not dignify with the name of faith any opinion which has been rashly embraced."

(Emphasis mine)
 
How funny. This was last Sunday's text in my church.

Here is Calvin's commentary:

"she had spent all her substance on physicians All this is expressly stated by the Evangelists, that the miracle may shine with brighter glory. When an incurable disease was removed so suddenly, and by the mere touch of a garment, it is perfectly obvious that it was not accomplished by human power. The thought of the woman that, if she only touched Christ’s garment, she would immediately be cured, arose from an extraordinary impulse of the Holy Spirit, and ought not to be regarded as a general rule. We know how eagerly superstition is wont to sport in foolish and thoughtless attempts to copy the saints; but they are apes, and not imitators, who take up some remarkable example without the command of God, and are led rather by their own senses than by the direction of the Spirit.

It is even possible that there was a mixture of sin and error in the woman’s faith, which Christ graciously bears and forgives. Certainly, when she afterwards thinks that she has done wrong, and fears and trembles, there is no apology for that kind of doubt: for it is opposed to faith.
Why did she not rather go straight to Christ? If her reverence for him prevented, from what other source than from his mercy did she expect aid? How comes it, then, that she is afraid of offending him, if she was convinced of his favorable regard?

Yet Christ bestows high commendation on her faith. This agrees with what I have lately noticed, that God deals kindly and gently with his people, — accepts their faith, though imperfect and weak, — and does not lay to their charge the faults and imperfections with which it is connected. It was by the guidance of faith, therefore, that the woman approached to Christ. When she stopped at the garment, instead of presenting herself in prayers that she might be cured, inconsiderate zeal may have drawn her a little aside from the right path; particularly as she soon afterwards shows that she had made the attempt with some degree of doubt and uncertainty. Were we even to grant that this was suggested to her by the Spirit, it still remains a fixed rule, that our faith must not be driven hither and thither by particular examples, but ought to rest wholly on the word of God, according to the saying of Paul, Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, (Romans 10:17.) This is a highly necessary warning, that we may not dignify with the name of faith any opinion which has been rashly embraced."

(Emphasis mine)
Great!
 
How funny. This was last Sunday's text in my church.

Here is Calvin's commentary:

"she had spent all her substance on physicians All this is expressly stated by the Evangelists, that the miracle may shine with brighter glory. When an incurable disease was removed so suddenly, and by the mere touch of a garment, it is perfectly obvious that it was not accomplished by human power. The thought of the woman that, if she only touched Christ’s garment, she would immediately be cured, arose from an extraordinary impulse of the Holy Spirit, and ought not to be regarded as a general rule. We know how eagerly superstition is wont to sport in foolish and thoughtless attempts to copy the saints; but they are apes, and not imitators, who take up some remarkable example without the command of God, and are led rather by their own senses than by the direction of the Spirit.

It is even possible that there was a mixture of sin and error in the woman’s faith, which Christ graciously bears and forgives. Certainly, when she afterwards thinks that she has done wrong, and fears and trembles, there is no apology for that kind of doubt: for it is opposed to faith.
Why did she not rather go straight to Christ? If her reverence for him prevented, from what other source than from his mercy did she expect aid? How comes it, then, that she is afraid of offending him, if she was convinced of his favorable regard?

Yet Christ bestows high commendation on her faith. This agrees with what I have lately noticed, that God deals kindly and gently with his people, — accepts their faith, though imperfect and weak, — and does not lay to their charge the faults and imperfections with which it is connected. It was by the guidance of faith, therefore, that the woman approached to Christ. When she stopped at the garment, instead of presenting herself in prayers that she might be cured, inconsiderate zeal may have drawn her a little aside from the right path; particularly as she soon afterwards shows that she had made the attempt with some degree of doubt and uncertainty. Were we even to grant that this was suggested to her by the Spirit, it still remains a fixed rule, that our faith must not be driven hither and thither by particular examples, but ought to rest wholly on the word of God, according to the saying of Paul, Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, (Romans 10:17.) This is a highly necessary warning, that we may not dignify with the name of faith any opinion which has been rashly embraced."

(Emphasis mine)
Thank you. I read that commentary before posting, but the gospel writers make it sound like her plan worked. Mark says “Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him…”
 
Within the context of the story, with a crowd pressing around Jesus as he was being hurried to an emergency house call at the synagogue ruler's home, the woman probably found it impossible or improper to actually stop Jesus and ask him for healing. What does a person of faith do in such a circumstance? Does she give up because she's unable to ask? No, she does what little she can do, the only thing she is able to do, to still reach out to Jesus in faith.

My take: I think hers is actually a remarkable faith, similar to that of the men who cut a hole in a roof to lower an invalid to Jesus. She won't let circumstances stand in the way of whatever act of faith is possible, even if it means resorting to a seemingly-poor act of faith that the man Jesus can't even see. But God, who sees all, responds through Jesus' body. And when Jesus realizes what has happened, he stops and calls the woman forward despite the scorn she will face from the impatient crowd. She is able to tell her full story, making the entire incident deeply personal after all, and not mere superstition.
 
Within the context of the story, with a crowd pressing around Jesus as he was being hurried to an emergency house call at the synagogue ruler's home, the woman probably found it impossible or improper to actually stop Jesus and ask him for healing. What does a person of faith do in such a circumstance? Does she give up because she's unable to ask? No, she does what little she can do, the only thing she is able to do, to still reach out to Jesus in faith.

My take: I think hers is actually a remarkable faith, similar to that of the men who cut a hole in a roof to lower an invalid to Jesus. She won't let circumstances stand in the way of whatever act of faith is possible, even if it means resorting to a seemingly-poor act of faith that the man Jesus can't even see. But God, who sees all, responds through Jesus' body. And when Jesus realizes what has happened, he stops and calls the woman forward despite the scorn she will face from the impatient crowd. She is able to tell her full story, making the entire incident deeply personal after all, and not mere superstition.
Agree. I don't blame the woman for what she did. In a desperate situation, we might all do the same. As you said, this is in the midst of the synagogue ruler's request to raise his daughter from the dead - another desperate request!

I'm just curious as to the mechanics of how she was healed. Did "power go out from Jesus"? Or was this nominalism?

And I agree that it was a remarkable faith, even though the outward form was somewhat imperfect. Though I'm having a hard time articulating how it's different than the Catholic superstitions regarding relics. Obviously what happened to this woman shouldn't be regarded as normative, but from the story I feel what the Catholics do with their relics shouldn't be dismissed - as their faith is sincere and genuine, especially in desperate situations, though misplaced.
 
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Lay hold of Christ any way you know how. Maybe it is slightly superstitious, but it's lovely that Jesus rather than rebuking her for it commends her for laying hold of him. Just saw Calvin's quote on this that Jonathan referenced, fantastic: "It is even possible that there was a mixture of sin and error in the woman’s faith, which Christ graciously bears and forgives. "

On another note I was thinking of this passage recently. This thought was so encouraging to me, that while some of those Christ heals know precisely what their problem is (blind, etc), she has no idea, neither do the best doctors of her time. What a comfort; sometimes I feel something wrong in my soul but I can't diagnose exactly what it is! But no matter; I don't need to. Christ can heal me even when I don't know exactly what it is that's wrong with me.
 
I explain this at great length from the OT in this sermon. She was applying the promises from the prophets. May be helpful.
The Saints Looking to Christ by Faith for Healing Virtue, Mark 5:24ff
Thanks for your post. I listened to the sermon and I feel it’s a stretch that she had those passages in mind while doing it. Maybe she did, I just find it a stretch. I’ve seen others point to Mal. 4:2 since apparently “wings” is the same word used as the garment you referenced in Zech. 8:23.

Calvin on Matt. 14:36:
That they might touch the fringe. There is reason to believe that they were under the influence of some superstition, when they limited the grace of Christ to a touch of his robe; at least, they defrauded him of a part of his honor, since they did not expect any efficacy 389 to be derived from his bare word. But that he may not quench the smoking flax, (Isaiah 42:3,) he accommodates himself to their ignorance. Yet there is nothing here that lends countenance to the views of those who seek the grace of God in wood, or nails, or robes; while Scripture expressly declares, that we have no right to form any conception respecting Christ but what is spiritual and consistent with his heavenly glory. The weakness of those who, not knowing that Christ is God, desired to make a nearer approach to him, was endured for a time. Now that he fills heaven and earth with the sweet savor of his grace, we must embrace—not with hands or eyes, but by faith—the salvation which he offers to us from heaven.
 
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