Mark 5:21-43
The scripture we read this morning is the relate of 4 miracles. One is found at the end of chapter four when Jesus calmed the storm. The second is at the beginning of chapter five when Jesus cast out an unclean spirit. Miracle three is he healed the woman with a severe bleeding problem and four Jairus’ daughter who Jesus brought back to life. These four miracles are used by Mark to show Jesus’ power over nature, over demons, over sickness and over death
Today’s scripture mentions two of the four miracles that Mark puts together, including the one I will use for today’s sermon which is the unknown and unnamed woman with the bleeding problem. Now, what do we know about this unnamed and unknown woman? We have two limited sources. One is Tradition. Tradition says her name was Veronica and she cleaned Jesus’ face when he was going to be crucified and Jesus left his face imprinted on her veil. The other source is the Gospel. From the Gospel we can deduce that she might have been a widow or a business woman because that was the only way she could have the money she spent on doctors; we can also assume that she was a lonely woman, but not because she wanted, but because of her condition, We can also deduce that she was a very determined woman, a wise woman who can teach us a great lesson on faith to all of us.
According to Mark, Jesus had already done many miracles before this one. I believe this woman knew about some of them, maybe a friend or a relative had told her about Jesus and all he had done. Maybe she was told about Peter’s mother-in-law, maybe she was told about the man with the paralyzed hand or the leper man that Jesus healed. Mark relates about six specific miracles -besides the healing of many- before this one. I believe -and this is my personal belief- that it was about nine in the morning when someone went to this woman’s house and told her that Jesus was coming, and she knew right there that this was her chance. I believe she changed her cloths, put some make up on, -because she looked pale for the bleeding- took a deep breath and went out determined to make her way among the crowd and touch Jesus’ cloth.
She wanted to touch only the borders of his garment. According to a Jewish tradition even the borders of the Messiah’s garment were going to have power. Jesus refers to this tradition in Matthew 23:5 when he complains to the Pharisees about their intentions to make people believe that they had the holiness of the Messiah. This is what he said, “… But all their works they do, is to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments.”
As it happens with the whole bible this is a story we must read within its context. When this woman decided to touch Jesus’ hem or borders of his garment, she knew in her heart that Jesus was the Messiah. Therefore, with her action, her quiet action she said, I believe you are the one sent by God; you are the one who will redeem Israel; you are the one who will restore our hope, my almost lost hope. The Jewish tradition, I talked about before and this woman without any doubt knew, was based on Numbers 15:38-39 and Deuteronomy 22:12, this tradition says that even the Tassels of the Messiah were going to have healing powers.
When the woman from our story started making her way through the crowd, she knew she was violating Moses’ law; she knew she shouldn’t be there, but she also knew, her only hope was there in the middle of the crowd. Maybe that was the reason why she was so afraid when Jesus said, “who touched me” and maybe that’s the reason also why Jesus called her daughter, meaning do not worry you belong here.
This woman’s faith was the kind of faith that takes risk. And that’s it the only faith that moves God to act. Some theologians call her, “The woman who stole a miracle.” Hebrews 11:1 says, that “faith is confidence in what we hope” and the “assurance of what we do not see.” It’s a risk to be sure of the things we hope for; it’s a risk to be certain of the thing we cannot see. We can make a fool of ourselves before others. But that’s what faith is about.
Now, this scripture brings to me two questions that I want to share with you: 1) Is our faith in Jesus a faith that takes risks? Do I dare to declare as sure all things I hope for, just because I believe in someone I do not see? do I dare to declare as sure things I cannot see?
The morning before the miracle, when this woman saw herself in a mirror, she saw a sick woman, and even thou she felt sick, she knew that if she only touches Jesus’ garments, she was going to come back home healed. She was sure of what she hoped for and because of this faith she was transformed, she got her life back, and as happened with Jairus’ daughter she was brought back to life, she experienced a spiritual revival. After this, she was able go to the temple, to the synagogue; she was able to enjoy her family… and all these happened because she dared to touch Jesus, because of the encounter she had with Jesus, because she dared to make her way through the crowd. James 1:6 says, “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”
The miracle this woman experienced began when she was aware that only Jesus could change her condition, when she was ready to face obstacles and by preparing herself to walk straight forward to Jesus, who was coming her way. It has never been easy to believe, if we believe we must be obedient to God and many prophets gave their lives for that obedience, but because of that obedience, they were also able to do and see great miracles. Romans 4:17 says, that “God gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.” He calls into being things that were not. We must risk ourselves to believe God can do that today in our world and in our life.
The other question is: When I follow Jesus, do I push or press him, or do I touch him? According to Mark, in the crowd that followed Jesus, there were two kinds of people. One, the kind that was there just to see, among them we could find Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes. They wanted to catch Jesus doing something wrong. They were there as part of those who pushed or pressed Jesus. And we find the other kind of people represented by the unnamed and unknown woman, who were there because they knew Jesus was the answer to their needs; Jesus was the solution for their troubles, the kind followers who were looking for Jesus because they believe in their hearts that he was The Christ, the Messiah. They were those who wanted to touch Jesus.
Being near Jesus is not enough to experience his power and presence in our lives; it is our intentional seeking that brings transformation. The two disciples on their way to Emaus, they walked close to the risen Christ for hours without recognizing him. It is not our closeness to Jesus; it’s our determination to overcome obstacles like doubts and the fear to make fools of ourselves and to believe in the healing and transforming power of Jesus that makes power to come from him. It is not even our knowledge of God’s world what makes us experience God’s power. Mark 12 talks about the teacher of the law that ask Jesus about the most important Commandment and when Jesus saw he answered wisely he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” Practicing what we know makes our faith take risks.
Every time we come before our Savior let us do it with the assurance that he will gives us the blessing we are looking for; that he will receive from us the praises our hearts have for him; the praises he deserves. Let us dare to believe without any doubts and we will see the power of God.