Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

I would say that the account of the hemhorraging woman who was healed by touching Jesus' garment is a parable of salvation in the following respects:

1) The long duration of the woman's problem corresponds to the presence of the sin nature with which all humans are afflicted from birth, and even before (Psalm 51:5).

2) In multiple passages in the Bible (such as Leviticus 17:11), blood is consistently indicated as being the seat of physical life.The nature of the woman's problem (dealing with her blood) indicates that it was not just a peripheral issue, but affected the very core of her biological life, in the same way that sin strikes at the heart of humans' spiritual existence, denying them eternal life in God's presence.

3) The futility and expense that the woman had experienced in attempting to heal her condition prior to coming to Jesus represents the ultimate failure of every means of "curing" the sin problem apart from faith in Christ.

4) The fact that the woman believed that just touching Jesus' garment would cure her, without requiring Jesus to initiate the healing by first touching her (or even speaking to her), is indicative of the power of (as Jesus said in Matthew 17:20 and Luke 17:6) faith that is even as small as a mustard seed in attaining salvation.

5) The fact that -- despite the woman's deliberate effort at unobtrusiveness, and also the presence of other people crowding all around Jesus -- Jesus was aware of her healing, indicates that God is fully knowledgable of even the most humble individual petition for salvation, regardless of the countless areas of His attention and activity at any given moment.

6) Jesus' question as to who touched him was not (as skeptics commonly argue) a denial of Jesus' omniscience (and therefore, according to them, an indication that He was not God), but was His means of being able to commend the woman personally for her faith; of requiring the woman to make a public testimony of her healing (corresponding to the condition stated by Paul in Romans 10:9 of verbally confessing Jesus' lordship); and also of having His awareness of the woman, as well as the fact of her healing, both serve as evidence of His identity as the Son of God to the many other people present, as those who have been saved through faith should similarly witness to others about Him through their words and their conduct.

February 06 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Aurel Gheorghe

The healing of a woman with a flow of blood is found in three of the gospels (Matt 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48), a miracle sandwiched between two halves of another miracle, the resurrection of the daughter of Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue. 

The Gospels tell that in one day Jesus healed a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years and then resurrected a 12-year old girl (Mark 5:25-42). 

Mark and Luke add important details about Jarius’ daughter: Mark records that her father calls her "my little daughter," while Luke say that she was an only child, highlighting how precious she was to her father. Also, Jesus’ statement while in Jariu’s house is notable: “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping” (Luke 8:52). 

The woman's apparent incurable disease had drained her of all her energy and money. Her efforts to find a cure got her nowhere - in fact she got worse. Her condition is hopeless. Interestingly, Luke's omits the phrase, "but rather grew worse" - Luke is a physician and probably some professional bias might be at play here. No early physician can heal her in spite of all treatments and rituals performed - only her faith in Jesus could cure her affliction. 

Some Bible commentators have opined that the woman represents the Old Testament church with a continual flow of sacrificial blood - while the young girl represents the New Testament church that is awaken to life after Christ's resurrection. They both touched Him and were made whole the same day.

February 09 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report