A Life-Changing Encounter For The Woman With The Issue Of Blood
I've been studying and meditating about the woman in the New Testament who had a medical condition for 12 years.
I relate to this woman for so many reasons. Not because I have an issue of blood. And our life circumstances seem to be vastly different. But I don't have to walk in her shoes to realize I share her path. And you probably share her path to because we all have something we have struggled with for longer than we want to admit.
I relate to this nameless woman because I have dealt with chronic illness my entire adult life. I have been to many doctors, endured tests and procedures, and trusted their advice. I didn't always end up better off, but my wallet sure grew thinner.
Because I felt a connection with this woman, in the dark of night when everything feels overwhelming, I like to think about her life-changing encounter with Jesus. Her story gives me hope.
Where She's Found In The Bible
This woman's story can be found in Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:25-34, and Luke 8:43-48. Each of the three accounts varies in detail, but together they give us a great deal of insight into this woman and her encounter with Jesus.
PuttingHer Story Into Context
Before we lean into this woman and her situation, we need to put her story into context.
Early in his public career, and after Jesus called his disciples to join him, he went around the countryside ministering. Word of his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came from all over to see Jesus for themselves. During this time, he calmed stormy waters for the terrified disciples, cast Legion out of a possessed man into a large herd of pigs, and agreed to visit Jairus, a leader of the local synagogue, whose daughter was dying.
This woman with the chronic illness was part of the crowd pressing and pushing to get closer to Jesus. She had a medical condition that controlled her life for 12 long years. Back then, when a woman had her monthly, she was considered unclean while her blood flowed plus for seven days thereafter.
You can read more about this in Leviticus chapter 12 and Leviticus 15:19-33. Because of this law, this woman and anything and anyone she touched was considered contaminated; unclean.
God gave Moses those laws not to insinuate that having your monthly was so shameful that woman needed to hide away for two weeks each month. That wasn't it at all. God created women to bring forth life. Having a monthly period was part of the process God created. God gave Moses the laws out of love to protect us.
The Woman With The Issue Of Blood
Now that we have a basic idea of the context of this woman's story, let's see if we can make her more than words on a page.
Who Was She?
We have no indication of the approximate age of this woman. We don't have a clue if she was married, lived alone, lived on the streets, or had children. We don't even know what town she was from since the crowds had gathered from all over the area.
I would have to say that she was Jewish because Jesus called her daughter. He didn't call everyone son or daughter; those weren't terms of endearment he tossed around.
What Happened To Her?
What happened to cause her chronic illness? We don't know. Her issue of blood could have been due to trauma, childbirth, miscarriages, hormonal imbalance, or any number of reasons.
Without exception, prolonged physical illness affects everyone physically, mentally, and spiritually. Although we can't know this woman's specifics, many common effects of chronic illness can give us an idea of the life she might have endured.
Physically
Was this woman in constant, tormenting pain from her issue? The Bible doesn't say that she was. Nor does it say that she was dying from blood loss. But, what we consider a normal life would have been impossible for her because of her condition and Jewish law.
According to Luke (a physician himself), she suffered a great deal at the hands of the doctors, and they made her worse, not better. The treatments the physicians did back then when a woman had a female issue were horrific. She may not have been in pain or dying from her condition but sometimes the treatments can be worse than living with a disease. Anyway, at the time of her healing we don't know that she was actively in physical pain.
Regardless, she suffered at the hands of the physicians. Even without their help, blood flowing from your body for 12 years would sap your strength and leave you with a host of other physical complications.
Emotionally
Although it hits everyone differently, all chronic conditions cause emotional turmoil. This woman had strict procedures she had to follow. Let’s look at how they affect us emotionally.
I had an unwanted taste of this about 15 years ago. As part of my cancer treatment, I had to be quarantined for about 12 days. I lived in my master bedroom but couldn't leave the room or have direct contact with my husband, kids, pets, or visitors. We could see each other and have conversations, but nobody could come within 10 feet of me. Everything I touched was contaminated. I had specific rules to follow for everything, including for my personal hygiene (no one else could use my bathroom, wipe down the toilet with bleach spray before and after use, take showers daily and scrub/disinfect the shower after each use, no bar soap was allowed, only plastic tableware could be used, etc.).
Over the years, as I spoke with other cancer survivors, I discovered that, although our quarantine hygiene rules were difficult, having zero physical contact with our loved ones was overwhelmingly the most difficult part of our illness. But, praise God, we were only separated for 10 days, not 12 years!
So this woman had twelve years of no hugs, no kisses, no handshakes, pats on the back, or shared meals. She couldn't go out in public, couldn't get together with the other women to draw water from the well, and couldn't venture out to worship at the temple. Nothing. For twelve years! I don't care how strong you think you are, 12 years without human contact would take a toll on anyone's emotional state.
Spiritually
Chronic illness is a prolonged spiritual battle. God hears us and answers the moment that we pray. But that doesn't mean we don't have a spiritual battle to endure, learn, and grow from.
As part of the battle, Satan likes to mess with our minds, taunting us with horrific lies that sometimes leave us feeling unworthy, especially when our body is betraying us and we don't understand why we haven't seen our breakthrough.
No two spiritual battles are the same, and there isn't a set time they last. Satan's end game is always the same; to get us to doubt God's love and character. When we doubt Him, we pull away from him and try to hide. Satan tries to get us to focus so much on ourselves and our chronic illness that we don't think about God, talk to Him, read His Word, fellowship with other Christians, etc.
What Was The Response of Those Around Her?
Again, we aren't given details. However, with the Levitical Law in place, she was an outcast and shunned until she is ceremonially clean again.
Looking into the culture of the Jewish community during that time, a common belief was that if a person suffered in any way the affliction was an outward sign of inward (hidden) sin. In other words, they got what they deserved.
Also, the Jewish people intertwined old wives' tales and superstitions into their daily lives. So I am sure she had many people (at least in the beginning) suggest different methods "guaranteed" to gain healing. Have you noticed how people respond when they give you life advice and you don't take it? To some around her, she would have been a burden, to others she would have been so unimportant that she was almost invisible.
After just a few months of going through this situation, can you imagine the hopelessness, the looks, and the remarks she might have received, especially when it continued year after year? If you are having trouble picturing such a thing, think about how people treated each other during the onslaught of Covid.
Tenacious Faith
Two things that stand out to me about this woman was tenacious and she had faith!
Tenacious
To me, the definition of tenacious describes this lady's life perfectly.
Tenacious: keeping a firm hold on something; clinging or adhering closely. Not relinquishing a position or course of action, determined. Persisting in existence, not giving up easily.
See what I mean? For years before seeing Jesus face to face, this woman had invisible prison walls surrounding her 24/7. They weren't walls she erected around herself but was put there by her Jewish culture based on laws God had given Moses years before.
But the invisible prison walls and the guilt and shame that would have accompanied them didn't stop this woman from pushing forward, going from doctor to doctor, spending all that she had seeking a cure. We don't know if she saw all these doctors early on in her illness or if her visits to them were spread out over time. But the point is, she didn't stop trying.
Faith
The Bible says that "when she had heard the reports concerning Jesus, and she came up behind Him in the throng and touched His garment, for she kept saying, If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health" (Mark 5:27-28).
Since she was in isolation, how did she hear about Jesus? Did she see the crowds going past her home? Maybe she heard them carrying on about this man named Jesus who was doing amazing and wonderful things. Maybe she snuck out and quietly followed along behind Jesus and the disciples, watching and listening to all that was happening.
There is another possibility. As part of their lifestyle, the Jewish people were commanded to teach their children (Deuteronomy 6:7) about God. So perhaps she already had a firm understanding of faith that she clung to for the past twelve years. We don't know, but any of these scenarios are possible. And maybe they all are. Maybe she already had an understanding of God and His ways and hearing the commotion about Jesus she snuck out to follow, watch, and listen.
What we know for sure is that she had faith. How do we receive faith? By hearing the Word of God.
For her to have the understanding that she only needed to touch Jesus to be healed means that she knew Jesus as her healer; not the church leaders, doctors, or the apostles. Just Jesus. That revelation was a gift from the Holy Spirit as a result of her willingness to believe.
How Did She Receive Her Healing?
She received her healing because she had tenacious faith. But how did she receive her healing? As I was moving through the story, I realized that just as chronic illness affects us physically, mentally, and spiritually, we must be healed in all three areas as well. This is called complete or whole healing.
With just one touch of Jesus' garment, her physical symptoms, the flow of blood, immediately dried up. After twelve years of symptoms, She knew that her body had changed. She was healed physically!
Jesus stopped and asked who touched him. Can you imagine the fear this woman felt when Jesus drew attention to what happened? Keep two things in mind here; 1) This woman hadn't touched or been touched in years. 2)Jesus only did and said what the Father in Heaven told him to do or say (John 5:19-20).
Father God saw this woman still cowering and trying to hide. She still had emotional wounds that only God could see; feelings of shame, fear, and anxiety that hasn't been transformed yet. God loved her so much that he couldn't let her walk away with emotional wounds still festering. So Jesus immediately responds. He stops everything and addresses what happened.
In my opinion, the bravest thing this woman did was step forward in front of everyone, fall at the feet of Jesus, and confess that she was a lawbreaker. Breaking Jewish Law, the people could have stoned her to death.
And what did Jesus do about her actions? Instead of condemning her, He took time and acknowledged her. He called her daughter; publicly claiming her as his own. I love how the KJV puts this; He told her her faith made her whole. Not cured, and not just healed, but whole!
Isn't that a wonderful picture of salvation?!? Isn't that what Jesus wants from all of us? To willingly come before him, bow down, and spill our hearts regardless of our circumstances, despite what others might say about us?
Conclusion
As I was studying this woman's healing, I was going through a difficult season with my own health issues. In God's mercy, He reminded me that we don't get to pick how long we go through battles. We like to think that because we pray we will be immediately healed. But that isn't always the case. God alone determines the how, the when, and the why of our healing. As our creator, He alone has that right.
This woman walked a lonely, isolated road for years. I am sure her health issues felt overwhelming. Through no fault of her own, she wasn't like everyone else. There is so much the Bible doesn't tell us about her. But, as I said in the beginning, we don't have to share identical stories to realize we share her path.
How are you doing with whatever it is that you are still struggling with, friend? Are you tenaciously going to the Lord's door and knocking? Are you staying close to God in Scripture and prayer, even when you don't feel like it? Have you been honest with God about your feelings, hopes, and desires, or are you hiding those things away from the only one who can make them possible?
I pray that in some small way, I was able to help you see the woman with the issue of blood as a real person, not much different than you or I. Our culture is different, but human nature, afflictions, and spiritual warfare have not changed.
Let's Pray
Father God, thank you for providing us with this story from the Gospels. Lord, it is hard sometimes to imagine the people in the Bible as real. But they were, and we thank you for the reminder today. They fought the same battles we fight. They learned, made mistakes, and found their way back to you just as we do today.
Lord, I pray for everyone reading this, especially those who feel unseen. I pray that each person will seek you and you alone, realizing that nothing escapes your notice. I pray they will find comfort in your Word. I pray they will have a new awareness of your Spirit moving among them. I pray that they will bear fruit as you take this issue they have been dealing with and turn it for good. And Lord, I pray that they have found hope, strength, and increased faith from this amazing account of the woman with the issue of blood.
Holy, heavenly Father, we thank you for your love. In Jesus' mighty name, I pray, Amen!