What is the meaning of the story of the woman with the issue of blood?

Question: What does your faith as a Christian look like?

Answer: As a Christian, our faith should centered on belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of humanity. It involves a personal relationship with God through prayer, worship, and study of the Bible.

Our faith should guides us to love God and others, to seek justice, mercy, and humility, and to live with hope and compassion in a world that often needs healing and grace. It's not just a set of beliefs but a way of life that shapes our decisions, values, and interactions with others.

In another words our faith should allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in everything we do and allow Jesus to work through us.

The story of this woman takes place within a larger story. Jesus is on his way to a synagogue leader’s house to heal his dying daughter (Mark 5:21–24 “When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him.”

As Jesus and the leaders were heading to his house that is when an unnamed woman causes an interruption to His progress. What we know about the woman is, first, she had a bleeding condition, and the issue had continued for twelve years. That’s a very long time. Second, she had spent all her money on treatments from many doctors, and nothing had helped; in fact, the blood issue had only grown worse (see Mark 5:25–26). We also know that Jewish Law declared her to be ceremonially unclean due to her bleeding issue (Leviticus 15:25-27). This meant that she would not have been permitted to enter the temple for Jewish religious ceremonies. According to the Law, anything or anyone she touched became unclean as well. The fact that she was in the crowd pressing around Jesus means that each person who bumped into her would have become unclean, too—including Jesus. But, after twelve years of suffering, she was obviously desperate for a miracle. “When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed’” (Mark 5:27–28). As soon as the woman touches Jesus, her bleeding stops and she knows she’s been healed. In an instant, Jesus does what no doctor in twelve years had been able to. This proves the power of Christ, of course, but it also illustrates an important point about Jesus and the Law. In Leviticus 15:31 God says, “You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place, which is among them.” In the Old Testament, the temple was where God dwelt among the Israelites, but in the New Testament, God dwelt among men in the person of Jesus Christ (see John 1:14). Through Jesus the penalties of the Law are reversed, and the contamination of this world had no effect on Christ. The woman did not make Jesus (God’s dwelling) unclean—He made her clean! Jesus immediately responds to the woman who touched His clothing and was healed. People were pushing and pressing into Him from all over, yet He stops, turns, and asks, “Who touched my clothes?” (Mark 5:30). The disciples were incredulous, but Jesus knew that healing power had gone out of Him. We can’t “steal” a miracle from God. After the woman comes forward and explains herself, Jesus clears up any misconceptions about her healing, saying, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering” (Mark 5:34). God is moved to action by our faith, even when He’s in the middle of doing something else! Jesus could have healed the woman and kept on walking to His original destination. Only He and the woman would have known what had taken place. But He didn’t do that. Jesus stopped what He was doing and acknowledged the result of this woman’s faith: her complete and instantaneous healing.

Here are the main points from the passage about the story of the woman with the issue of bleeding (Mark 5:25-34):

Condition and Desperation: The woman had been suffering from a bleeding condition for twelve years, which had not improved despite seeking help from many doctors. According to Jewish Law, her condition made her ceremonially unclean, preventing her from participating in religious activities and interactions (Leviticus 15:25-27).

Hope and Faith: Upon hearing about Jesus, the woman believed that touching even the fringe of his cloak would heal her (Mark 5:27-28). This demonstrates her deep faith and desperation for healing after enduring her condition for so long.

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.

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.

Instantaneous Healing: As soon as she touched Jesus' cloak, her bleeding stopped, and she knew she had been healed (Mark 5:29). This miraculous healing highlighted Jesus' power to heal instantly and completely, something no human effort or treatment had achieved in twelve years.

Interaction with Jesus: Although Jesus was on his way to heal Jairus' daughter, he stopped when he felt power had gone out from him and asked who had touched his clothes (Mark 5:30). This interaction showed Jesus' awareness of the woman's faith and his personal concern for her healing.

Response and Blessing: The woman came forward, trembling with fear, and explained her situation to Jesus. He responded with compassion, affirming her faith and declaring her healed: "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering" (Mark 5:34). Jesus not only healed her physically but also restored her to a state of ceremonial cleanness and granted her peace.

Jesus’ question seemed absurd to His disciples (the Twelve; cf. Luke 8:45) because the crowd was pressing (from synthlibō; cf. Mark 5:24) in and many people were touching Him. This emphasized Jesus’ ability to distinguish the touch of one who in faith expected deliverance from the inadvertent touch of those crowding against Him. There was, and still is, a great difference between the two. So Jesus kept looking around (perieblepeto; “was looking penetratingly”; cf. 3:5, 34) at the people surrounding Him in order to see who had touched Him in this way.

5:33–34. Then the woman, the only one who understood Jesus’ question, came in humility, and trembling with fear (from phobeomai, “to have awe, reverence”; cf. 4:41) because she knew what had happened to her, in courage and gratitude told Him everything.

The affectionate title, Daughter (its only recorded use by Jesus) signified her new relationship with Him (cf. 3:33–35). Jesus attributed her cure to her faith rather than the touch of His clothing. Her faith healed her. Jesus ask the question to demonstrate that it wasn't because she touche my cloak, rather it was the faith that she had in him being the messiah!

Jesus said, Go in peace and be freed (lit., “be healthy”) from your suffering (cf. 5:29). This assured her that her healing was complete and permanent

Lesson on Faith and Grace: This incident illustrates Jesus' authority over physical and spiritual conditions, his willingness to stop for an individual in need, and the power of faith to move him to act. It also demonstrates Jesus' role in reversing the penalties of the Old Testament Law, making the unclean clean through his grace and power. Overall, the story of the woman with the issue of bleeding underscores Jesus' compassion, power, and the transformative effect of faith in his ministry.

Affectionate Title:

Jesus addressed her as "Daughter," indicating a new spiritual relationship (Mark 5:34; cf. Mark 3:33–35).This title signified acceptance into God's family through faith in Jesus.

Attribution to Faith:

Jesus attributed her healing not to the touch of his clothing but to her faith (Mark 5:34).Her faith in Jesus' power and ability to heal was the catalyst for her restoration.

Meaning of Faith:

Faith is described as confident trust that finds its value in its object, which is Jesus (Mark 5:34; cf. Mark 10:52; 11:22).It is through faith that individuals seek healing and restoration from Jesus.

Jesus' Pronouncement:

Jesus told her, "Go in peace and be freed from your suffering" (Mark 5:34).This declaration assured her of complete healing and permanent freedom from her affliction (Mark 5:29).

Spiritual and Physical Restoration:

Jesus' words conveyed not only physical healing but also spiritual peace and well-being.The woman experienced a holistic healing that impacted her body, mind, and spirit.

Teaching on Faith and Healing:

The interaction illustrates the power of faith to access Jesus' healing and transformative grace.It teaches that faith in Jesus brings about spiritual and physical restoration and establishes a new relationship with God.

Permanence of Healing:

Jesus' assurance implied that her healing was not temporary but complete and enduring.This highlights Jesus' authority over sickness and his desire for wholeness in those who come to him in faith.