Basic Questions

1. Identify as completely as possible the person in need (e.g., age, ethnic origin, religion, gender, social status).
   Woman who was bleeding for 12 years.

2. What was the immediate, obvious need?
   Woman was bleeding for 12 years.

3. Who took the initiative in effecting the healing?
   The person in need? Others? Jesus?
   How was it expressed?
   The woman sought Jesus out and touched his cloak.

4. Describe the actions or process leading to the healing; that is, what was said (e.g., questions, requests, commands) and what was done (e.g., approaching, following, touching, publicly/privately), and by whom?
   The woman sought Jesus out and touched his cloak.
   Jesus said "Who touched my clothes?"
   The woman came forward and told the truth.
   Jesus said "Your faith has healed you."     (Mark 5:34)

5. Did the person in need or someone else verbally express faith? Non-verbally? Describe how and by whom faith was in involved in this healing.
   The woman expressed faith - she sought Jesus and touched his cloak inspite of her social standing (unclean by jewish law). She also spoke to Jesus and told the truth.

6. What were the evidences that the person was healed?
   Her bleeding stopped.     (Mark 5:29)

7. What were the reactions to the healing?
   Doesn't really say what the people's reaction was.
   Jesus felt power leave.     (Mark 5:30)

8. What in this narrative led Jesus to minister healing to the person in need?
   Jesus said "Your faith has healed you."     (Mark 5:34)

Digging Deeper

1. Where did this healing take place?
   In a large crowd.

2. How does Mark (in more detail than Matthew and Luke) describe the woman's life before and after the healing?
   The woman sought out many doctors, but grew worse     (Mark 5:26)
   This woman would have been considered unclean by Jewish law - she would have been a social outcast.    (Lev 15)
   After the healing her social status was restored.

   Did the woman violate Jewish "law"? How?
   The woman was unclean by Jewish law - she was not supposed to be in a crowd.
   The law was also violated when she spoke to Jesus in the crowd because she was a woman.

3. Unlike most healing stories, in this one Jesus is not aware beforehand of the person or her illness. Does this instruct you in any way?
   This is comforting. We need not know what the person's problem is to bring them to Jesus for healing. Sometimes nobody is aware of what the problem is or the person may not be comfortable discussing their problem.

4. What comments or instructions did Jesus express after the healing?
   Jesus said ""Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."     (Mark 5:34)

5. In Luke's version, Jesus senses "power" going out from him. Is that a sensation we could experience? Should we expect it?
   Yes, often times Jesus or the Holy Spirit can be "felt" during prayer.
   Some sensations are: warmth or tingling, feeling drained, feeling exhilarated, ...

6. Also read and discuss.
   Matthew 14:35-36     And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick; and they implored Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were cured.
   

   Mark 6:53-56     When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard He was. Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.
   

   Acts 5:12-16     At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico. But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem. And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.
   

   Acts 19:11-12     God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.

   He wants to wear us as His cloak. When she reached out, she merely touched His cloak, and not actually Him (Mark 5:28). We need to be the �cloak� of Jesus, so that when people talk, or touch, or interact with us, they are really talking or touching or interacting with Jesus.     Gal 2:20    principle.

7. Are "healing" and the cessation of "bleeding" identical in this story? If not what's the difference?
   Cessation of bleeding is only the physical part of the woman's healing. By asking "Who touched my clothes?" (Mark 5:30), Jesus invites the woman to give her "testimony" and reveal that she was healed. This allows her social status to be restored. This is also healing spiritually - she again steps out in faith to respond and in so doing her faith is strengthened.

   When and why did the bleeding stop? When and why was the woman healed? (Note: the Greek word translated in all three Gospels as "healed" is sesoken, a form of sozo which means to be made well, to be made whole, or to be saved.)
   The bleeding stopped when she touched Jesus' cloak. The healing was complete when she spoke to Jesus and He answered. Healing took place both times because the woman responded to Jesus in faith.

8. What role does desperation often play in healing stories? In healing in general? In prayer?
   Desperation may awaken faith and encourage a person to use and strengthen the faith they already have.

   Do we approach Jesus as a last resort, or do we pray before consulting "many doctors"?
   Sometimes - responses vary from approaching Jesus as a last resort to immediately praying to Jesus for guidance.

   Is there a balance between doing everything we can do and praying to Jesus?
   Read     Opportunities     Rock Climbing
   Jesus tells us to persist in prayer and not to give up (Luke 18:1), this must be balanced with waiting, listening & obeying God's answer even if it's not something we expect or understand.

9. What lesson(s) have you learned about healing from this account?
   Nothing can stop those with faith. Faith overcomes obstacles.
   Heb 11:6     And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

   Jesus heals the "whole" person.
   We don't need to know specifics of a person's condition - we can pray for wholeness in Christ.

   He wants to wear us as His "cloak".
   Galatians 2:20     I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

   Jesus tells us to persist in prayer and not to give up (Luke 18:1), this must be balanced with waiting, listening & obeying God's answer even if it's not something we expect or understand.
   Luke 18:1     Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart ...

   Giving testimony strengthens faith.