Study #9: The Woman Who Touched Jesus’ Cloak

Mark 5:25-34
Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” He looked all around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” 

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If I could just touch Jesus, even for only a minute, all will be well, Phoebe thought.

She had traveled a long way to see Jesus. Everyone had told her not to bother making the journey. “You will never be cured,” they said. “The physicians have done all they can for you. You must simply learn to endure
the pain. You will never be anything more than a diseased woman.”

But Phoebe could not accept that, even though she could feel the grip the disease had on her. She knew the physicians had tried everything. Mostly she had tried to do as they asked. If they told her not to eat certain foods, she had tried that. If they told her to walk for at least four hours every day, she tried that
too. She even tried resting when they told her that her body needed to gain strength to endure yet another treatment protocol.

As much as she tried to stay positive, Phoebe had her moments of despair too. There were times when she believed that the disease lingered despite the best efforts of the physicians, because she somehow deserved
the pain. Maybe there was some failing in her that caused the illness or at least caused the inability of her body to fight off the illness.

Something in Phoebe, despite these dark moments, never gave up. If she could just keep fighting long enough for the physicians to find something new to try, this time it would work. This time they would find a way to heal her. Phoebe kept hope alive in herself longer than her family or her physicians kept hope alive in them.

Then Phoebe heard people in the village talk about Jesus. When Phoebe heard their stories about Jesus, she knew he was the one. Jesus was the one who would heal her. On a clear, crisp spring day, Phoebe set out to find Jesus with her family’s attempts to dissuade her still ringing in her ears.

When she came to the town where Jesus was speaking after three long days on the road, she wanted to weep for joy. Then she saw the crowds and thought, have I come this far only to be prevented from speaking with him? She followed Jesus around for an entire day, never finding an opportunity to approach him, because the size of the crowd was too large and her own nerves got in the way as well. Finally, when she heard that he was going to move on, she knew she had to seize her chance. I don’t really need to talk with him, she thought, just a touch will do. He will never know and then I won’t have to face him and actually ask for his help.

Phoebe touched Jesus’ cloak lightly and felt warm, strong, healing energy radiate from Jesus the moment she made contact. Ahh, she thought, I did it, and began to ease away.

Just then, Jesus turned and looked at her directly and said, “Who touched my cloak?” He continued to look around, but she knew he was only doing it for the benefit of the crowd. He had seen her, but was not going to call her out. Instead, he was inviting her to come forward, claim her space, and publicly assert her right to receive healing.

The instant she stepped forward, Jesus turned to her with an encouraging smile, and then grasped her hands when she fell to her knees in front of him. The crowd parted and gave them room. When Jesus said, “Your
faith has made you well,” Phoebe knew her life would never be the same. And it wasn’t. Phoebe later became a respected deacon of the church, and she never forgot the lesson of being willing to seek and accept healing.

Often, those who suffer from addiction or who have experienced abuse carry a great deal of shame. Think about what you would say to someone who was carrying the shame related to addiction or abuse, or what you might say to yourself. What are the healing words you might say to that person? What are the healing words you need to hear yourself at this time? If the person who needs healing is you, is there someone you would be willing to talk to about what holds you back from seeking healing?

Have you ever wanted to engage or reengage with a familiar Bible story? Midrash stories, like the one above, are a retelling of a biblical story. Midrash stories take a bit of poetic license and ask, what if, or what came
next, so that the reader can see the story in new and unexpected ways. Writing your own Midrash story is a great way to jump into the story and create your own healing moment.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

• Have there been times you have tried to seek healing in secret without anyone knowing you were in pain, because you were ashamed of needing help?
• Have you had an experience of kneeling down before God and telling the whole truth without reservation? What did it feel like to be that honest and open?
• How far are you willing to go to find the healing and peace that you need?

Maureen Cleary, USA