Chapter # 5 Paragraph # 2 Study # 11
May 4, 2021
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
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Thesis: The "faith" connection in this record was rooted in promises in Exodus and Deuteronomy where Israel was told that faithfulness would lead to health (
Exodus 15:26) and that unfaithfulness would lead to "chronic sicknesses (
Deuteronomy 28:59).
Introduction: In our studies to date in this text/context we have seen
first that this record is
for the revelation to the disciples that "faith" is a non-negotiable with God, and second that this record is
of the "faith" that is required as the non-negotiable. We have also seen that there is a direct connection between the message of "repent/believe" and the healings/exorcisms that Jesus performed. And we have seen "theologically" that revelation, illumination, persuasion, and "faith" are a "chain" of elements that bring God's gracious action into play.
This evening we are going to look further into the woman's "reasonings" as she slipped up behind Jesus and brushed her hand across His garment.
- I. We Have Considered Her Repetitive "Saying" To Herself.
- A. A point not made is that her "saying" was "doctrinal": "lego" characteristically focuses upon the content as truth.
- B. That it was "doctrinal" emphasizes the fact that there had to be 'revelational' content at its roots.
- 1. This "doctrine" was rooted in 'revelational content' as both Exodus 15:26 and Deuteronomy 28:59 reveal.
- 2. This "doctrine", however, forces us to "assume" the woman's "doctrine" was not separate from the message of "grace", and was not a distortion of "grace".
- a. The message of grace was succinctly summarized at the very outset: "repent unto forgiveness".
- b. The possible distortion is that "grace" will lead to "salvation" without the "repentance" (in the sense that the woman had heard that Jesus was healing people willy-nilly and was coming to Him to get in on those "healings").
- c. It is not possible for the woman's "doctrine", rooted in Exodus 15:26; 23:25; Deuteronomy 7:15 and 28:59, to not include the "repentance" involved in the message.
- 1) This means that she was not coming to Jesus, having heard of Him, without an active participation in that message.
- a) She had to have realized that the "message" precedes the "healing".
- i. There is no possibility that the woman's "plague" was not tied in her mind to her own failings (though there are examples where that "tie" is/was illegitimate: John 9:2 and Luke 1:6-7).
- ii. There was only a very small possibility that the woman had not heard of John with his "forerunner" identity and Jesus as John's announced "Mighty One", given the "all the country of Judea was going out to him" (1:5) and "the whole city" (1:33) terminology.
- b) We have to realize that it was this connection in her mind that drives our understanding that Jesus was using this event to address His disciples' need to "get" the issues of repentant faith so that they could represent Him when He sends them forth to "proclaim" and "cast out demons".
- 2) This explains two realities of the text.
- a) Her choice of "salvation" as her word for "healing".
- b) Jesus' description of her as a "daughter".
- II. We Need To Consider The Outcomes Of Her Following Through On Her "Doctrine".
- A. "Immediately" the "living spring" of her blood was "withered".
- 1. The "immediately" does mean "chronologically next", but it retains Mark's use of the word to say "what just happened" is "worthy of a significant pause, with thought".
- 2. The imagery of the "well" being "withered" is stark.
- a. The term translated "flow" is actually "a flowing spring" (in this case a deadly problem).
- b. The term translated "dried up" is the very word that is typically used when the ability to be effective is neutralized (3:1; 4:6; and 11:20-21).
- B. She sensed ("knew") that the flowing spring was withered, and "immediately" Jesus turned and asked, "Who touched My garments?"
- 1. She "immediately" got what she expected.
- 2. She "immediately" saw Jesus turn with His question and look straight at her.
- a. The text speaks of two people who were "in tune with" their bodies: the woman and Jesus.
- b. This "awareness" issue is key to this text: this is why Mark continuously insists upon the "immediately" thesis: Life needs to be handled with "thought".
- C. Mark's insertion of the attitude of the disciples.
- 1. This was a "knee-jerk" response and revealed that the disciples were pretty frustrated with the crowd and Jesus.
- 2. But it was this "knee-jerk" stuff that Jesus knew the disciples needed to "get over" by spending some time with Mark's "immediately" thesis.
- a. Being a "disciple" does nothing to automatically erase the "fog of misunderstanding"; Jesus was, for them and for us, a significant mystery.
- b. But, it was Jesus' task to get them ready to represent Him, so He, in effect, set out to "burn off the fog".
- D. Mark's record of the woman's fearful response coupled to the response of Jesus.
- 1. Fearfulness is automatic to sinners while in a condition of blessing.
- 2. Jesus' encouragement is that "faith" is all God is looking for.
