People are Different

Mark 5:25-34, records the story of Jesus healing the woman who had an “issue of blood”. Her malady was one of a persistent hemorrhage, probably a “feminine” problem. She had this bleeding disorder for 12 years and had been to see many doctors and spent all her money trying to get a cure and instead of getting better she just got worse… continually worse.

Physically her symptoms would be the symptoms of blood loss anemia; weakness and hypoxia. Emotional symptoms would include depression not only because of her worsening condition but also because under Jewish law she would be “unclean” and anyone who even touched her would be “unclean”… socially stigmatized.

Most people who sought a cure from Jesus would just ask for the cure. Not this woman, she sought anonymity. She didn’t approach Jesus and ask that Jesus cure her feminine hemorrhage. She wanted to “disappear” in the crowd and just touch his shirt or clothing and be cured and not have her identity or her malady revealed. Such was her confidence in Jesus that, just by touching his garment, he could do more than the doctors had done in the past 12 years.

When she touched his garment she immediately ceased to bleed and she “felt in her body that she was healed of her plague”.

Most people who had been healed by Jesus rejoiced and expressed happiness and thanked him. Not this woman, she wanted to remain anonymous. Imagine her surprise and dismay when Jesus turned around and asked, “Who touched my garments?”

In the middle of the crowd the woman who didn't want any attention drawn to herself came forward and knelt down and recited her story in front of everyone. The scripture says she was full of “Fear and trembling” not joy and excitement.

What is to be learned from this? One thing is that not everyone is the same and not everyone expresses joy in the same way.

If I had been healed I probably would have gone around beating my chest and rejoicing and letting everyone know what God had done for me. If it had been Julie she probably would have gone home and in solitude thanked God in prayer. We each express joy and thanksgiving in different ways… that’s OK.