Jesus and the bleeder

Tomorrow, I am speaking to “my junior highers” about Mark 5:21-43 for the next installment of the Jesus series. In studying this incredible story, a few things bother me and few things amaze me.

For starters, I would have definately been one of the disciples who said, “Who touched you? We’re in a crowd here, Jesus, lots of people touched you.” Except I would have been a real smart alleck and said something like,

“Uh, are you serious?”

or

“Gee, thats a good question Jesus, let me stop the MASSIVE MOB around you and conduct an investigation real quick.”

or

“Hey Jesus, if this is some kind of cool illustration you are making, thats great, but unless it is going to heal Jarius’ daughter, why don’t you do it later so we can move on.”

Thats why I didn’t make the disciple cut I guess. Anyways, the whole “healing power transfer via cloth” thing is kind of sketchy too, but I’ll let it pass…

What is amazing is how set Jesus is on knowing this woman and how her faith made her well. Jesus, knowing the situation… in a rush to heal Jarius’ daughter before she died… could have let it pass and known that someone got a freebie or come back to her later (like he did with the blind man). But instead, He chose to stop the crowd, ask who touched Him, and then talk to the newly healed person. He wanted to know her. He had to see her face. He felt her faith as it drew healing power from His body but now He HAD to see the face that it belonged to. It was the MOST important thing at that moment.

My translation, it wasn’t enough for Jesus to give her what she needed… He wanted to know who she was.

And then, He says, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.”

Wait, I thought Jesus healed her? The whole thing suggests that there is a force, rule, or other party involved here who went over Jesus head to provide the healing.

Almost mathematical even… faith + action = automatic healing.

Is this evidence of the nature of the relationship within the Trinity? I don’t know, but I do know that Jesus is who says He is and that is all I’ve got.