Wednesday, May 29, 2019

#62 The Woman with an Issue of Blood




The scriptures for both #61 and #62 are woven together with each event having an influencing affect upon the other. Please first read the scriptures as a single unit to get the feeling of those who experienced both events. Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:22-43; and Luke 8:41-56.

#62 The Woman with an Issue of Blood

Our Lord of the Gospels

President J. Reuben Clark Jr.

            “Jesus going through the crowd is touched on the garment by a woman who for twelve years has had an issue of blood and had “suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse;” she has faith that if she touches only the garment of Jesus she will be healed; she touches his garment and is healed immediately; Jesus senses the touch for he says, “I perceive that virtue is gone out of me;” Jesus asks who touched him; the disciples saw no one, she then comes forward and falling down before him, tells all; he says “Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.”


Jesus the Christ

Apostle James E. Talmage

            “While Jesus was walking to the house of Jairus with a great crowd of people thronging about Him, the progress of the company was arrested by another case of suffering. In the throng was a woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with a serious ailment involving frequent hemorrhage. She had spent in medical treatment all she had owned, and “had suffered many things of many physicians,” but had steadily grown worse. She worked her way through the crowds, and approaching Jesus from behind, touched His robe; “For she said, If I may touch but his clothes I shall be whole.” The effect was more than magical; immediately she felt the thrill of health throughout her body, and knew that she had been healed of her affliction. Her object attained, the blessing she sought being now secured, she tried to escape notice by hastily dropping back into the crowd. But her touch was not unheeded by the Lord. He turned to look over the throng and asked, “Who touched me?” As the people denied, the impetuous Peter speaking for himself and the others said: “Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?” But Jesus answered: “Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.”

            “The woman, finding that she could not escape identification, came tremblingly forward, and, kneeling before the Lord, confessed what she had done, her reason for so doing, and the beneficent result. If she had expected censure her fears were promptly set at rest, for Jesus, addressing her by a term of respect and kindness, said: “Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace,” and as Mark adds, “be whole of thy plague.”

            “The woman’s faith was sincere and free from guile, nevertheless it was in a sense defective. She believed that the influence of Christ’s person, and even that attaching to His raiment, was a remedial agency, ample to cure her malady; but she did not realize that the power to heal was an inherent attribute to be exercised at His will, and as the influence of faith might call it forth. True, her faith had already been in part rewarded, but of greater worth to her than the physical cure of illness would be the assurance that the divine Healer had granted the desire of her heart, and that the faith she had manifested was accepted by Him. To correct her misapprehension and to confirm her faith, Jesus gently subjected her to the necessary ordeal of confession, which must have been made easier through her consciousness of the great relief already experienced. He confirmed the healing and let her depart with the comforting assurance that her recovery was permanent.

            “In contrast with the many cases of healing in connection with which the Lord charged the beneficiaries that they should tell none how or by whom they have been relieved, we see here that publicity was made sure by His own action, and that too, when secrecy was desired by the recipient of the blessing. The purposes and motives of Jesus may be but poorly understood by man; but in this woman’s case we see the possibility of stories strange and untrue getting afloat, and it appears to have been the wiser course to make plain the truth then and there. Moreover the spiritual worth of the miracle was greatly enhanced by the woman’s confession and by the Lord’s gracious assurance.

            “Observe the significant assertion, “Thy faith hath made thee whole.” Faith is of itself a principle of power; and by its presence or absence, by its fullness of paucity, even the Lord was and is influenced, and in great measure controlled, in the bestowal or withholding of blessings; for He ministers according to law, and not with caprice or uncertainty. We read that at a certain time and place Jesus “could there do no mighty work” because of the people’s unbelief. Modern revelation specifies that faith to be healed is one of the gifts of the Spirit, analogous to the manifestations of the power of the Holy Priesthood.

            “Our Lord’s inquiry as to who had touched Him in the throng affords us another example of His asking questions in pursuance of a purpose, when He could readily have determined the facts directly and without aid from others. There was a special purpose in the question, as every teacher finds a means of instruction in questioning his pupils. But there is in Christ’s question, “Who touched me?” a deeper significance than could inhere in a simple inquiry as to the identity of an individual; and this is implied in the Lord’s further words: “Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.” The usual external act by which His miracles were wrought was a word or command, sometimes accompanied by the laying on of hands, or by some other physical ministration as anointing the eyes of the blind man. That there was an actual giving of His own strength to the afflicted who He healed is evident from the present instance. Passive belief on the part of a would-be recipient of blessing is insufficient; so also of one who ministers in the authority given of God, mental and spiritual energy must be operative if the service is to be effective.”


The Four Gospels

Daniel H. Ludlow

            “Jesus deliberately publicized this healing miracle. Rather than permit a story to go forth, from which spiritually illiterate persons might falsely suppose that the woman was healed by some virtue attaching to his clothing, or even his own person, Jesus required the woman to tell what she had done, to testify of the blessing received, and to receive from his lips the assurance that the healing grace had come to her because of her faith.”

The woman knew that her touching anyone would make them ceremonially unclean for the rest of the day, and doing so was forbidden by Jewish law. Would Jesus be angry with her? Jesus immediately raises the matter of “touching” for all to hear. (Luke 8:46-48).  He addresses any potential future speculation that it was by some satanic power that the healing occurred. He is the One responsible.

Other relevant thoughts:

History of the Church, Volume 4

In July of 1839, at Commerce (Nauvoo) Illinois, there was a large group of saints camped out with much sickness. Church leaders, including Joseph Smith, were also infected. No meetings were held on Sunday July 21. On July 22 the Prophet arose from his sick bed and began the work of healing. As other Brethren were healed they were commanded to administer to and heal others. “The sick were administered unto with great success, but many remained sick and many new cases are occurring daily.”

Apostle Bruce R. McConkie


Glenn R. McGettigan

May 2019

References

“Our Lord of the Gospels.” Clark
“The Four Gospels.” Ludlow
“History of the Church.” Volume 4
“Doctrinal New Testament Commentary.” McConkie



           

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