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
“Doctrinal New Testament
Commentary.” McConkie
