Mark 5:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well."

NIV: because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed."

NASB: For she had been saying to herself, 'If I just touch His garments, I will get well.'

CSB: For she said, "If I just touch his clothes, I’ll be made well."

NLT: For she thought to herself, 'If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.'

KJV: For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

NKJV: For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

The woman's belief that she will be healed by touching Jesus' cloak is consistent with Greco-Roman magic beliefs, but it also has parallels elsewhere in Scripture. People are healed by touching Jesus' cloak in Gennesaret (Matthew 14:34–36) and other places (Luke 6:17–19). After Jesus' ascension and Pentecost, people are apparently healed by merely being in Peter's shadow (Acts 5:12–16). And handkerchiefs that Paul touches serve as vessels to heal the sick and free people from demonic possession (Acts 19:11–12).

There is much debate as to whether the woman touches Jesus' robe out of informed faith, or mere superstition. The story of the faith of the centurion shows it may have been both. The centurion not only has faith that Jesus can heal his servant, he has an understanding that Jesus' authority and power is such that He can do so at a distance with only a word (Matthew 8:5–13). Where the centurion sees Jesus' word as an expression of His authority, the woman sees His cloak as a conduit for His power. This emphasizes a point explored elsewhere in the Bible: faith is valid only when it's placed in something trustworthy. Faith in God is effective because it's trust in something real and true. Even if the exact reasoning behind this woman's faith was less-than-perfect, she was trusting in something legitimate, and that's why she found healing.

This also gives us an interesting insight into how Jesus' salvation works. We like to make little rituals, such as saying the prayer of salvation or coming forward at an altar call. Jesus is clear that salvation is by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:8), but although He commends the centurion for relying on a word, He never condemns others for wanting a touch. If our faith is such that we feel more comfortable expressing it through a cultural tradition, He does not allow that belief to nullify the faith itself. We look for acts that provide hard assurances and defining moments of His grace, forgetting the simplicity of the faith of the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-43). By that same grace, Jesus meets our faith where it stands.

Mark 5:25–34 interrupts a depiction of Jesus healing a synagogue leader's daughter. Before He can get through the crowd, He feels power flowing out of Him. A woman who has been hemorrhaging for twelve years touches His robe and God heals her. This passage shows that God is sovereign over our distractions; He will sometimes give us important work in the midst of other tasks. It also shows that we are not a nuisance to Him. He always has time for us. This account is also found in Matthew 9:20–22 and Luke 8:43–48.

Jesus arrives on the other side of the Sea of Galilee and heals a man afflicted by a ''legion'' of demons. In the aftermath of this event, Jesus once again crosses the waters within this region, known as the Decapolis. There, He is approached by a synagogue leader, begging Him to come and save a dying girl. In the midst of this trip, Jesus stops the crowd to identify a woman who attempted to covertly touch his robes; her faithful act results in healing. Jesus then continues on to the home of the synagogue leader and resurrects his recently-deceased child.

Mark 4:35—5:43 sees an increase in the scope of Jesus' miracles. He has just calmed a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee. Now, He expels a legion of demons, heals a woman without overtly acting, and brings a girl back to life. All three situations—related to tombs, blood, and death—show Jesus bringing healing to unclean circumstances. In chapter 6, the tone of His ministry will develop. He will be rejected by those who should know Him best, He will send out His followers to do His work, and His direct link to the Old Testament prophets will be explained.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.