Mark 5:32 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he looked around to see who had done it.

NIV: But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.

NASB: And He looked around to see the woman who had done this.

CSB: But he was looking around to see who had done this.

NLT: But he kept on looking around to see who had done it.

KJV: And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

NKJV: And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.

The more Jesus heals, the bigger and more dangerous the crowds get whenever He is around. Even when His presence is requested by a respected synagogue leader, the mob still pushes around Him, trying for a healing touch. One person has been successful, but with the chaos, that person is hoping her touch will go unnoticed. Based solely on this verse, we don't know if Jesus knows the specifics, thanks to His identity as God, or as inspired by the Holy Spirit, or if He truly doesn't know, but He stops everything to identify the one who touched Him.

Jairus is desperate for Jesus to follow and heal his daughter. The disciples are beginning the heady transformation to celebrities, riding Jesus' coat tails to what they assume will become fame and power. The crowd is demanding attention. And Jesus stops. He metaphorically leaves the ninety-nine sheep to find the one who is lost (Matthew 18:10–14).

The person who has touched Jesus is a woman whose condition has left her in a state of chronic ritual uncleanness. She is destitute and cut off from worship according to the ceremonial law. She only wants to be healed; she doesn't want the attention of the God-empowered miracle worker. She doesn't want Him to know that her touch has made Him unclean.

Jesus doesn't care. He wants to find the person whose faith is so strong it drew power out of Him without His conscious intent. He is God, and no amount of human uncleanness can taint Him. In a few short years, He will take the weight of the sins of the world on His shoulders, becoming sin so that the Father will turn His face away (Mark 15:34). He wants to meet the person He has come to die for.

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.