Greetings, Saints,
Today, let’s look at Jesus’ response after the woman with the issue of bleeding touched His garment and was healed:
“And immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and was saying, ‘Who touched My garments?’”
— Mark 5:30
At first glance, we notice that Jesus was able to perceive that power had gone out from Him. This shows us that Jesus was actively involved in the healing of this woman. He was not a passive participant from whom power could be drawn arbitrarily; rather, it was under His sovereign will that power went forth.
Sometimes, even as believers, we think of God as a genie or a passive being who created the universe and then withdrew to a distant place. In this view, some believe they can simply “tap” into God’s power without regard for His sovereign will.
This is not the case. In multiple passages, Scripture declares that God not only knows what will come to pass but is actively involved in bringing it to pass according to His will:
“I declared the former things long ago, And they went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to be heard. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.”
— Isaiah 48:3
Next, we see Jesus asking, “Who touched My garments?” It’s important to understand that Jesus wasn’t asking this question out of ignorance. Instead, He wanted to seize the moment to fulfill the central goal of His ministry: glorifying God.
“And His disciples were saying to Him, ‘You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, “Who touched Me?”’”
— Mark 5:31
The disciples missed the purpose of the question. Their response highlights the apparent absurdity of asking who touched Jesus in such a crowded space. However, Jesus’ questions always had a purpose, which becomes clearer in the following verses:
“And He was looking around to see the woman who had done this.”
— Mark 5:32
Mark then describes the woman’s response, noting that she was filled with fear and trembling:
“But the woman, fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.”
— Mark 5:33
This reaction shows the appropriate response when man stands before God. The woman understood she was in the presence of God incarnate. Her healing affirmed that she had encountered divine power, leading her to fear, reverence, and worship. Her act of falling before Jesus was an expression of worship.
We see similar responses in other parts of Scripture:
“But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’”
— Luke 5:8
As believers, do we approach Christ with this kind of reverence and worship? Do we recognize that we are standing on holy ground? Too often, we can become casual in our approach to God, forgetting that we are in the presence of a thrice-holy God. Samson’s parents understood this when they realized they had been visited by God:
“Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of Yahweh. So Manoah said to his wife, ‘We will surely die, for we have seen God.’”
— Judges 13:21-22
This same sense of reverence is echoed in Ecclesiastes:
“Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. Do not be hasty with your mouth or impulsive in your heart to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven, but you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.”
— Ecclesiastes 5:1-2
The woman’s reverence was also expressed through her honesty. Mark tells us she told Jesus “the whole truth.” When we approach God, we must do so with sincerity and transparency, as He knows our hearts. Like the psalmist, we should pray:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”
— Psalm 139:23-24
Finally, Jesus highlighted the role of the woman’s faith in her healing:
“And He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.’”
— Mark 5:34
Her faith was the means by which God, in His infinite wisdom, chose to act. Faith is how we please God, as the author of Hebrews reminds us. It is through faith that we know God exists, that He hears our prayers, and that we are saved, sanctified, and ultimately glorified.
May we approach God with faith, reverence, and honesty, trusting in His sovereign will.
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