This week's readings are from Mark chapter 5. A complete list of this week's readings can be found here.
Today's Reading
Now a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years. She had endured a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet instead of getting better, she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she kept saying, “If only I touch his clothes, I will be healed.” At once the bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Jesus knew at once that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you and you say, ‘Who touched me?’” But he looked around to see who had done it. Then the woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” (Mark 5.25–34 NET)
Resources for the Reading
- Podcast(s) for this Reading
- Parallel passages in the other Gospels.
Can I just say how much I love this story!?!?!
Well really Mark ch. 5 may be a favorite of all. Jimmy I really resonated with what you said. Jesus is bringing rescue and salvation to these people. Death to LIFE. He is SO good! And let us not forget we have that same Spirit IN US. Goodness, I repent that I forget this. Have mercy on me a sinner.
@amberhocker and @shelley-johnson Amber and Shelley, what are some things that stand out to you and that you love from the reading?
Maybe how this woman's desperation propels her to action. She doesn't just sit in apathetic acceptance.
Maybe how Jesus feels power leaving Him. What!?!?! I want to know more about this!
Maybe how a touch of His garment is all it takes, but really it is her faith.
Maybe how Jesus seeks out this marginalized woman and really sees her, talks with her, blesses her.
Maybe because it's so easy to put myself in this woman's place, and it pleases me to no end that she finds healing in Jesus.
I'll keep thinking 😅
Im interested in how you, as women, approach biblical passages dealing with issues like this related to women (Like Leviticus 15), when the core issue also has to do with laws commanded by God that would make them unclean or ritually-impure for participation in sanctuary worship and community life? These rules also applied to men in certain regard in terms of their 'discharges' as well, but the stronger emphasis and impact fell upon women (especially since women of child bearing age have a monthly period of impurity).
@jimmy you're right! It probably has a lot to do with the fact that in a legalistic, patriarchal culture Jesus stops for an unclean woman. Whoop! (I kinda felt the same way in End Game when all the women heroes line up to do their thing 😅😂 None of the men in my life get it. 🤷😋) I can very much respond to Scripture with emotion first. I enjoy digging in for facts and understanding, but in stories like this one, it's emotional connection first.
@shelley-johnson I sometimes find it is difficult to discuss these elements of scripture with friends and family because of it's ancient cultural contexts. It's not that they have a difficulty with the reality of patriarchy in ancient cultures (they are fully aware that those systems did and do exist). It is that the laws of the Torah, for example, have a universal and divine claim that seem to have an expectation of transcending those cultures. To be more direct, the thought/question is: What do I do with patriarchy of women or negative cultural views of women when it is commanded or spoken by God? Especially if scripture is supposed to apply beyond those ancient cultures?
I've run into this issue/question often. And I know persons who have either decided not to read they Bible (particularly the Old Testament) or even have decided to walk away from Christian faith due to these issues and similar ones. Notably, it's not the story of Jesus' acceptance of the woman, but the reality that the woman was, according to God-commanded Torah, ritually-impure for 12 years.
@shelley-johnson @amberhocker Maybe we should do a podcast dealing with women in the Bible and scriptures related to women. The two of you could do it.