Reach Out

In Mark Chapter 5, Jesus of Nazareth performed a miracle that would foreshadow his great mission. It is in this chapter that the account of Jesus raising Jairus’s daughter from the dead occurs. It’s what happens in between Jairus coming to the Savior and Jesus performing that miracle that caught my attention.

On the way to raise a girl from the dead, Jesus was surrounded by people. A woman, who we’re told “had an issue of blood” (verse 25) reached out and touched Christ’s garment.

Verse 30 reads:

“And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?”

The thought occurred to me, is it a coincidence that this healing happened in this way at this moment? Christ performed many miracles. Here is a miracle, seemingly performed by someone else through Him. In verse 28 the woman said, “If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.” Christ goes on to tell her that she is made whole by her faith.

On the way to literally raising someone from the dead, why is this story even included? What is an issue of blood when compared to death?

I wonder, and this is just me thinking, Christ was on His way to conquer death for that girl. At that moment, was there a power, a life giving force emanating from Christ’s very being that allowed this woman to be healed simply by reaching out to Him in faith?

Now that Christ officially holds the power of the resurrection and has conquered death, is that life giving power emanating from Him constantly?

Yes, it is.

What do we learn from this account, then?

All we need to do is reach out. Christ will heal us.