From Desperation to Salvation

Mark 5:25-34

In times of desperation, people do the most heinous things. We see this in many situations. In 2 Kings 6, a woman sought justice from her king. It was war time. The Syrians attacked and food was scarce. So she and her neighbor agreed to eat their sons. But after eating her son one day, the neighbor hid away her son the next day. So ironically, the woman sought justice not because she ate her son, but because she couldn’t eat her neighbor’s son. There was no remorse - no conscience; no understanding that her actions were heinous and reprehensible. Now, we may say war made her desperate. War is terrible. But her desperation revealed the sin she was capable of - that all of us are capable of.

Today, we want to see another desperate woman. In her desperation, she tried all things to escape her predicament. Nothing worked. She couldn’t do anything. But only one thing relieved her desperation - salvation. We shall see this account in three scenes. Firstly, her life events that revealed her desperation. Secondly, her desperation caused her to seek and believe. Thirdly, her faith looked to him to save and assure her.

Firstly, the life events that revealed her desperation. We learn this woman was seeking Jesus. She had an issue of blood. This means that blood was issuing or flowing from her body – she was hemorrhaging. Whatever the cause, it made her desperate. The Bible provides a backdrop for us. From the details, we see a flashback of her life. It was physically traumatic. We learn in verse 25 that her illness was very long drawn. She’d been suffering 12 years. The Bible didn’t describe her as a young or old woman but just woman - which means she was middle aged. So she’d had this illness for a large proportion of her life. Verse 29 described her condition as a plague. The word “plague” in Greek can mean scourging. This disease was brutal and long. She was being whipped every day by it. And her condition worsened. She had seen many doctors and spent lots of money on seeking a cure, but verse 26 says she wasn’t getting better - rather, she was getting worse. Imagine bleeding every day - it weakens the constitution. With such an anemia, oxygen can’t flow to the organs and muscles - there’s fatigue.

It was also economically traumatic. Verse 26 says that she suffered greatly at the hands of physicians, spending all that she had. She wiped out her savings. But the doctors that she spent money on, weren’t helping her. She grew worse. You see, in those days there were good and bad doctors. Those who overcharge and those who charge fairly. Those who are out to make money and those who are there to help. But in those days, there were more quack cures than real cures. This is why she suffered under the doctors. According to historical sources, doctors proposed many cures for such bleeding. Listen to this description: “Take the gum of Alexandria, of alum, and of crocus hortensis, the weight of a measure each; let them be bruised together, and given in wine to the woman that hath an issue of blood. But if this fails, then take nine logs of Persian onions, boil them in wine, and give it to her to drink: and say, Arise from your bleeding. But should this fail, then make her stand at the intersection of two roads, and let her hold a cup of wine in her hand; and let somebody come behind her and frighten her, and say, Arise from your bleeding. But should this do no good, then take a handful of cumin and a handful of crocus, and a handful of fenugreek; boil them, and give it to her to drink, and say, Arise from your bleeding. But should this also fail, then dig seven trenches, and burn some young vines in them; and let her take in her hand a cup of wine, and let her be led from one trench to another, and in each trench say unto her, Arise from your bleeding.” It’s no wonder that the Bible says she suffered many things under her physicians.

But having suffered for years and spending all her money, she still had to face reality. It was socially traumatic. To have such bleeding - and we can only gently conclude it was a woman’s issue - would have many social implications. It would make going out difficult. It would’ve been uncomfortable. There would be many variables to plan for - if you had enough bandages, how long you could travel, the places you would go to. Furthermore, according to ceremonial laws in Leviticus, a woman who had such a problem was unwelcome in society. Leviticus 15:19 says, “And if a woman have an issue, [and] her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.” She would’ve been considered ceremonially unclean. And according to this law, everything and everyone she touched would also become ceremonially unclean. As a result, she would’ve been shunned by everyone, including her family. This means that likely, she wasn’t married. Any man married to her would be unclean. Or if she had been married, likely her husband would’ve left her. Such is the reality then and today. Being unclean, she couldn’t work, as she would defile others. And she had already spent all she had on the treatments. It showed her desperation. She lived alone, with no social contact, and little or no income. This is the prequel that we can gather from what we know.

But this scene of her coming to Jesus tells us something more. It was very spiritually traumatic for her. Because of her status, she couldn’t enter into the synagogue or the temple. As a result, she couldn’t make an atonement for her sins. To know that the only place you could receive atonement for your sins was the very place that you couldn’t enter because you were too unclean. The place you would go to receive comfort was closed to you. Her life events reveal her desperation. She was poor, spending all her money on a cure, she was shunned and without sympathy, without family, husband, or children - and all she wanted was to be healed.

But secondly, we see that her desperation caused her to seek after and believe in Christ. Verse 27 says that she came to Jesus - “when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.” She heard of Jesus and it gave her hope. It’s no surprise. Jesus had been going around the region to preach - to tell people that there’s only one way to be saved from sin and judgment - that they needed to repent from their sins and to believe in him. So when we see that she heard, it was more than just an overhearing. It was a hearing that caused her to hope. There are times we hear but don’t react. It’s like children who cross the street. Parents yell at them to stop; they may hear but not react. It’s like police warning criminals not to run; they may hear but not react. Sometimes it’s because the words are not understood; other times, the words are understood, but there’s opposition. So we see here for this woman, she heard and she complied. She reacted to what she heard by coming and seeking after Jesus. Likely, she wouldn’t have heard from a friend - she had none. But she overheard news. And it struck her. Jesus had already been in the region showing compassion to people, giving them comfort, teaching them. He had fed the 5000, he had delivered people oppressed spiritually. He turned water into wine. Everyone was talking about the works and teachings of Jesus. And so when she heard, this news gave her hope.

In her desperation, she came to seek after Jesus. And what was remarkable was that she believed that by merely touching his garments that her situation would be completely changed. Verse 28 says – “For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.” Desperation has that effect. It causes us to hope beyond hope. But her hope was not unfounded – it was based on what she had heard from people who had heard and seen. The water wasn’t made partially into wine but wholly. The five thousand had an over abundance of food so that there was so much leftover. The man possessed was completely healed. We see that a result of her desperation and what she heard was faith. And she demonstrated great courage. She didn’t care what the people thought of her. They must’ve known her – this wasn’t a big cosmopolitan city – it was a small town or village she lived in. We’re told that she came in the press behind. She squeezed past everyone from behind. There were a lot of people following Jesus. There were many situations like that where it was impossible to get to Jesus. One time, his mother and brothers wanted to see him, but the crowd was too large, they couldn’t get through. Another time, a group of people had to come through the thatched roof of a house just to see Jesus. So this woman braved potential humiliation, ridicule, and retribution. To get through them, she’d have to touch them - making them ceremonially unclean. But to her, the risk of their anger was worth it.

She sought Jesus because she believed he could heal her. When she was near enough to him, she reached out and touched his garment. The word “touched” means to cling or to hold on to. She didn’t merely brush his garment but she held on to him until she got what she came for. We learn in verse 29 that “straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in [her] body that she was healed of that plague.” It was instantaneous healing. She received what none of her physicians could ever give. She realized that things were different now. The result of her desperation was that she clung onto Jesus and received healing. She believed. Her desperation clung onto hope in him and saw Jesus for who he was - a savior.

Thirdly, we see her faith looked to him to save and assure her. She touched him - it was not another person. She reached out and grabbed ahold of him. Now, as soon as she did this, Jesus knew what happened. As God, Jesus knew all things even before they happened. But he perceived that power had gone out of him. Verse 30 - “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?” Now, many people were touching him – the disciples pointed out that fact in verse 31. But the touch of the woman was different because it was accompanied by faith. She was saved. Now, when he asked that question and looked around, in verse 33 she came and told him everything. We learn she grated and trembled. Why? Who had such knowledge? Notice he knew that someone had grabbed his clothes. And she knew what was done in her. The correlation that he knew and she was immediately healed made her come before him and bow down before him. She confessed it was her. She wasn’t afraid to confess what she had done. She was healed because of him. And she knew he wasn’t merely a man. We know this by her falling down she worshipped him. And Jesus replied her in verse 34 – “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” And we see in his response several important facts. She was healed not only physically, but spiritually. Verse 29 says her blood dried up. She felt it. For 12 years it flowed, and now it was discernible that she was healed. But more than that, she was saved spiritually. He called her “daughter.” She was no longer ceremonially unclean - no longer alienated from people, no longer living in her sins. He said that she had been made whole. The word “whole” is the word for saved. She was saved by Jesus through faith in him. She was forgiven of her sins.

And Jesus gave her assurance. He told her to go in peace. In other words, he didn’t scold her for coming to him. What she had done was right - in coming to him. She touched him - this would’ve normally be seen in the society in those times with horror. She was unclean ceremonially, and she touched this great Teacher! But Jesus didn’t care. He was not afraid of ceremonial uncleanness. What touches him will not make him unclean; what reaches out to touch him in faith will be made clean. Jesus came to earth; God was born a man in order to cleanse sinful men from their sins. He came to make people clean. And therefore, when he told her to go in peace, she had been made at peace with God. He commended her for what she had done. And he told her that she was now made whole of her plague. She was finally healed - her life would be different. She would not need to hide anymore, spend all she had on doctors, being hated by society, and not being able to go to the Temple. Rather, she was already made clean by Jesus.

In this account we see a picture of the state that each one of us are in. The Bible says that we all have sin issues. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23. We see sin affecting our lives. The sin of anger leads to broken relationships - at work, at home, in families. The sin of gossip leads to conflict. The sin of lust leads to broken marriages. It leads to enslavement of the mind, affections, and the body also. The sin of greed leads to wicked ambition and a competition that rejoices in the downfall of others. But the thing is this - we’re not always sorry. We’re not always desperate for a clean conscience. We’re okay having conflict - some even take pride in being disagreeable people. We live with and give into lust - pornography, masturbation, fornication, sexual exploits. The fact that you hide these things, shows you know it’s shameful - there’s guilt. We live with lying tongues - you don’t give a second thought before lying - white or otherwise. Sin expresses itself in different ways. It could be pride - that you’ve even lived a very moral life. Which negates that morality doesn’t it? But unless we’re desperate for a clean conscience, we will never be free from sin. And the fact that we continue in sin shows we don’t understand the destructiveness of sin.

Friends, there are those who are here that I don’t know personally. I do know that you each have your struggles. It’s not an issue of blood - but issues that have been brought upon by your sins and the sins of others. But your sins will also bring the judgment of God. Romans 6:23 says that the penalty for sin is death. Hebrews 9:27 says that after death is judgment from God. And we stand before God condemned. Just as Jesus knew that woman, he knows each of us. There is no hiding. Your lust, anger, malice, lies, greed - can never be removed by our own efforts. She sought after physicians - many procedures. We may try to cover up our inadequacies and sins through morality, through respectability, involvement in charity, through work But all the good we do, can never erase the sins we have committed. Isaiah 64:6 says all our good works are filthy rags. They can never cover all the sin we have committed. But only when we reach out in desperation and faith to Christ, holding onto him alone for forgiveness, can the shame, guilt, and sin be removed from us. Only when we believe that he is the God that washes away our guilt and come to him humbly, can we be saved from his judgment. This ours because Jesus came not only to heal and teach, he came to die for dinners - to bear his own judgment himself. This ours how he can forgive.

We are all in a desperate state – it’s just that we may not know it. But if we do, the only solution is to come to our Lord. And just like that woman, all those who do come get far more than they ever bargained for. But it’s whether or not we do come to him for help. The irony is this – many of us here are believers – we have come to Christ for the salvation of our souls. But for our minor issues, so called, we stay away. Isn’t it ironic? For if Christ has lifted a much heavier burden, can’t he lighten us of every other load? Romans 8:32 tells us – “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” All things, dear friends.

Jesus came to heal those who know they are spiritually sick - those who are cursed by sin. All of us have that need. If only we were to recognize it and see the desperation that we are truly in, and come to Christ, clinging onto him – he will make us whole again. If only we look with desperation at Jesus.

1. Her Life Events that Revealed Her Desperation

2. Her Desperation Caused Her to Seek and Believe

3. Her Faith Looked to Him to Save and Assure Her