We Are The Woman With The Issue Of Blood: Context

Photo by @oliverpacas via Unsplash

Just for a moment, think back to your time as a new believer when you were seeking to learn more about becoming a Christ-follower. Was there a Bible passage that really spoke to you? Or perhaps a verse that really made Jesus come alive for you as a new believer?

Growing up, my parents kept these two huge study Bibles tucked away in the back of a closet. At 17, I was struggling with suicide ideation (with a mental health issue that wouldn't be diagnosed until my 30s) and sinking deeper and deeper into the occult in an attempt to find some control over my life. I was convinced that the god I encountered at seances and tarot readings was the God of the Bible, and I needed to know more about "god." I needed some hope that life would somehow get easier. I needed help to imagine a different future. Hope.

So, I snuck one of those Bibles to my room. I had no experience with the Bible, so I just laid it on my bed and it fell open to the story of the Woman With The Issue Of Blood in Mark 5.

It was clear to me in that moment that I was this woman. She was clearly an outsider. She didn't think much of herself -- of her own value. And she was desperate that something might change and put her life on a different trajectory. I could relate to all of that.

And Jesus healed her.

No no, her FAITH healed her. There wasn’t some magic formula or incantation, qualification, access or membership required. This faith seemed accessible to even those no one wanted around. So the next time some classmates invited me to church, I surprised them all by saying – sure!

Like the woman in this story, a brief encounter with Jesus changed everything for me. And so thirty or so years on from my first encounter with this story and Jesus, what does it say to me today?

Let's dive in!

A Writer Is Intentional With Details

The Gospels are curated collections of Jesus’ time on earth. What I mean by that is these are not moment-by-moment accounts of his entire life and ministry. Each Gospel writer has selected the stories and the details of those stories to emphasize a point they are trying to make. These are not history books, they're not chronologies. That's important to remember.

Mark’s gospel was written for a Roman audience that enjoyed a faster pace to storytelling. They preferred more direct teaching (kind of like us. I've read Lord of the Rings, but prefer the movies that skip all the descriptions and narration - just give me the main story). The overarching point Mark is making, the criteria he’s using to decide which stories, which details, to use, is to teach his readers that Jesus is better at everything. Jesus is a better healer, better teacher, more wise, etc. than any Roman emperor or god.

Mark’s Gospel gives more details about the encounter with this woman than the other gospel writers, so it’s appropriate to ask ourselves why? Why did Mark pause on this story when one of his objectives was to appeal to an audience that wanted to keep the pace moving?

Why did Jesus heal this woman? Why here? Why now?

Read Mark 5: 21 - 43

(The parallel passages are in Matthew 9:18-26; Luke 8:40-56)

Context Context Context

When I begin to study a passage, I take a few minutes to answer a few basic questions for myself:

· Who wrote this?

· Where does the story take place?

· Who are the main characters in the story?

· When does this story take place inside the larger narrative? (When in Jesus’ ministry does this happen?)

What Is Context? Context provides meaning and clarity to the intended reader. It’s the background information; context helps us understand the writer’s intent. Before we can apply the lessons in the text to today, we must first understand what it would have said to, or taught, the original audience.

Credit for authorship has historically been given to the apostle Mark. “Mark” a Jew, wrote his Gospel for Roman believers (or those who were seeking) who were looking for Good News of a new kingdom – a new gospel (a euangelion).

At this time, this phrasing "good news", "gospel", "new kingdom" were all associated with the ascension of a new Roman Emperor or Ceasar, a great military victory, a royal birth, etc. More info on that here. So Mark purposely co-opts the image of a new Roman Emperor who would've rode through the empire bringing good news of a new kingdom to the people and applied it to Christ.

This gospel was written before 70AD when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans (that’s important because a lot of things changed after the temple was destroyed). The first century saw no less than 7 emperors take the throne in Rome, so people would have been familiar with the rites and traditions surrounding this event. For a deeper dive into the political and social context of Mark and first century Israel, I recommend this episode of the BEMA podcast by Marty Solomon (there's transcripts available).

Where did the woman with the issue of blood live?

Now, back to the context of this specific story, Matthew tells us in his account that Jesus "came to His own city" (Matt 9:1). Where is that? Earlier in Matthew, we’re told that the city that Jesus used as a base, a launching point for his ministry, is Capernaum (Matt 4:13). So, this woman was living in Capernaum.

What do we know about Capernaum?

Capernaum’s one of the three main cities ruled by the Pharisees (along with Bethsaida and Chorazin) on the northern shore of the Sea Of Galilee. When this story takes place, the people there know Jesus. This explains why he’s met by a crowd. Why a leader of the local Synagogue would know who he was.

*As a fun aside, I've enjoyed doing virtual walking tours through many ancient sites. Here's a link to one touring ancient Capernaum.* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yURJfvnInAU

Questions About The Woman With The Issue Of Blood ... So Many Questions

So, if you didn't just read the passage in Mark go do that (bonus points if you also read the parallel accounts of this story). I'm assuming you’ve read the story.

Questions are good. I've been told many times that I have too many questions, but it seems to me that Jesus asked far more questions than he ever answered. If you feel you need permission to ask questions **swish of magic wand** you have permission. lol

So, what questions do you have of this story? Is there anything that's got you scratching your head? Anything you don't really understand? Anything that doesn't really make sense? I'll share mine below:

• What is a synagogue official? What does this person do and is this a role that comes with prestige?

• What gave the woman the idea that touching Jesus' cloak would heal her? Where did that idea come from?

• Mark's account of this story is much longer than the other gospel writers. What point is Mark trying to make to his readers with this story?

• The number 12 occurs twice in this story. Is there anything to that?

• Jesus didn't heal every person who came asking for his help -- he couldn't have. What was he trying to teach his Talmidim by healing these two?

What questions do you have have after reading this story? Is there anything that seems odd, out of place, doesn't make sense, makes you lean in and want to know more? Take a moment to write them down for yourself. I'd love to see one of your questions in the comments.

Read Part Two Here