Mark 5:25-34

Sermon by Dave van Wyk, summary by Chrisme Visagie

And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

There is a saying that desperate times require desperate measures. In this story we encounter a very desperate woman. She has tried everything naturally possible, and nothing has worked. But then – she heard about Jesus. We can learn a lot from her response!

1. She heard

Hearing takes away ignorance. Once you heard something, you cannot unhear it! We have a responsibility to hear God speak by spending time with him and especially by reading the Word and we also have a responsibility to make sure others have the opportunity to hear the Good News.

Romans 10:17 (KJV): So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:14 (NIV): How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

2. She believed

She heard and she believed. And then she did something about it! In James we are taught that faith without works are dead. If you really believe in something, you will act upon that believe.

James 2:20 (KJV): But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Keep in mind that the devil’s first tactic has always been to spread doubt about what God has said. Do not his seeds of doubt set root and grow!

Genesis 3:1 (NKJV): Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

Luke 8:11-12 (NKJV): “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

3. She saw it

See it! Imagine it! Look upon it in your mind until it becomes a reality!
This woman could see herself touching the hem of Jesus’ garment and when she was pushing through the crowds, that was what she saw and what she focused on.

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV): Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

4. She proclaimed it

Mark 5:28 (NKJV): For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

Say it! And keep saying it until you believe it. Most of us totally underestimate the power of the spoken word. (See the previous blog: The power of the spoken word). The manifestation of our faith is not always immediate (although it is in the spiritual world!) and sometimes we need patience – but do not stop believing and proclaiming it!

Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV): Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Hebrews 6:11-12 (NKJV): And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

5. She did it

We already mentioned that faith without works is dead. There comes a stage when YOU have to DO something. This woman new what she had to do, and nothing was going to stop her. The bible encourages us in several scriptures to do good. “Do” is a verb, an action, not a “let’s see what happens” attitude! James instructs us:

James 1:22 (NKJV): But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

6. Receive it

And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

There was no way this lady could know that she was never going to bleed again, but that is exactly what she chose to believe and by believing, receiving. I was praying for a lady 2 weeks ago, on a Friday, for a very painful back. She had immediate relief of the pain and could move in ways that she couldn’t move before! But her next words were: ” I will go to the clinic next week to get some pain tablets for in case”. She did not receive her healing in full.

7. Tell it

The power of our testimony is another tool God has given us, which we do not fully understand the importance of! Have a look at our previous blog: Your testimony is powerful.

When Jesus asked who touched him, this woman was not ashamed to speak up and tell her story. She shared her testimony in front of the whole crowd and she is still sharing her testimony with us today.

Mark 5:33 (NKJV): But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.

Sharing your testimony leads to more miracles which leads to more testimonies!

Conclusion

This woman was a ‘nobody’. (Have a look at the poem I wrote: The woman with the issue). But she was extremely brave. Are you brave enough to hear it, believe it, imagine it, say it, do it, receive it and tell it?