Mark 5:28Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He alone, being the Light, illuminates the blind; as the Great Physician, He restores the weak; as the Source of Life, He revives the dead; and as the Almighty One, He repairs the broken and strengthens the feeble.

That woman, afflicted and unable to find relief from any doctor and in increasingly dire straits, heard about Jesus, who was said to welcome everyone and who miraculously healed all ailments not with remedies but through His divine authority. She resolved, "I will approach that great Healer, and though I am ashamed of my weakness, I will not confront Him directly. Instead, I will discreetly touch the hem of His garment, believing that will bring my healing." With such faith, she moved through the crowd and touched His robe, saying to herself, "If I can just touch His garment, I will be whole." Instantly, her bleeding ceased, and she sensed in her body that she had been made well (Mark 5:27-29).

Consider, Christian, the remarkable faith of this woman. Contemplate the power, impact, and results of her belief. She illustrates for us the way to pursue healing for our spiritual maladies—through faith in Christ. Her thought, "If I touch His garment, I shall be well," embodies true faith! And because of her belief, she received what she sought. Where authentic faith exists, hope thrives. Let us follow her example. We should approach Christ with faith and hope, humbly laying ourselves before His omniscient gaze. In our prayers, we ought to ask with conviction and expectation. When we come to His sacred and life-affirming Sacraments, may we do so with a heart filled with faith and hope for renewal, remembering and emulating the woman who struggled with bleeding. In this manner, our spiritual afflictions can be healed, and the roots of the sinful passions that torment our souls can be eradicated.

The indication that our souls are beginning to heal manifests as the destructive passions start to diminish—less pride, self-centeredness, greed, hatred, envy, anger, and other vices show themselves less overtly. Just as a body can be restored when harmful substances are eliminated, so too can our souls be rejuvenated when freed from sinful inclinations. "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David, my daughter (my soul) is severely possessed by a demon… Lord! Help me" (Matthew 15:22, 25). The primary demon is sin dwelling within the soul, causing turmoil and unrest. It disrupts peace, leading the heart to falter in its spiritual endeavors. "Lord! Help me! Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table." May I, who am unworthy, also hear the words, "Let it be done for you as you desire," as the Canaanite woman did (Matt. 15:27-28).

Yet, if a spirit that is encased in flesh requires a medium or visible sign to reach out to Christ, then one must consider that He, who bestowed His divine power even upon His earthly garments, surely bestows it even more generously upon the souls of His saints. After being baptized into Christ, they are clothed with Him, and in accordance with their faith and purity, they become vessels and garments of His divine grace. Additionally, has His grace not also flowed from their souls onto their bodily forms and incorruptible relics? Does it not manifest through holy images? The power of Christ indeed operates through these channels to bring healing to all. Many believers encounter these truths, even if not everyone is attuned to perceive or experience them. If you seek a more tangible connection with Christ, what can be said? It must be stated that He has granted you more than you could have wished or imagined. He proclaims: ‘Take, eat, this is My body’ (Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22); ‘Drink, ...this is My blood’ (Matthew 26:27-28; Mark 14:23). Through the minister of the sacrament, He continues to convey these words, offering His life-giving body and blood to believers at all times and in all places—not merely to touch, but to partake, so that those who receive them in faith may deeply cry out to Him as St. Basil the Great did: ‘We are filled with Your infinite life!’ What more could you desire, O Christian of the universal Church? Can you envy the Jew who rushes to Galilee to touch Jesus, ‘seeking to touch Him, for power comes from Him and heals all’? Will you lament that despite seeking to ‘touch Him’ in the ways I have described, you do not experience His life-giving presence, nor find healing for your passions, sorrows, and weaknesses?

She endured bleeding for twelve years, spent all her resources on physicians, yet gained nothing; now she is healed simply by touching the fringe of my garment. Her healing came through the faith with which she reached for it. Witness this and strengthen your own faith.” Just as the Lord concluded His words, messengers arrived to inform Jairus that his daughter had passed away.

Since Matthew does not mention any messengers bringing the news of the girl's passing to Jairus, his phrase, αΰτη ετελέυτησεν, aligns better with the situation at hand. It is reasonable to conclude that Jairus's initial plea for healing evolved into an unspoken request for her resurrection upon learning of her demise. The woman suffering from bleeding hesitated to approach Jesus directly for her healing due to her condition, which rendered her ceremonially unclean (Luke 15); however, her faith was so profound that she believed merely touching the edge of His garment (κρασπεδον Mt. 20. Lk. 44 cf. Num. 15:38. Matthew 14:36. 23, 5. Lk. 8:44. Mk. 6:56) would suffice to receive healing. The Lord, inviting her to publicly acknowledge her faith and the miracle that had taken place, inquired, “Who touched Me?” He was indeed aware of her intention and action when she reached for Him, and He comforted her spirit, declaring, “Courage, woman, your faith has saved you” (which He later reiterated to her aloud). It is clear that while many thronged around Him, and numerous individuals touched Him, only the faith of this woman drew forth the miraculous power from Him. Ultimately, her touch carried a meaning not for Christ but for her, serving as an expression of her faith through which she truly engaged with Him.

Philaret of Moscow noted, "the very Deity of Jesus Christ saw, knew, and intimately revealed to His humanity who had touched Him, it was advantageous for Him to outwardly address the situation to attract attention to the remarkable act and the miraculous outcome that followed."