Mark 5:33Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Why does the Lord unveil the role of the wife? First, to exalt her faith; second, to inspire the synagogue ruler's belief that his daughter too could experience salvation; and third, to ease the great anxiety of the wife, who feared that she might lose her healing. As the evangelist notes, "in fear and trembling she came up." Consequently, the Lord did not declare, “I have saved you,” but instead affirmed, “thy faith hath saved thee; walk in peace,” meaning to live in peace.

The Lord chose not to disclose the identity of the one who touched Him, not because He aimed to prevent deception meant to mislead people nor because He intended to encourage truth-telling while refraining from acknowledging it Himself. So why did the Lord remain silent about the person who reached out to Him? It was essential for the healed individual to become a witness to the Great Healer, and for her, who had visibly regained health, to bear witness to the hidden power that restored her. The Lord did not rush to proclaim His own identity, as He was surrounded by adversaries; rather, He patiently awaited the revelation of His own work. In doing so, He not only strengthened His followers but also confronted His opponents.

Observe the progression in her journey. During her affliction, she was unable to approach Him; but upon her healing, she was able to stand before Him. In her humility, she fell at His feet, not daring to meet His gaze—just being at His feet was sufficient for her restoration. She revealed to Him the entire truth: Christ embodies the truth. Healed by this Truth, she acknowledges the reality of her healing.

All the afflicted sought to touch His garments; among them was a woman suffering from a bleeding condition. When she experienced healing, she contemplated retreating. Jesus, rather than immediately approaching her, paused, turned to the crowd, and inquired, ‘Who touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me?’ He scanned the crowd with His gaze, and recognizing she could not remain hidden, the woman approached and fell at His feet, recounting her entire story. Jesus praised her faith, saying, ‘Courage, your faith has made you whole.’ What was the purpose of this? Did He, who instructed the possessed not to speak of Him, seek honor? The Savior’s intention was to fortify Jairus’ faith. He said to Jairus, ‘Do you see this woman?

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jairus informs Jesus that his daughter has indeed passed away (ετελέυτησεν v. 18) and consequently seeks His assistance for a resurrection. In contrast, the Gospels of Mark (εσχάτως έχει v. 23) and Luke (αυτη άπεθνισκεν v. 42) indicate that she was merely at the point of death, leading Jairus to initially request healing for her condition. He received news of her death later on. Given the situation of the sick woman and Jairus's emotional state, it is plausible that his words were not entirely certain; he likely intended to express that when he departed his home, his daughter was in her final moments, and by then, perhaps deceased.

The woman who had been healed understood that there was no way to conceal herself from the One who had restored her. She approached and fell at His feet, confessing everything honestly. The Jewish community viewed her actions as a transgression; by being ceremonially unclean, she had audaciously mingled within the throng, thus rendering all who came into contact with her also unclean. Likely, the crowd anticipated that Jesus would rebuke her for this breach, and she, herself, was filled with dread at the thought of potential condemnation.

She emerged from the throng, filled with trepidation, and fell at His feet, confessing her truth. In her desire for restoration, she set aside any modesty she may have had. It was clear she was afraid of His displeasure, for the scripture explicitly indicated that a man would be rendered unclean until evening if he touched a woman who was menstruating.

Peter and the other disciples addressed Him, saying, "Master, look at the crowd pressing around You. Who is it that dares to touch Me?" To this, the Lord replied, "Someone has indeed touched Me, for I perceive that power has gone out from Me." According to Blessed Theophylact’s interpretation, this power is conveyed to others while still remaining within Christ without any loss. The woman, trembling with fear and fully aware of what had transpired, approached Him, fell at His feet, and confessed the entire truth of her situation—why she had reached out to Him and how she had been instantly healed.