Text:
Mark 5:25-34:
25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
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?
31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
Theme:
What’s The Issue?
Introduction:
- The Gospel According to Mark is the second of the four Gospels of the New Testament and therefore the second of the books of the New Testament. The Gospel is believed the have been written by Mark, the young interpreter of Peter. Although Mark was not an eye or ear witness of Jesus and His teaching, Mark absorbed the words of Peter to give him his content for the book.
- In his not passionately living the events of Jesus’ life, Mark understandably does not portray Jesus in any subjective aura like the other Gospels.
- Matthew à the Messiah
- Luke à the Universal Redeemer
- Mark gets right to the heart of the matter in depicting Jesus during His ministry in Galilee.
- Mark gives us the full picture of who Jesus was – the wonder-working Son of God!
- In his not passionately living the events of Jesus’ life, Mark understandably does not portray Jesus in any subjective aura like the other Gospels.
- Our text takes place during the third circuit of Jesus’ ministry
- Other synoptic texts (same story) à Matthew 9:20, Luke 8:43
- During the time from the crossing of Gadara until the commission of the twelve.
- Before this text, Jesus had agreed to go and lay hands on Jairus’ daughter and was on the way to Jairus’ house when he encountered the woman with the issue of blood.
- After this text, a servant from Jairus’ house came to report that his daughter had died. Jesus told Jairus, “only believe”, and Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead upon arrival to the home.
- In our passage of scripture we find “…a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,” (Mark 5:25)
- This woman had gone to doctors, spent all of her money and did not get any better.
- God allows us to spend all our money, lose our last nerve and last smile…depending on things and people other than Him.
- When she heard about Jesus, she “came in the press behind” to touch His garment.
- She did like Paul in Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
- She believed that if she could just touch the hem of His garment she would be made whole, and she was.
- As Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, “…If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed…nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
- Jesus reacted by saying, “Who touched me?”
- All the folks around, and He still knew. There was a difference in her touch and others.
- Her touch took virtue out of Jesus.
- Kirk Franklin’s song says, “Let me touch you and see that you are real.”
- When she came to His feet, Jesus told her “thy faith hath made thee whole”
- Paul affirms in Galatians 3:11, “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”
- The focus of this story for this study will be not traditionally be the resolution…but, instead, the ISSUE. The question becomes WHAT’S THE ISSUE?
- This woman had gone to doctors, spent all of her money and did not get any better.
Body:
- The woman in the text had a specific “issue” à an “issue” or “constant flow” of blood
- There were specific social and religious laws regarding this malady.
Leviticus 15:25-27 explains:
25 And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean.
26 Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation.
27 And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
- She had constant internal bleeding…probably from the womb or stomach
- She had this malady for 12 years
- She trusted Jesus with her “issue” and was healed
- What’s The Issue with us?
- All people have issues…even in the Bible!
- Adam à Allowed distractions to take his focus off serving God
- Moses à Was a reactionary person (killing the Egyptian, breaking the 1st commandments, striking the rock)
- David à Was a man of war and violence
- Solomon à Always trying to please women
- Peter à Had a quick temper and temperament
- Paul à Was short and unattractive and had a bad reputation for killing Christians
- We also have issue(s)!
- Some…Trials & Tribulations
- Job 14:1, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.”
- Some…Stress
- 2Timothy 2:4, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
- Some…Enemies
- As David prayed in Psalms 27:12, “Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.”
- Some…Pride
- Proverbs 11:2, “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.”
- All…Original Sin
- Psalms 51:5, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
- All…Committed Sins
- Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
- All…The Devil
- 1Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
- Some…Trials & Tribulations
- Even Jesus had issues…but had no SIN!
- Jesus was human but had no sin à Romans 8:3, “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”
- Jesus had to endure the “issues” that came along with humanity à Hebrews 2:18, “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”
- What problems do our “issues” cause?
- Adversely affecting those around us
- Colossians 2:8, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
- Loss of Joy!
- King David lost his joy and had to ask in Psalms 51:12, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”
- Hurts/breaks our relationship with God…
- Proverbs 6:16-19, “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”
- Adversely affecting those around us
- All people have issues…even in the Bible!
- We need to own up to our “ISSUES”!
- Just as David did in Psalms 51:3, “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.”
- Admitting to our issues to God is the BEGINNING of our healing and maintenance!
- 2Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
- Admitting to our issues is core to the requirements of the believer
- Matthew 16:24 (Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23), “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
- Admitting to our issues is foundational to our integrity
- Psalms 26:1, “Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.”
Conclusion:
- God can resolve our issues!
- Like the Hebrew Boys, we must also tell our “issues” as in Daniel 3:17, “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.”
- God loves us in spite of our issues!
- Like the old gospel hymn says, “He looked beyond my faults and saw my needs.”
- Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
- We must glorify God in spite of our ISSUES!
- 2Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
- When we love and serve God as we should…WHAT’S THE ISSUE??
- Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
- We have nothing to worry about è WHAT’S THE ISSUE??
- Satan can’t take us à John 10:29, “My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”
- Our enemies can’t defeat us à Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper…”
- We have the victory already à Romans 8:37, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
- So, WHAT’S THE ISSUE??
- What used to stop me can’t stop me now
- What used to kill me can’t kill me now
- What used to deny me can’t deny me now
- So, WHAT’S THE ISSUE??
#379
