Bible Story of the Woman with the Issue of Blood
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In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we are presented with a story about a woman who had suffered from an issue of blood for twelve long and difficult years. She had exhausted all her resources searching for healing. When she heard that Jesus was passing through her area, her faith compelled her to risk it all just for one touch. Her great faith led to her miraculous healing!
Her story continues to resonate with many believers today, as long seasons of waiting and suffering are a common part of the human experience. We can empathize with this woman and also be encouraged by her enduring faith and eventual healing. The woman with the issue of blood demonstrates that Jesus sees those who feel invisible, honors persistent faith, and offers healing that reaches far beyond the physical.
Where Is the Story of the Woman with the Issue of Blood Found in the Bible?
We find this story in the following places in the Bible:
Matthew 9:20-22 - Just then, a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
Mark 5:25-34 - And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better, she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately, her bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once, Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
Luke 8:43-48 - And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told them why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
Each writer emphasizes different things. Matthew has the shortest account. Mark and Luke emphasize the faith of the woman; she was healed as soon as she touched Jesus’ cloak, and Jesus knew his power had been at work. Each account shows us that Jesus pauses on the way to heal Jairus’ daughter, showing that no one person is insignificant to Him. He was not too busy to respond to the women's faith.
What Was the Woman’s Condition and Why Did It Matter?
This woman had suffered constant bleeding for 12 long years. She had spent all her money on physicians, and it was noted that no one could heal her. In addition to the physical and financial toll this condition would have taken on her, her condition would have also rendered her ceremonially unclean according to Leviticus 15.
Leviticus 15:25-27 says, “When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period. Any bed she lies on while her discharge continues will be unclean, as is her bed during her monthly period, and anything she sits on will be unclean, as during her period. Anyone who touches them will be unclean; they must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.”
Any woman who had a discharge of blood was unclean as long as the discharge continued; anywhere she sat was unclean, and anyone who touched her would also become unclean. This woman’s condition would have led to her experiencing great isolation, shame, and financial hardship. She would have been excluded from religious practices and endured emotional exhaustion.
Maybe you have or are walking through an ordeal that has also led to your isolation. An ordeal that has drained you of your emotional, physical, and financial resources. Maybe you know a pain that lingers, such as when you’ve endured the loss of a child, chronic illness, infertility, depression, or long-term hardships. Many of us can relate to this woman’s suffering.
Twelve years is a long time to be searching for help and praying for relief! It is hard to remain faithful and to hold onto hope that healing is possible. Her story reminds us that even when we may feel God has forgotten us, he has not. He had a plan for this woman’s healing. Her enduring faith led to her eventual breakthrough.
What Does the Woman's Faith Teach Christians Today?
In each account of this story, the woman's remarkable faith is highlighted as the catalyst for her miraculous healing. She believed Jesus could heal her before she ever touched Him. The woman risked so much when she stepped into a crowd and dared to touch a Rabbi. She knew she would make everyone around that touched her unclean, but her spirit was determined to receive the healing that only the Messiah could offer.
This woman courageously pushed through obstacles. Biblical faith often requires courageous obedience. Faith is a genuine trusting in the Lord regardless of the outcome. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith this way: “ Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Her faith was confident. It was a faith that inspired action. James 2:17 reminds us, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” She took bold action that drew Jesus' power out. God responds to our acts of faith.
Why Did Jesus Stop and Speak to Her?
Jesus knew as soon as she touched his cloak that power had gone out from Him. He wanted to give her more than a miracle; he wanted to let her know that he saw her. It would have been so easy to let her slip away. A woman who had lived for years in isolation would probably have become accustomed to being unseen. Jesus intentionally called her forward, publicly restoring her dignity, acknowledging her great faith, and affectionately calling her daughter.
This interaction expanded the healing she received. This story is about more than a physical miracle. Jesus showed her love, meeting her emotional needs. His acknowledgment of her faith restored her spiritual standing. When the woman was healed, she became clean again, restoring her to the community.
God desires a relationship more than just solving our problems. He wants us to know we are both seen, loved, and sons and daughters of the King!
What Does This Story Teach about Waiting on God?
The woman endured twelve years of suffering before receiving her miracle. God often works in seasons of waiting. Isaiah 30:18 states, “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.”
We don’t often feel blessed when walking through long seasons of waiting, but God says these trials are a blessing. This woman’s faith grew over her years of prayerfully waiting for relief. She was confident that the Messiah was able to offer her what she needed; she only needed to touch his cloak! When our healing doesn’t come immediately, God’s presence and purposes are still with us. Hold onto hope, even in the difficult seasons of waiting.
The woman came to Jesus exhausted, isolated, and desperate. By grace, Jesus did more than heal her body; He restored her identity and welcomed her back into his community. Her story reminds us that no one is forgotten in God’s kingdom. If you are waiting for physical healing, emotional restoration, or renewed hope, Christ invites you to come to Him in faith! Jesus continues to meet those who reach for Him, offering his presence, peace, and ultimate restoration.
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