Bible reading: Mark 5:25-34
It was wonderful to see such a full church for our Divine Service this Sunday, and I also welcomed everyone joining us online. My reading this week continued our exploration of our spiritual selves, but focused particularly on something that has a very important place within our church: the power of faith in healing.
Last week, we looked at scripture concerning Spirit, our spiritual selves, the divine essence and the pure Spirit of Christ. In John 16:15, Jesus tells us that all that belongs to the Father is His, and that the Spirit receives from Christ what is to be made known to us. Elsewhere, Jesus teaches that those who believe in Him will continue His work (John 14:12).
These passages remind me that many great spiritual gifts come to us from God through Christ. One of the gifts that has a particularly prominent place within Christian Spiritualism, and within our church, is healing.
Faith and Healing in the Bible
There are many accounts of healing throughout the Bible. Each has its own message, but one theme appears time and again: faith.
That sounds simple, but genuine faith is not always easy. Sometimes what we call faith is actually hope. We desperately hope that something will happen, but underneath that hope we may still be filled with uncertainty.
Spiritual healing asks us to look deeper.
For me, healing involves a spiritual connection with Jesus Christ, the great healer, and ultimately with God. The healer approaches that work in faith, while the person seeking healing also opens themselves spiritually to that connection.
Jesus Himself repeatedly directed attention away from Himself and towards the Father. In John 14:10, He explains that it is the Father, living in Him, who is doing His work.
This is important when we think about spiritual healing today. The healer should never be seen as the source of healing. Rather, we seek to become instruments through which God’s love and healing power may work.
“If I Just Touch His Clothes”
For Sunday’s reading, I chose one of the most powerful examples of faith and healing in the New Testament: the woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years, recorded in Mark 5:25-34.
She had endured a great deal. She had been treated by many doctors, spent everything she had, and yet instead of improving, her condition had become worse.
Then she heard about Jesus.
Something within her told her that she did not need to demand His attention or even ask Him directly for healing. Her faith was so strong that she believed:
“If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”
She made her way through the crowd and touched His cloak. Immediately, her bleeding stopped and she knew within herself that she had been freed from her suffering.
Jesus realised that power had gone out from Him and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
The disciples were understandably confused. A large crowd was pressing around Jesus, so many people must have been touching Him. Yet Jesus knew that this touch was different.
Eventually, the woman came forward, trembling, fell at His feet and told Him the truth.
Jesus responded with the words at the heart of Sunday’s reading:
“Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
Mark 5:34
The Faith of the Centurion
I also referred to another account which demonstrates faith in a different way: the Roman centurion who approached Jesus because his servant was suffering.
In Matthew 8:5-13, the centurion tells Jesus that he is not worthy to have Him come under his roof. Yet his faith is extraordinary. He believes that Jesus only needs to “say the word” and his servant will be healed.
Jesus marvels at the man’s faith.
The two accounts show us different expressions of the same principle. The woman reaches out and touches Jesus’ cloak because she believes she will be healed. The centurion does not even believe Jesus needs to be physically present. He trusts completely in Christ’s authority.
In both cases, faith forms the spiritual connection.
Discovering Our Spiritual Gifts
These accounts also encourage us to consider the spiritual gifts that God has given to each of us.
We may not always recognise those gifts immediately. We need to search for them, develop them responsibly and, where appropriate, use them in service to others.
For me, that discovery begins within. It comes through listening to our inner voice and making time for quiet reflection, prayer and communion with our spiritual selves. In those quiet moments, we can become more conscious of the presence of Christ within us and of our connection with the Divine.
This is one reason healing continues to have such an important place within our church. It is not simply about seeking a particular physical outcome. Healing is also an expression of compassion, prayer, faith, spiritual connection and our willingness to place another person’s needs before God.
Finding Faith in Difficult Times
The woman in Mark’s Gospel had suffered for twelve years. She had tried different treatments, exhausted her resources and become worse rather than better. Yet she still found within herself the faith to reach out.
That is perhaps the part of her story that speaks most strongly to us today.
Faith can be relatively easy when everything is going well. Maintaining faith through years of difficulty, disappointment or suffering is much harder.
Her story does not tell us that faith means pretending our problems do not exist. Her suffering was very real. Instead, it shows us someone who, despite everything she had experienced, remained willing to reach towards Christ.
We may sometimes find ourselves doing exactly the same.
Our own circumstances will be different, but spiritually we can still reach out. Through prayer, healing, quiet contemplation and the development of our spiritual selves, we can seek that connection with Christ and with God.
Our Brother and Lord Jesus does not leave us. That spiritual connection remains available to us, even during those times when our faith feels difficult.
The challenge is to recognise it, nurture it and have the faith to reach out.
God bless.
Scripture references
Mark 5:25-34 – The healing of the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years.
Matthew 8:5-13 – Jesus heals the centurion’s servant.
Luke 7:1-10 – The parallel account of the centurion’s faith.
John 14:10-12 – Jesus speaks of the Father working through Him and those who believe continuing His works.
John 16:15 – Jesus speaks of the Spirit receiving from Him what belongs to the Father.
This article was drafted with Chat GPT AI from a transcript of Peter’s bible reading. Edited by Humans. Featured image created by Chat GPT.
