Ryle on Mark 5:21-34

Imported boundary: J. C. Ryle's Expository Thoughts on Mark from the Internet Archive DjVu OCR for the 1858 Robert Carter St. Mark volume. Title pages, preface, contents, running heads, page numbers, OCR boilerplate, and indexes are not mirrored. The source includes Ryle's printed Scripture text and exposition; this scan-derived text remains needs-verification.

Primary passage: Mark 5:21-34.

Source Text

21 And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him : and he was nigh unto the sea. 22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jai- rus by name ; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, 23 And besought him greatly, say- ing, My little daughter lieth at the point of death : I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed ; and she shall live. 24 And Jesus went with him ; and much people followed him, and thronged him. 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 touch- ed 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 he?' body that she was healed of that plague. 30 And Jesus, immediately know- ing in himself thatvirtue 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 around about to see her that had done this thing. 33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and tell 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. The main subject of these verses is the miraculous healing of a sick woman. Great is our Lord's experience in cases of disease ! Great is his . sympathy with His sick and ailing members ! The gods of the heathen are generally represented as terrible and mighty in battle, delighting in bloodshed, the strong man's patrons, and the warrior's friends. The Saviour of the Christian is always set before us as gentle, and easy to be entreated, the healer of the broken hearted, the refuge of the weak and helpless, the comforter oi the distressed, the sick 99 man's best friend. And is not this just the Saviour that human nature needs ? The world is full of pain and trouble. The weak on earth are far more numerous than the strong.

Let us mark, in these verses, what misery sin has brought into the world.

We read of one who had had a most painful disease " for twelve years/' She had " suf- fered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse." Means of every kind had been tried in vain. Medical skill had proved unable to cure. Twelve long weary years had been spent in battling with disease, and relief seemed no nearer than at first. " Hope de- ferred" might well " make her heart sick." (Prov. xiii. 12.) How marvellous it is that we do. not hate sin more than we do ! Sin is the cause of all the pain and dis- ease in the world. God did not create man to be an ailing and suffering creature. It was sin, and nothing but sin, which brought in all the ills that flesh is heir to. It was sin to which we owe every racking pain, and every loathsome infirmity, and every humbling weakness to which our poor bodies are liable. Let us keep this ever in mind. Let us hate sin with a godly hatred.

Let us mark, in the second place, how different are the feelings with which people draw near to Christ. We are told in these verses that " much people followed" our Lord, " and thronged him." But we are only told of one person who " came in the press behind," and touched Him with faith and was healed. Many followed Jesus from curiosiJ^^^d derived no benefit from Him a One, and only one, followed under a deep sense of her need, and of our Saviour's power to relieve her, and that one received a mighty blessing.

We see the same thing going on continually in the Church of Christ at the present day. Multitudes go to our places of worship, and fill our pews. Hundreds come up to the Lord's table, and receive the bread and wine. But of all these worshippers and communicants, how few really obtain anything from Christ ! Fashion, custom, form, habit, the love of excitement, or an itching ear, are the true motives of the vast majority. There are but few here and there who touch Christ by faith, and go home " in peace/' These may seem hard sayings. But they are unhappily too true !

Let us mark, in the third place, how immediate and instantaneous was the cure which this woman received. No sooner did she touch our Lord's clothes than she was healed. The thing that she had sought in vain for twelve years, was done in a moment. The cure that many physicians could not effect, was wrought in an in- stant of time. " She felt in her body that she was healed of that plague." We need not doubt that we are meant to see here an emblem of the relief that the Gospel confers on souls. The experience of many a weary conscience has been exactly like that of this woman with her disease. Many a man has spent sorrowful years in search of peace with God, and failed to find it. He has gone to earthly re- medies and obtained no relief. He has wearied himself in going from place to place, andchurch to church, and has felt after all " nothing bulj^ him!< rather worse.' indchurc But at last he has found rest. - And where has he found it ? - He has found it, where this woman found her's, in Jesus Christ. He has ceased from his own works. He has given over looking to his own endeavors and doings for relief. He has come to Christ Himself, as a humble sinner, and committed himself to His mercy. At once the burden has fallen from off his shoulders. Heaviness is turned to joy, aud anxiety to peace. - One touch of real faith can do more for the soul than a hundred self- imposed austerities. One look at Jesus is more efficacious than years of sack-cloth and ashes. May we never forget this to our dying day ! Personal application to Christ is the real secret of peace with God.

Let us mark, in the fourth place, how much it becomes Christians to confess before men the benefit they receive from Christ.

We see that this woman was not allowed to go home, when cured, without her cure being noticed. Our Lord inquired who had touched Him, and " looked round about to see her that had done this thing." No doubt He knew perfectly the name and history of the woman. He needed not that any should tell Him. But He desired to teach her, and all around Him, that healed souls should make public acknowledgment of mercies received. There is a lesson here which all true Christians would do well to remember. We are not to be ashamed to confess Christ before men, and to let others know what He has done for our souls. If we have fouad peace* through His blood, and been renewed by His Spirit, we must not shrink from avowing it, on every proper occasion. It is not necessary to blow a, trumpet in the streets, and force our experience on every body's notice. All that is required is a willingness to acknowledge Christ as our Master, without flinching from the ridi- cule or persecution which by so doing we may bring on ourselves. More than this is not required ; but less than this ought not to content us. If we are ashamed of Jesus before men, He will one day be ashamed of us before His Father and the angels. Let ns mark, in the last place, how precious a grace is faith. " Daughter," says our Lord to the woman who was healed, " thy faith hath made thee whole : go in peace." Of all the Christian graces, none is so frequently men- tioned in the New Testament as faith, and none is so highly commended. - No grace brings such glory to Christ. Hope brings an eager expectation of good things to come. Love brings a warm and willing heart. Faith brings an empty hand, receives everything, and can give nothing in return. - No grace is so important to the Christian's own soul. By faith we begin. By faith we live. By faith we stand. We walk by faith and not by sight. By faith we overcome. By faith we have peace. By faith we enter into rest. - No grace should be the subject of so much self-inquiry.

We should often ask ourselves, Do I really believe ? Is my faith true, gen- uine, and the gift of God ? May we never rest till we can give a satisfactory an- swer to these questions ! Christ is not changed since the day when this woman was healed. He is still gracious and still mighty to save. There is but one thing needful if we want salvation. That one thing is the hand of faith. Let a man only " touch" Jesus, and he shall be made whole.*