The healing of a bleeding woman, Rom, Catacombs of Marcellinus and Peter. Scan from Grabar, Die Kunst des frühen Christentums
Remember, the woman who was suffering from a form of bleeding for twelve years in the Bible? To remind you, it is found in Matthew 9:20-22, “Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, for she thought, ‘If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.’ Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, ‘Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.’ And the woman was healed at that moment.”
This daughter of Abraham had so much faith in Jesus that she taught that if she can only touch his robe, she will be healed. This woman was not denied in her faith and got healed. But was this bleeding her only suffering? I dug deeper.
Reading from Leviticus 15:25, it says there, “If a woman has a flow of blood for many days that is unrelated to her menstrual period, or if the blood continues beyond the normal period, she is ceremonially unclean. As during her menstrual period, the woman will be unclean as long as the discharge continues.”
This woman was considered by the Jews as ceremonially unclean–for twelve years! So what happens if a person is ceremonially unclean? She is cut off from the community. She is shun upon because everything that touches her will be unclean–people, clothes, chairs, pots–everything!
If a person touches her, they would have to wash their clothes and bathe and would be ceremonially unclean until the evening. That was not nice for a Jew that is why this woman, aside for suffering for this bleeding, would also have been isolated for twelve years. Can you imagine that happening to you? I don’t think so.
