The Bleeding Woman: A Holy 'Interruption'

On literary context // Part Two of a Four-Part Bible Study

In honor of Women’s History Month, I thought I’d share a more in-depth study of one of my favorite women mentioned in the Bible. This is part two of a series on the woman with the bleeding disorder and Jairus’ daughter, an account shared in 3 of the 4 gospels. You can read part one here. Parts three and four will come the next two Wednesdays. If you’re not reading this in your email, you can subscribe below for free to get the rest of the series straight to your inbox!

Whether you’re new to reading the Bible, are just curious, or have been studying the Bible for a long time, I pray this opens the door to a greater knowledge of the One who sees you and offers the same invitation to know Him as Father.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Re-read this story in Mark’s gospel account: Mark 5:21-43.

1. Read this story in a few different translations. For example, you could read it in the NIV, ESV, and NASB. Are there any differences in wording across the translations that stand out to you? How does reading these multiple translations help you better understand the story?

2. What repeated words or phrases do you see?

3. How would you describe the pace of the events in this story?

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Mark’s Literary “Sandwiches”

This woman’s story is found in all three of the Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). Though there are slight differences in each Gospel writer’s retelling of this event, the core of the account is consistent. One of the most notable similarities is what Bible scholars call intercalation.

Intercalation is the “sandwiching” of one story in the middle of another seemingly unrelated story.  Here, the intercalation is the healing of the woman with the twelve years of bleeding “sandwiched” in the story of Jesus bringing Jairus’s daughter back to life. 

The gospel of Mark is actually known for its many intercalations. They’re called “Markan intercalations,” but you might also see them called “interpolations” or “insertions.” They are typically a shorter story within a larger story. 

One writer, James Edwards, explains it as “an A¹ - B¹ - A² schema, in which the B-episode forms an independent unit of material, whereas the flanking A-episodes require one another to complete their narrative. The B-episode consists of only one story; it is not a series of stories, nor itself so long that the reader fails to link A² with A¹.” [1]

Kind of like this. ;)

Practice this yourself.

4. Label the pieces of the “sandwich” or intercalation in this story in Mark.

   Story A^1:

   Story B^1:

   Story A^2:

5. Why do you think the gospel writers, particularly Mark here, chose to write this story in this way? What effect does this choice have on the story?

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We see the intercalation in Mark 5:21-43 as:

A^1: Jairus comes to Jesus and begs Him to heal his young dying daughter, so Jesus goes with him. (Mark 5:21-24)

B^1: The woman who had suffered twelve years of bleeding comes to Jesus in the crowd and is healed by Him. (Mark 5:25-34)

A^2: Jairus receives the news that his daughter had died during this “interruption,” but Jesus goes to Jairus’ house and brings her back to life. (Mark 5:35-43)

There are a few purposes for this “sandwich literary device." It can build suspense in the narrative, and it can be used to emphasize a connection between the stories. One of the most powerful uses for it, though, is to provide deeper meaning to the story beyond the surface-level seeming interruption. Again, Edwards writes that “the middle story nearly always provides the key to the theological purpose of the sandwich. The insertion interprets the flanking halves. To use the language of medicine, the transplanted organ enlivens the host material.” [2]

So yes, the Bleeding Woman’s story is seemingly an “interruption,” and it builds a measure of suspense in Jairus’s situation. And yes, the contrast between these two stories is noteworthy. Side-by-side we more glaringly notice the woman’s societal shame (unnamed, with a medical condition that would have deemed her an outcast at the time) in contrast with Jairus’ social standing of honor.

More importantly, though, this “interruption” of the healing of the bleeding woman provides the key to understanding the surrounding story. Without this woman’s story, we cannot understand the fullness of Jairus’s story. 

“Jairus must have the kind of faith…the woman had! Faith knows no limits, not even the raising of a dead child, as Jesus goes on to demonstrate….The woman’s faith transforms the center of the sandwich and is the key to its interpretation. Through her Mark shows how faith in Jesus can transform fear and despair into hope and salvation. It is a powerful lesson for Jairus, as well as for Mark’s readers.”  [3]

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Next, read all of Luke 8.

6. What stories are included in this chapter? Are there any connections between them that you can see?

7. What do you notice about Jesus in these narratives?

   1. What is he doing and saying?

   2. How do people respond to Him?

   3. What do we see about His character?

8. Any other observations?

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Ready for some more nerdy Bible terms? You know intercalation now (you’re welcome), and the next one is a chiasm, another literary device used in the Bible for emphasis.

Luke’s “Miracle Quartet”

A chiasm is similar to intercalations in a way in that they’re kind of a “sandwich.” The outside ideas are the same, then the inner layers focus on a different idea, and then there can also be one central main idea different from the others in the center. If you appreciate formulas, you can visualize a chiasm as AB(C)BA.

If we look at the surrounding stories in Luke, we can gain a greater appreciation for why this gospel writer included this story in the place he did in the book — to communicate a deeper meaning!

Focusing on Luke’s account, David Shaw notes what he calls a “quartet of miracles.” [4] He first observes that these form a “thematic chiasm” in chapter eight:

A - Private miracles: Jesus calming the storm (Luke 8:22-25)

B - Public miracles: Jesus healing a man possessed by demons (Luke 8:26-39)

B - Public miracles: Jesus healing the bleeding woman (Luke 8:40-48)

A - Private miracles: Jesus raising Jairus’s daughter from the dead (Luke 8:49-56)

Shaw then observes a thread throughout this “quartet”: “the language of fear and faith.” [5] In each of the four miracles, there is fear in the people.

• The disciples were afraid after they saw the power of Jesus stilling the storm (Luke 8:25).

• The people of Gerasenes were afraid when Jesus expelled the demons from the man (Luke 8:35).

• The woman trembled when she realized Jesus noticed she had touched Him and been healed (Luke 8:47).

• Jesus tells Jairus not to fear when news comes of his daughter’s death as they’re on their way to his home (Luke 8:50).

Fear in the majority of these stories “is presented as both a response to something new and an encounter with some aspect of the divine” and “comes because God’s power suddenly confronts ordinary people.” [6]

Coupled with this fear is an opportunity to demonstrate faith.  In each of these stories, there are ordinary people who struggle to hold onto their faith in the face of fear. We see this in the disciples being gently reprimanded for their lack of faith (Luke 8:25) as well as in Jairus being told not to fear and instead to have faith and “believe, and [your daughter] will be well” (Luke 8:50).  

The woman is the only one in this quartet who is specifically commended for her faith: “‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace’” (Luke 8:48).

The Parable of the Sower

Notably, before any of these stories from the “miracle quartet” are shared, Luke records the parable of the sower, “which is meant to influence how we read these stories that come right afterward.” [7]  In the parable in Luke 8:4-8, the sower scatters seed, representing the word of God. Some seeds fall along the path and are eaten by the birds. Some seeds begin to grow amidst rock, but these plants wither due to lack of water. Some grow among thorns but are choked by the weeds.  Finally, some grow in good soil and yield a fruitful harvest.

Reading the intercalation of the bleeding woman and Jairus through the lens of this parable, Phillips comments,

Would [Jairus] succumb to fear and unbelief, to the apparent evidence and to the cynical attitude of all those around him? Against all those reasons for fear and doubt was stacked just one thing: the power of Jesus Christ to save….Jairus had presumably seen Christ’s power demonstrated at the synagogue and had heard the reports all around the region of what Jesus was doing. Just now and right before his eyes he had heard testimony from the woman who had suffered from the bleeding condition; perhaps it was for Jairus’s sake that Jesus had brought about her testimony. [8]

Here we see this woman’s faith heralded as the highest example among the series of miracles.  Her faith is a testimony to the power of Jesus, and she is used to spur on those around her. In a highly patriarchal society, this was radical. Jesus, though, identifies her value as an image bearer, is not frustrated by her “interruption,” and bestows public honor on her for her faith.

Application

9. How has the Lord used seeming “interruptions” in your life to encourage you or teach you more about His character?

10. Who has been an example of incredible faith in your life? This can be someone you know personally or maybe someone you’ve seen from afar or read about. How does their faith challenge you?

11. In what area of your life are you currently experiencing fear and need more faith in Christ’s power? How can you bring this to Him this week?

I’d love to hear any reflections you had on this study so far. Hit ‘reply’ if you’re receiving this as an email, or comment below!

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[1]  James Edwards, “Markan Sandwiches: The Significance of Interpolations in Markan Narratives,” 197.

[2] Edwards, “Markan Sandwiches,” 196.

[3] Edwards, “Markan Sandwiches,” 204-205.

[4] David Shaw, “Restoring a Hemorrhaged Identity: The Identity and Impact of the Bleeding Woman in Luke 8:40-56,” 66.

[5] Shaw, “Restoring a Hemorrhaged Identity,” 71.

[6] Robin Branch, “A Study of the Woman in the Crowd and Her Desperate Courage (Mark 5:21–43),” 6.

[7] Richard Phillips, “Tears and Laughter -- Luke 8:40-56,” 59.

[8] Phillips, “Tears and Laughter -- Luke 8:40-56.” 59.