How does Mark 5:30 challenge the understanding of Jesus' omniscience? Text of Mark 5:30 “At once Jesus was aware that power had gone out from Him. Turning around in the crowd, He asked, ‘Who touched My clothes?’” The Apparent Problem If the Son of God is omniscient, why does He appear not to know who touched Him? Critics argue that the question implies ignorance, therefore challenging Christ’s deity. The verse, however, can be harmonized with the rest of Scripture once the nature of the Incarnation, the intention behind Jesus’ question, and the literary context are all weighed. Scriptural Data Affirming Jesus’ Omniscience • John 1:48 – “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” • John 2:24–25 – “He knew all men… He Himself knew what was in man.” • John 4:18 – He reveals the Samaritan woman’s hidden past. • Matthew 9:4 – “Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said…” • Acts 1:24 – The disciples pray to the risen Christ, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all.” The consistent testimony is that the Son possesses divine knowledge even while incarnate. Incarnational Self-Limitation, Not Loss of Deity Philippians 2:6-7 presents the kenosis—Christ “emptied Himself” (Greek, ἐκένωσεν). The church has always read this as a voluntary functional limitation, not an ontological surrender of attributes. The Son did not cease to be omniscient; rather, He chose when and how to exercise omniscience in dependence on the Father and the Spirit (John 5:19; Luke 4:1). Think of a king traveling incognito: his royalty is intact, though he temporarily forgoes its outward use. Rhetorical and Pastoral Purpose of the Question 1. Public Identification – The woman’s disease rendered her ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 15:25-27). By calling her forward, Jesus publicly declares her healed, restoring her social and religious standing. 2. Personal Engagement – He desires relationship, not a secret extraction of power. Verse 34: “Daughter, your faith has healed you.” The address “Daughter” affirms acceptance. 3. Didactic Impact – For the onlookers and Jairus (v. 22), the episode dramatizes that faith draws power from Christ. As Augustine wrote, “He questioned that He might teach, not that He might learn” (Sermon lxvi.7). The Flow of Power and the Consciousness of the Son Mark’s wording is precise: ἔγνω (epignōs) implies immediate inner awareness that “power had gone out,” not ignorance of the person. The stress is on the objective reality of power and Jesus’ supernatural perception of it, something an ordinary rabbi would lack. The narrative reveals divine knowledge, not its absence. Synoptic Harmony Luke 8:45-46 parallels the account and adds, “Someone touched Me, for I know that power has gone out from Me.” The shift from “Who touched Me?” to “Someone touched Me” shows a literary device: the first statement invites response; the second affirms His awareness. Patristic and Reformation Witness • Irenaeus (Against Heresies IV.31.3) – Christ “knew who touched Him” but questioned “to bring to light the woman’s faith.” • Aquinas (ST III, q. 15 a. 10) – Christ possessed the beatific vision and thus all knowledge but employed it according to His salvific mission. • Calvin (Commentary on the Synoptics, ad loc.) – The question “was not for His own sake, but for theirs.” Philosophical and Behavioral Considerations Human questions serve multiple functions beyond information gathering—engagement, affirmation, and moral disclosure. Behavioral science recognizes that a well-placed question can motivate confession and growth. Jesus employs the same strategy to move the woman from secret faith to public witness, deepening her healing to encompass psychosocial restoration. Practical Implications for Discipleship Believers sometimes assume God’s omniscience precludes the need for prayer or confession. Mark 5:30 teaches the opposite: the all-knowing Savior still invites us to step forward, voice our need, and hear His benediction. Divine questions are calls to relationship. Conclusion Mark 5:30 does not negate Christ’s omniscience; it showcases it. The question is pedagogical, pastoral, and redemptive. In the Incarnation the Son chooses when to veil and when to unveil divine knowledge. Far from challenging His deity, the episode confirms it: only the omnipotent Lord could feel unmediated power flow, discern faith in a crowd, heal instantly, and restore wholly—body, soul, and society. |
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