Why did Jesus ask, "Who touched My clothes?" if He is all-knowing? “Who Touched My Clothes?” — Mark 5:31 Canonical Text “And His disciples said to Him, ‘You see the crowd pressing against You, and yet You ask, “Who touched Me?” ’” (Mark 5:31) Narrative Setting and Immediate Context Jesus, returning from the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, is surrounded by a throng (Mark 5:21–24). Among them is a woman who has suffered twelve years from a hemorrhage—rendering her ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 15:25–27). Having exhausted her resources on physicians, she approaches in faith, touches His garment, and is instantly healed (Mark 5:25–29). Jesus then stops and asks, “Who touched My clothes?” The disciples’ reply reflects the obvious: everyone is touching Him. Yet His question pinpoints a unique, faith-driven contact. The Original Greek Nuance The phrase “τίς μου ἥψατο τῶν ἱματίων” (tis mou hēpsato tōn himatiōn) employs ἥψατο (aorist middle of ἅπτομαι), indicating a decisive, purposeful grasp. The middle voice stresses personal involvement—someone knowingly laid claim to power resident in Christ. Scriptural Testimony to Christ’s Omniscience • “He knew all men…He Himself knew what was in a man” (John 2:24–25). • “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you” (John 1:48). • “Lord, You know all things” (John 21:17). Thus, whatever Jesus is doing by asking, it is not due to ignorance of data. The wider canon asserts His omniscience unequivocally. Divine Questions as a Pedagogical Pattern God’s first recorded words to fallen humanity were, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). To Cain: “Where is your brother Abel?” (Genesis 4:9). To Elijah: “What are you doing here?” (1 Kings 19:9). These queries are never for God’s information; they expose hearts, invite confession, and advance redemptive dialogue. Eliciting Public Confession and Perfecting Faith Mark notes, “The woman, aware of what had happened to her, came trembling and fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth” (Mark 5:33). The question makes her testimony public, transforming private faith into communal witness. Jesus then declares, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace” (v. 34). The title “Daughter” (Θυγάτηρ) restores her social identity after years of isolation, demonstrating that salvation is relational, not merely clinical. Instruction for the Disciples and the Crowd The disciples will soon be commissioned to heal (Mark 6:7–13). By pausing, Jesus shows that miracles are personal encounters, not impersonal power displays. The crowd learns that ritual impurity cannot contaminate the Holy One; rather, His holiness purifies the unclean (cf. Haggai 2:11–13 versus Mark 1:40–42). Legal Confirmation and Multiple Witnesses Deuteronomy 19:15 requires “two or three witnesses.” The public admission supplies eyewitness verification of both the ailment and the cure. Later evangelists (Matthew, Luke) rely on such testimony to compile orderly accounts (Luke 1:1–4). Embodied Omniscience and the Kenosis Paradigm Philippians 2:6–8 teaches that the Son “emptied Himself” (ἐκένωσεν) not by surrendering deity but by assuming servant form. In the incarnation He lives with functional, voluntary limitations (Mark 13:32). He knows the woman, yet experiences real-time interaction from within authentic humanity. This concurrence of omniscience and experiential immediacy exemplifies the hypostatic union affirmed at Chalcedon (A.D. 451). Power Proceeding from the Incarnate Logos “Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him” (Mark 5:30). The Greek δύναμις (dunamis) elsewhere denotes creative energy (Luke 5:17). Intelligent-design advocates note the difference between mechanistic causation and personal agency: the healing force here is conscious, targeted, and morally purposeful—consistent with a personal Creator rather than a blind process. Medical Verisimilitude and Modern Parallels Chronic menorrhagia can lead to anemia, fatigue, and social ostracism. Contemporary case studies of sudden, prayer-associated remission—documented in peer-reviewed journals such as Southern Medical Journal (e.g., 1984 Jamaican ataxia case; 2004 hepatic tumor regression)—mirror the instantaneous, non-progressive nature of biblical healings, reinforcing that such events remain possible where God wills. Cultural and Archaeological Corroboration Excavations at Magdala (2012–) have uncovered a first-century marketplace and stone vessel industries, affirming a Jewish context sensitive to purity laws. Fragments of woolen outer garments with tassels (tzitziyot) found near Qumran match the description in Numbers 15:38 and support the narrative detail that the woman sought the “edge” (κράσπεδον; Matthew 9:20 parallel). Theological Synthesis • Jesus’ omniscience remains intact. • His question is rhetorical, relational, revelatory, and restorative. • It draws the woman from superstition (“If I just touch”) to saving faith (“Your faith has healed you”). • It educates disciples, validates the miracle, and magnifies the glory of God (Isaiah 42:8). Pastoral Application Believers today may assume Jesus is too occupied to notice individual need. Mark 5 demonstrates He perceives every act of faith. He still calls us to step forward, testify, and receive full restoration—body, soul, and community. Conclusion Jesus asked, “Who touched My clothes?” not from ignorance but to unveil a daughter, instruct His followers, authenticate a miracle, and glorify the Father. Omniscience cloaked in authentic humanity accomplishes salvation’s twin aims: perfect knowledge and perfect love converging in a single question. |
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