Contradictions?
Christ Healing a Woman with an Issue of Blood by Paolo Veronese c1548
Whilst Jesus was on his way to Jairus’ home, we are given the account of a woman healed of bleeding from which she had suffered for 12 years. She had worked her way through the crowd following Jesus to touch the hem of his robe, whereupon she was cured of her affliction
There is prima facie what appears to be a contradiction with the account of this event.
At the touch of Jesus’ robe by the suffering woman, although he didn’t know who had touched his robe he felt the touch and asked “Who touched my clothes?” Mark’s gospel (the story is also in Luke’s gospel) indicates that Jesus felt power go out from himself. The healed woman identified herself to Jesus and he tells her “Daughter, your faith has healed you.”
The potential contradiction lies between the Mark’s telling that says “Jesus felt power go out from himself” and Jesus’ own words “Daughter, your faith has healed you.” The statements whilst perhaps not mutually exclusive, do appear to be incompatible. Was the woman healed by the power of God through Jesus, or was she healed by her faith?
I suggest that there is no contradiction, despite first appearances. Yes, the woman was healed by Jesus power. The question is would that power have passed to the woman without her faith? I think not and that it was power through faith that enabled her healing.
Entertaining Angels 