“Feeling Healed”: A Bible Study by Rhonda Compise 2017-2019 Ministry Focus “Feel/Siente” American Baptist Women’s Ministries www.abwministries.org, posted November 2017

Feeling Healed A Bible Study on Luke 8:43-48 By Rhonda Compise Supplies: • Bibles • Paper and writing utensils or participant journals. (If some participants are in the habit of journaling during personal devotional times, invite them to bring their journals with them to this session so they may use them during your Bible study.)

Leader introduction: We can all relate to a time when we had some physical ailment. Fortunately, most sicknesses come and go. The saying goes, “You can get over a cold in seven days, but if you go to the doctor you can get over a cold in only one week!” Now, we are going to hear about a woman whose sickness would not go away.

Invite a volunteer to read Luke 8:43-48.

Invite a different volunteer to read this woman’s experience in Mark 5:26.

Ask the following questions, allowing time between each for participants to journal their personal reflections.

• How do feel if your doctor’s instructions and/or prescription does not work? • At this point in her life, describe how you think she felt about going to a doctor. • The woman had searched for a “second opinion” many times over, until she ran completely out of money. What additional feelings would she have experienced due to her financial ruin? • This woman suffered the loss of blood for 12 years. What are some physical symptoms and emotions that she might have felt?

To get the setting for this event, ask someone to read aloud Luke 8:1.

Say, in your own words: The miracles that accompanied the ministry of Jesus made him very popular with the people. In addition to the twelve disciples and many who had been healed crowds followed Jesus everywhere he went.

Invite someone to read Luke 8:40.

Discuss the following questions together: • Imagine that you are this woman and you hear that Jesus, a healer, is coming to your town! What are your thoughts and feelings? • During the time of Jesus, bleeding made an individual ceremonially unclean. This affected their opportunity to worship. Out of respect for others, this woman should have

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“Feeling Healed”: A Bible Study by Rhonda Compise 2017-2019 Ministry Focus “Feel/Siente” American Baptist Women’s Ministries www.abwministries.org, posted November 2017

stayed away from the crowd. She should not have intentionally touched Jesus. What feelings could have inspired her to break the Jewish customs and religious laws? • The scripture does not say that Jesus felt her touch him, but that he felt power leave him. It is difficult to imagine how Jesus felt when power left him. To begin, do you imagine it was a positive or negative experience? Please explain your answer. • Verse 45 says that Jesus wanted to know who had received power from him. What feelings might Jesus have had toward the woman that caused him to want to meet her personally? • Verse 47 describes the woman’s reaction to Jesus. She was “trembling and fell at his feet.” What clues do these words give us about how the woman felt when she heard that Jesus wanted to know who she was? • Jesus often gave instructions to those who had just experienced healing, such as Mark 1:44: “show yourself to the priest;” John 5:8: “take up your bed and walk;” and “go and sin no more,” in both John 5:15 and John 8:11. What does Jesus say to this woman? • What feelings might Jesus have had toward the woman that caused him to bless her instead of giving her instructions to follow? • Jesus tells the woman that her faith has healed her. Did the negative feelings that she had previously experienced result in making her faith stronger or weaker? Please explain. • The last recorded word that Jesus said to the woman who had been healed was “peace.” We have identified very strong feelings that she might have experienced. What might her healing and peace have felt like? • Jesus spoke peace to this woman. What are some ways we can speak peace to people who are sick?

Thank participants for their engagement in the study and invite a volunteer to close in prayer.

The song, “He Touched Me,” by Bill Gaither would be an appropriate song to use for opening or closing this study. (The song is approximately 3:30 if played off “You Tube” or from a CD.)

Rhonda Compise is president of American Baptist Women’s Ministries of Indiana/Kentucky.

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