Charles Spurgeon Commentary Mark 5:25-28

"And a woman, who had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, having heard the things concerning Jesus, came in the crowd behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I touch but his garments, I shall be made whole." — Mark 5:25-28 (ASV)

Which had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

Was this woman sent, do you think, to encourage the faith of Jairus? It has been well said that the child of Jairus had been twelve years living, but this woman had been twelve years dying. So, if Christ could heal the woman who had been twelve years dying, he could raise the child who had been twelve years living.

It is significant that there should have been this equalization of the number of years in the two cases.

Although Jairus seemed strong in faith, he was not really so. He put the best side of his faith forward; while this woman, who was strong in faith, yet coming behind Christ, and touching him as it were by stealth, put the worst side of her faith forward.

We have known this to be the case in others: some who seem to be strong in faith are not very strong, and some who seem to be very weak in faith are much stronger than they seem.