What event was taking place when Jesus healed the woman with the issue of blood?

Answer 1

A:The separate stories of Jairus and the woman with the issue of blood are integrated in Mark's Gospel. This is an example an ancient literary device known as an intercalation. This is a structure that contains an event that interrupts anotherapparently unrelatedevent in such a way as to emphasise both passages, symbolised by the form A1-B-A2.Thecombination of literary structure and theological import makes Mark's intercalations peculiarly if not uniquely Markan.

In Mark 5:21-24, Jairus begged Jesus to come with him and heal his daughter - this is symbolised as event A1 in the above form. In Mark 5:25-34, Jesus healed the woman with the issue of blood (event B). Returning to Jairus with event A2 in Mark 5:35-43, a messenger came to say that Jairus' daughter was dead, but Jesus said to believe. He took Peter, James and John to the house where the daughter lay, and commanded her to arise. The integration of the two passages creates dramatic tension, avoids an awkward pause between Jairus' request and the arrival of the messenger, and emphasises the healing power of Jesus.