This Blog’s post will look at being inclusive of the persons with disabilities by re reading the Bible focussing on Mark 5:24-34; Matthew 12:15; John 9 from their perspective.
The Mark 5 24-34 text is about the woman bleeding for twelve years shares a very delicate argument on the disability perspective. Because on one hand you do not want to marginalise disability by exasperating on bleeding being limited to disability.
But at the same time it is as good as saying that all women are disabled; and it is absurd to ponder on since when did bleeding become a disability?
Mark 5 24-34
![Mark 5 24-34](https://mahasoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/IMG_20210103_161834-1024x576.jpg)
In the biblical anthology, Skin disease and genital flows were considered as defected and shared disgrace with other mental and physical disabilities. They were cast by biblical text as highly polluting and therefore significantly marginalising for those who were affected.
The severe pollution ascribed to skin disease and genital flows as well as the resulting social limitations and even isolation imposed on affected persons are major source of their stigma. Even today bleeding is considered un pure by the society.
Bleeding Mark 5 24-34
Bleeding for 12 years is definitely different from bleeding monthly; but just because a woman bled for 10 days instead of 3; or bleed for 15 days instead of 5 doesn’t make her disabled. Bleeding for 12 years means something is not right inside her body, it is just a health problem.
However, the bleeding for 12 years is stigmatized and marginalized which has led the woman hit the ground with rags and poverty just because she bled unlike the others.
The father of the girl (Mark 5 24-34)
This text however shares a common ground on one thing that is Jesus becoming her defender and giving her identity. Before these particular verses, we are firstly introduced to the father of the girl who is raised from the dead. We are informed that she is the daughter of a man who holds considerable power.