Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.

So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?" When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me." Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace."

While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher." But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well." When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead. But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise." Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.

- Luke 8:40-56

In yesterday's reading, we read of the man who had so many demons, he called his name "Legion." Jesus cast out his demons - into a herd of swine who then ran to their deaths by drowning. The healed man wished to travel with Jesus as one of His disciples, but Jesus sent him back to his home in the city, to proclaim the good news of his healing to those who know him. See Tell what great things God has done for you.

Today's reading encompasses a double healing - that of the daughter of a ruler of the synagogue (Jairus), and of a woman who had spent all her money to no avail to heal a years-long bloodflow. This story, with the same double-healing enclosed one within the other, appears also in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark.

So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. Jesus has "returned" from the place among the tombs across the lake, where He healed a man possessed by many demons. Here He is in the city again, welcomed by a multitude of people. Jesus' healing ministry, then, takes us from place to place and situation to situation. He goes Himself to the far outcasts - such as the hopeless man assailed by a legion of demons - and returns to the crowds and the town and heals in the midst of them. And while yesterday He went to the poor possessed man in the wilderness among the dead in the tombs, today a leader of the synagogue comes personally to plead his case for the healing of his young daughter. We come to Him, He comes to those who need Him and will be healed and transformed bearers of the good news. It really doesn't matter where we are or what we do, how we get to Him or He comes to us, His presence is there for each of us and that is what counts for the reality of this kingdom among us.

But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?" When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me." My study bible has a long note here: "Healing power flows from Christ. That which Jesus touches or which touches Him, is sanctified. The power to heal comes through the garment (v. 44) of Jesus but originates within Him." Paraphrasing the note as it continues, we can understand the use of physical things in the church because in the context of faith and prayer, the power of Christ works through them. There is power in the waters of baptism, perhaps in the metal of a cross, or in the use of oil or water, my study bible notes, "only if it is sanctified by Christ. Jesus taught that one thing sanctifies another: 'Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?' (Matt. 23:17). Therefore, to trustingly touch the border of His garment was to touch Him. Others may have touched Christ, but this woman's faith draws His power as well." This note interestingly describes a tremendous reality of this kingdom. It is filled with power by virtue of its association with Christ, but this power is not an object to covet, as some form of idol. No, its power makes a connection with us through faith. It is a living, powerful thing that works through relationship deep within us, sometimes much deeper than we consciously understand. I always find it stunning that Jesus asked, "Who touched Me?" Is it because He doesn't know? Or because He wishes to draw the woman out? In the midst of the tumult and the crowd (and I feel that I can just sense the dust and the jostling), on His way to the home of Jairus to heal Jairus' daughter, Jesus "feels the power go out of Him." He wishes to find the woman - there is always time, and there is always room, for the personal. The connection of faith is the all-important thing. There are no limits we can set on God or how God's power may work for us, with us.

Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace." Just a few readings ago, Jesus taught that what is hidden will be revealed. ("For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.") This healing power, hidden in the context of the crowd and the touching of His garment, is brought to light deliberately by Jesus for all to hear and witness. Jesus is sure to tell her, "Your faith has made you well." It wasn't just the touch - it was her faith that made the connection. And there is more than one connection here: Jesus calls her "Daughter." Still on his way to Jairus' house, Jesus takes the time for this, too.

While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher." But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well." My study bible says, "Jesus exhorts the parents, only believe. We are to believe God, even when it appears there is no hope. These parents do keep believing, and their daughter is made well." He has taken His time with the woman who touched His garment and was healed, and now the bad news comes. But it is faith that pulls us through the bad news - and fear that can keep us from that faith. As Lord also of time, what does Jesus not have time for? Let us consider in our own prayers how we think of time, and the power of faith to teach us patience and what is needful.

When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead. But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise." A note reads, "Christ's divinity works together with His humanity to accomplish His miracles. Here, taking the child by the hand and calling her to arise is an action of His humanity. Her being restored to life is an action of His divinity. These two operations, however, are inseparable because He is One undivided Person." What I find very interesting about this passage is the contrast between the very public way He drew out the woman with the flow of blood, and the privacy He insists on here. Perhaps this healing is rather more serious and stupendous - after all, the girl was considered to have been dead. But clearly, a leader of the synagogue is a person with a highly visible and public position, and all the people in the house who are mourning believe the girl to be dead. Jesus takes only James, John and Peter with him in addition to the parents of the girl. These are the same three trusted disciples who will witness His Transfiguration, and whom He will ask to pray with Him in the garden before His trial and crucifixion.

Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened. Echoing the previous note in my study bible, we have the spiritual and the worldly here too. We are told, "Her spirit returned." But then He commanded that she be given something to eat - clearly we are rooted with humanity, the physical, the reality of the living among us in this world. But the parents are told sternly to tell no one what had happened. A paradox of two miracles: one made public but done in secret as the woman touched His clothing in the crowd; the other public as Jesus was drawn by Jairus in the midst of the town and the crowd to come to his home, which was full of mourners, and then made secret as Jesus charged her parents to tell no one what had happened. What do we make of this?

Clearly, Jesus' miracles will work in all kinds of ways. There are no limits nor expectations that we can place on God nor on God's power. It will work through the hem of a garment, it will work in public in the midst and tumult of a crowd, with a secret touch. It will work in the home of an important man, filled with people and witnesses and mourners - and yet, in the end, they are told to say nothing, to keep it secret, just between them. It will work in the wilderness and among the tombs, among the dead and those who can't or won't believe (as in yesterday's reading). It will work for a woman past her means, beyond childbearing and alone. It will work for the twelve year old girl (Jairus' daughter) at the beginning of her womanhood. It will work for a woman too humble to show herself and ask; it will work for a leader of the synagogue and his little girl in his house full of friends. It works through direct touch; it works through a garment worn by the man. It will work when and where, and in its own time frame. Jesus will take us where He will take us, and He will meet us where He will meet us. We try all the time to circumscribe God, to put limits on God's power, how God works and where and when and why. But all of those are our own expectations and understanding, and we can't fit that frame onto God. God teaches us, by revelation, what God is. This is because God is always too far beyond our understanding and our grasp to capture otherwise - and will always remain so. I watch for those limits we would impose; I see this happening all the time. What ways will God surprise you? Perhaps your faith will further open your eyes in ways you do not see nor yet know.