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

Yesterday, we read that Jesus and the disciples, after encountering a storm on the Sea of Galilee, sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite the shore of Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?"  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.  Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.  And He got into the boat and returned.  Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

 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.  The concerns of the people who come to Jesus are the same concerns we find in our world today.  Friends bring individuals who cannot come of their own power to Jesus, a widow grieves the loss of her son, a father laments the disease of his son.  Here, Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, comes to Jesus for help with his dying twelve-year old daughter.  The healing begins with love, the care and prayers of these people for those whom they love.

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.  This woman is very bold (or perhaps we should call her faith bold) as she approaches both Christ and a ruler of the synagogue in this crowd.  Contact with blood cause defilement; her life has likely been one of religious and social isolation as a result of her ailment (Leviticus 15:25).  The risk she takes is great; she could potentially defile those in the crowd and subject herself to ridicule.

 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."     Jesus asks, "Who touched Me?" but this is not just about someone touching Him; it's about the touch that created an effect through faith.  My study bible says that just as it is "the temple that sanctifies the gold" (Matthew 23:17), so also matter is sanctified by Christ's Incarnation, so that the power of Christ may work even through His garment.  To touch His garment in faith is to touch Him, just as in a Church elements of ceremony and ritual may also be touched in faith, and thereby receiving the power of Christ.  This is not the first time we witness in Luke the power of connection in a touch of faith.

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."   Jesus has deliberately called her before Him.  Not only does He praise her in front of all the crowd, but she also takes away her fear and trembling.  My study bible suggests it is also to strengthen Jairus for the forthcoming news of his daughter's death.

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.  This is another story of touch, only this time it is Jesus who touches the little girl as He took her by the hand and called.  It's interesting how the Gospel phrases it that at His call her spirit returned.   But again, the emphasis here is on faith.  Jesus tells Jairus, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  In order to strengthen and shore up faith, He permitted no one to go in except His inner circle of Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl, putting outside those who ridiculed Him.  Even afterward, they are told by Christ that they must tell no one what has happened; the revelation of His true nature (power over life and death) must also be kept hidden for now.

Faith comes into full play in today's reading.   It is quite remarkable how much faith really does overcome.   The restrictions against defilement by blood are somehow conquered by the faith of this woman to reach her Savior.  She's spent twelve years with this condition.  She is at the end of her rope; all her money is gone, and no doctor has healed her.  Her faith is simply to touch the hem of His garment somewhere hidden in the crowd.  But Christ understands His power although nominally He is off toward Jairus' house.  We think of this scene and we understand that Christ is surrounded by so many people His disciples are unable to tell who touches Him.  Not only that, but He's engaged in important business; it's a ruler from the synagogue who's called Him to save his dying daughter.  But her faith singles her out.  Christ cannot miss the effect of His power going out of Him in response to her touch.  He singles her out in the crowd, taking time from His response to the urgent request of Jairus.  There really could not be two more disparate patients than Jairus' daughter and this woman who's suffered with her hemorrhage for twelve years, as long as the little girl has been alive.  One is the child of an important man, on the verge of maturing; the other impoverished, having lost all her income, and separated from community by her affliction of twelve years.  But faith makes equals of these, allowing the one so far less socially important to take the time and energy of Christ.  We notice, too, all the attempts of Jesus to shore up and strengthen faith before and after His healing of Jairus' daughter, and we too should take heed.  Whatever we can do to strengthen our faith is a good idea.  Being in community of faithful helps us.   Putting aside those who ridicule and deride faith is probably a good idea for someone struggling to move forward in a positive way in their lives, particularly midst a difficult struggle.  Healing is a complex affair.  It takes support and effort, and Christ seems to say that it is worth every effort.  Prayer also comes into this; those who will pray with us and for us do a great deal to help heal.  Sometimes in the midst of difficulties one comes to understand the work of healing as involving the whole fabric of life and taking so much of our effort on all levels:  physical, mental, and spiritual.  Healing can involve our entire relationship to community as it does here in the examples we have today.  Going through an illness can also have effects on how we see life, our relationships, changing our mind about difficult things even as our bodies heal.  But the core of today's reading is about faith -- that is, it is about the relationship between Creator and creature.  It's about how, in the midst of the difficulties and at each minuscule step in the journey, we turn back to Creator, for refinement of that relationship, for guidance, instruction, and love.  In this way, today's reading heals not only bodies but emotions like fear or dread, social shame and ridicule, in every tiny facet of the stories.  Let us remember our lives are the same, and each tiny moment may become an incident for inviting in the energies of God, Christ's power.  All of it is part of healing, on so many levels.