Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well

 

 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.  And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.  For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."  But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."  And the woman was made well from that hour.  When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  And the report of this went out into all that land.

 

- Matthew 9:18-26 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he arose and followed Him.  Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"  When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  But go and learn what this means:  'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'  For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?"  And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.  No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.  Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.  But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

 

 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.  And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.  For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."  But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."  And the woman was made well from that hour.  When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  And the report of this went out into all that land.  My study Bible comments for us to recognize that authority over life and death is in the hand of God alone (Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6).  As Jesus is of one essence with God the Father, He has this authority (John 5:21).  The healing of the woman demonstrates yet again Christ's power to cleanse and to heal (see this reading).  In the Old Testament, hemorrhage caused ceremonial defilement, and so imposed religious and social restrictions, as contact with blood was strictly prohibited (Leviticus 15:25).  My study Bible says that this suffering woman -- who accounts herself unclean -- nonetheless approaches Jesus secretly and with great faith.  He, in turn, brings her good cheer because of her faith.  Moreover, He corrects her thinking, because she couldn't hide her touch from Him nor was she excluded from Him because of her illness.  Finally, He exhibits her faith to all, so that they might imitate her.  

 

This is yet another time, as with the paralytic, that Jesus' touch (that is, the woman secretly touches the hem of His garment) He heals what is considered to be unclean.  Jesus makes it perfectly clear that He embraces her healing and her action, as He displays her faith to all as an example, and calls her "daughter."  There is also another daughter in this story, and wherever in the Gospels we read the story of one, we also read the story of the other.  The older woman is past her capacity for child-bearing (and certainly her chronic hemorrhage indicates this also), while the younger is on the cusp of maturing.  In a kind of parallel irony, St. Matthew's text tells us that this woman had suffered from this affliction for twelve years; in the stories according to Sts. Mark and Luke we're told that the daughter is also twelve years of age.  In another ironic comparison, the older woman has suffered everything from doctors, spent all of her money seeking treatment, and has only grown worse (Mark 5:25-26); on the other hand the young daughter of a ruler of the synagogue is a child of a person of rank and likely substantial possessions.  She has her father and mother to plead for her, and hired flute players and a noisy crowd come to mourn her.  The first approaches Christ with the humility of her circumstances; the second cannot speak for herself, but is a daughter of relative privilege with a father to speak to Him for her.  In these strange parallels and inverses, we see once again the breadth and depth of Christ.  He can speak with anybody, turns no one away who comes in faith, is approached by all, even the humblest and poorest and most powerless.  He gives equal time to all.  And yet we see He lifts up the lowly, while the proud are humbled (those who ridiculed Him).  And this, also, teaches us that He is God; see Luke 1:46-55, especially verses 51-52.  Thus, He both transcends and traverses all things and people as well.  Above all, we know His compassion, for this is the characteristic of the Incarnation as a whole.  Out of everlasting love, He has been sent to us, and He has been sent to heal all things in all ways (John 3:16).  He is the Physician for all and for all things, even death.  There is another ironic parallel of death and resurrection in today's reading, as blood was considered life and containing the life of all living creatures; while this woman's chronic blood flow was life-threatening and seemingly incurable, He not only heals her but also revives the daughter who was understood to have died.  In all of these things we see Christ at the center, and for all who need what He has to offer.  But in all cases, it is faith that makes the connection, whether it be by a woman coming to Him in secret and without His knowing, or a ruler of the synagogue pleading for his daughter.  High and low, it is faith that is the thread between the Healer and the healed.

 

 

 

Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well

 

 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.  And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.  For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."  But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."  And the woman was made well from that hour.  When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.

 

- Matthew 9:18-26 

 

Yesterday we read that, passing on from healing a paralytic, Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he arose and followed Him.  Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"  When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  But go and learn what this means:  'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'  For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?"  And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.  No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.  Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.  But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."  

 

  While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.  And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.  For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."  But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."  And the woman was made well from that hour.  When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  My study Bible comments here that authority over life and death is in the hand of God alone (Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6).  As Christ is of one essence with the Father, He has this authority (John 5:21).  The healing of the woman with the blood flow is an expression of Christ's power to cleanse and to heal (see Matthew 8:1-4).  In the Old Testament, my study Bible explains, hemorrhage caused ceremonial defilement, and imposed religious and social restrictions, as contact with blood was strictly prohibited (Leviticus 15:25).  Even though this woman, having suffered so long, accounts herself as unclean, she nonetheless approaches Jesus secretly and with great faith.  Jesus brings her good cheer because of her faith, and also corrects her thinking.  She could neither hide her touch from Him, nor is she excluded from Him because of her illness.  Finally, He exhibits her faith to all, so that they might imitate her.  

What are we to make of this woman who has suffered so long (twelve years) with a flow of blood, a hemorrhage?  Twelve is a significant number in the Bible; there are twelve tribes of Israel, descended from the sons and grandsons of Jacob, also named Israel.  There are twelve disciples named by Jesus who will go on to found His Church and its bishops who descend from them.  Twelve is a type of building block of time, as there are twelve months to the year.  So this number of the years of her suffering defines her in a way, in this sense of her shame and uncleanness, and her lack of healing.  But encountering Christ does something entirely different for her than anything she has known.  In St. Luke's Gospel, she has "spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any" (Luke 8:43).  Everything she knows or understands has in some sense sentenced her to this life as one who is unclean and cannot be helped, her suffering and isolated status unalleviated by anything she knows.  But here is Jesus in Capernaum in the crowd, approached by Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, who seeks help for his daughter (in St. Luke's version, she is also twelve years old), and although the woman according to the law is unclean because of her flow of blood, nevertheless she approaches Christ with great faith.  What we notice is that her faith enabled her even to run the risk of being caught in this crowd, also forbidden to her in the law as she would have been excluded from community.  But let us observe that there is a sense in which Christ's healing power works seemingly despite Himself; He does not see this woman, but power goes out of Him to heal nonetheless in response to her faithful touch.  That faith of hers connects with Christ as Son, with the power of the divine to heal, and makes the connection.  Again, in St. Luke's Gospel, Jesus asks, "Who touched Me?"  (Luke 8:45).  Thus far in St. Matthew's Gospel we have had several occasions to ponder the Lord's ultimately healing aim in all things, whether we speak of the Law or the many teachings and healings of Jesus in the New Testament.  But here He affirms, and exhibits before the whole world, the faith that heals, that is here an essential component to healing.  We have had occasion to read of friends' faith helping to heal the paralytic, we have heard Christ referring to Himself as Physician (in yesterday's reading, above), we have seen His healing of two demon-possessed men among those without faith (see this reading), we have read of His healing of the Gentile centurion's servant, and the healing of a leper by touch (also forbidden in the Law).  All of this followed upon His teaching of the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5 - 7 of St. Matthew's Gospel), showing us that in Christ there is a new birth, a renewal of all things, a New Covenant.  And all of this is true in His healing of this woman, no longer sentenced to her twelve-year identity as unclean, with an unremitting affliction casting her out of the society.  She is, instead, put on display by Christ for her exemplary faith, which He says has made her well.  Moreover, He proclaims her "daughter" in so doing.   In the Revelation, the Lord on the throne says, "Behold, I make all things new" (Revelation 21:5).  In the Greek, we should understand that it effectively means, "I am always making all things new."  And then He adds to St. John, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."  True and faithful; these must be the themes we seek and know for today, for they are exemplified in this woman's healing, in her transformation to one returned to community and healed, in her faith to which Jesus testifies to the whole community for all of us.  Let us remember that faith is trust, and where better shall we put that trust than in Him, the faithful and true?

Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction

 

 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  

 

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  

 

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "You daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them al outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

 

- Mark 5:21–43 

 

 Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples, having crossed a frighteningly stormy Sea of Galilee, came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.  So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-posssessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

 

  Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Here Jesus is back in His ministry "headquarters" of Capernaum.  This is the place, contrary to the country of the Gadarenes visited in yesterday's reading (see above), where He is well-known, and by now a great multitude gathered to Him, even thronged Him.  Here, even one of the rulers of the synagogue comes to Him in his family's time of deep need.  

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."   My study Bible suggests that the healing of this woman is a demonstration of Christ's power to cleanse and to heal (see Matthew 8:1-4).  In the Old Testament, it explains, hemorrhage caused ceremonial defilement, imposing religious and social restrictions, for contact with blood was strictly prohibited (Leviticus 15:25).  This suffering woman accounts herself to be unclean, but nonetheless, she approaches Jesus secretly and with great faith.  Jesus calls her Daughter, and tells her to go in peace, because her faith has made her well.  Plus, He corrects her thinking; she could neither hide her touch from Him, nor is she excluded from Him because of her illness.  Moreover, He even draws her out and exhibits her faith to everyone as an example, so they might imitate her. 

 

 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "You daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them al outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.  My study Bible comments on Christ here showing power over life and death.  It notes that such authority is in the hand of God alone (Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6).  As Jesus is of one essence with the Father, He has this authority (John 5:21).   It also tells us that this is one of three resurrections performed by Christ as recorded in the Gospels (see also Luke 7:11-17; John 11:1-44).  They confirm the promise given to the prophet Ezekiel that God will one day open the graves and raise all the dead (Ezekiel 37:1-14).  There are many who have exercised authority over the living; only the Son of God "has power over both the living and the dead" (Orthodox funeral service).  Note that here, similarly to Christ's healing of Peter's mother-in-law (Mark 1:29-31), Jesus took her by the hand. 

Jesus tells the woman after healing her flow of blood, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  I'm drawn by His phrase to her, "Go in peace."  The kind of peace Christ offers isn't the kind of peace that we normally think about when we hear the word peace.  He doesn't mean to tell her that she can go forward without being molested or harassed.  Perhaps this is indeed a part of His message to her, because she approached Him in fear, as it was forbidden to have contact with blood.  Most commentary focuses on the idea that she should have been separated from the community because of her hemorrhage, according to the law.  As the Gospels are abundantly clear to us that this jostling, thronging crowd presses so close that the disciples cannot possibly tell Jesus who touched Him, we can assume that an issue of blood within such a scene becomes important in the context of the law.  So yes, her secretly approaching Christ is an issue here, as well as the notion of the response of religious authorities.  Note here also how Christ did not hide her, but rather drew her out and praised her.  Was He exposing her to condemnation or ridicule or harassment?  It does not seem so at all from the text.  And yet, "Go in peace," must have something more to it than simply to quell her fears of persecution or condemnation.  She is no longer in danger of defiling anyone as her hemorrhage is gone.  But peace is simply too big a word coming from the mouth of Christ to leave it at that.  Peace must mean something more as we find it throughout Scripture, and particularly significantly from Jesus and also from St. Paul.  At the Last Supper, Jesus tells the disciples, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27); and, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).  These things indicate a peace that is much more than a lack of harassment or antagonism.  Jesus makes it very clear that "the world" offers something quite different from this peace of His.  He contrasts the tribulation in the world with the peace found in Him.  And this is a much greater claim than I think we can imagine and know.  What He seems to be talking about when Jesus speaks of peace is the kind of peace that is also called righteousness.  It is the peace that comes through reconciliation to Him, and through Him to one another.  This is a different type of understanding of peace altogether than what we understand of peace in the world.  The ancient world had the Pax Romana at the time of Christ, which meant essentially that through tremendously brutal warfare Rome imposed its own peace and stability of its empire.  Christ's is not that type of peace.  His is the type of peace we can find only in Him, even if we have tribulation in the world -- something of which He also assures the disciples!  In His peace, He has already overcome the world, and so He has given us something that transcends the tribulation we will experience.  At His first risen appearances to His followers, Jesus comes with the greeting, "Peace be with you!" (see John 20:19-26).  This is the kind of peace that comes with the righteousness in Him and through Him, and is the presence of His Kingdom within us and among us.  This is a kind of reconciliation within that Kingdom that we carry with us and within us.  St. Paul signs off on his Letter to the Romans:  "And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen" (Romans 16:20).  Indeed, St. Paul's repeated refrain is, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (see 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Colossians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:2; 1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4; Philemon 1:3).  St. Peter and St. John do likewise in their letters (see 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:2; 2 John 1:3).  This peace means far more than simply being let alone and undisturbed; it is a gift that comes from Christ.  It is the power of true peace, of a reconciliation in righteousness, and as we can see from the letters of the saints, it is closely connected to grace.  Let us consider for ourselves what it means to be gifted with Christ's peace, and what this gift can bring to the world and to our lives, even when in the world we will have tribulation. 

 

 

 

 

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 sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite 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.  And He permitted 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 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.  Jesus and the disciples have just returned from a frightening, adventurous trip across the Sea of Galilee, where they sailed to a place of strangers and Jesus healed a man possessed of a legion of demons.  Here, they return to the "home" of Jesus' Galilean ministry, where He is well known, and a ruler of the synagogue comes and begs for Christ's help for his only daughter.  The contrast with the setting of His healing of the demon-possessed man is stark.

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."   My study bible offers varied commentary on this part of the reading.  First, it tells us that the healing of this woman demonstrates Christ's power to cleanse and heal (see Matthew 8:1-4).  In the Old Testament, hemorrhage caused ceremonial defilement, which imposed religious and social restrictions, as contact with blood was strictly prohibited (Leviticus 15:25).  This suffering woman accounted herself unclean, but nevertheless she approached Christ secretly and with great faith.  Jesus tells her to be of good cheer because of her faith.  He also corrects her thinking, as she could not hide her touch from Him, nor is she excluded from Him because of her illness.  Finally, He exhibits her faith to all, so that they might imitate her.  Additionally, there is also a traditional spiritual interpretation of this healing miracle given in Patristic commentary.  In that understanding, the woman symbolizes human nature in general.  Humanity is in constant suffering and subject to death, which is symbolized by the flow of blood.  The physicians who could not heal her stand for the various religions of the world, as well as the Old Testament Law, which were not able to grant life to humanity.  Only through Christ are we freed from suffering and bondage to sin.

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.  My study bible notes that authority over life and death is in the hand of God alone (Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6).  As Christ is of one essence with the Father, Jesus has this authority (John 5:21).  Note that Jesus heals the girl with a touch, taking her by the hand, and His call.

 

 Let us note Christ's great emphasis on faith in the healing of the little girl.  He first permits only Peter, James, and John to enter, besides the father and mother of the girl.  Peter, James, and John form Christ's inner circle, so to speak.  They are those among the disciples who have the strongest faith.  It is these three who will be present at the Transfiguration as well (Luke 9:28-36).  At the same time, we also see the extent to which Christ goes to keep those who ridiculed away, as the text specifically tells us that He put them all outside.  He also heals with His touch and His call.  Each of these things emphasizes the idea that it is faith in Christ that is central to our healing and the setting of all things in proper order; moreover, it is the one thing that is life-giving.  This is not about following a set of rules and priorities, nor a moral code, or a legalistic prescription or aphorism.  It is all about a faith in which Christ is central, and it is our relationship to Christ that sets things in place and creates right-relatedness, or righteousness.  The same is powerfully true and illustrated through the healing of the woman with the blood flow.  She is ceremonially unclean because of her hemorrhage, but it is her faith that makes her well, and for which Christ points her out to the crowds and praises her.  He tells her, "Go in peace," meaning that all things are in right-relationship for her.  This is an important understanding about His language.  "Go in peace" is also a blessing.  If we break down the Greek word for peace and how it is used in the New Testament (εἰρήνη/eirene; from which is derived the name Irene in English), we understand this word to mean wholeness, things joined together.  In Hebrew, and Jewish tradition, "go in peace" is a common form of farewell.  To quote from Strong's definitions, it is meant "in the Hebraistic sense of the health (welfare) of an individual," thus emphasizing wholeness.   But taking account of the text, and the faith the text teaches, to have this wholeness -- to have all things joined together in proper peace -- centers on Christ.  He proclaims to this healed woman Himself that it is her faith that has made her well.  In a modern world, we have an endless supply of moralistic do's and don'ts, and countless aphorisms to teach us moralistic behavior.  There seems to be an inexhaustible line-up of others who will watch what we do and tell us what is proper, even in new forms of correctness.  We have an army of finger-pointers on social media, who will even comb through by-now decades-old communications to announce to the world that someone needs to be shunned for violating a new taboo.  We can take a look back over the past century in various places around the world, and see systems evolve and change that amount to a set of new political commands (almost always accompanied by a kind of nostalgia for a utopian past that never was), and severe penalties for breaking them.  And even persistent through the ages, despite Christianity's long reach through two millennia, are still taboos on women and blood flow that might surprise some.  There are superstitions about women on boats, and in some pagan and traditional religious practices, menstruating women are not welcome, despite the embrace of such traditions by modern political activists as liberating.  But the faith of Christ dispels as secondary all such rules, regulations, and moralistic lists of what we can do and what we cannot, because it is our relationship to Him that is central to all things.  It doesn't matter what taboos this woman has broken, because it is her faith that has made her well.  She may be viewed as unclean, contaminating those around her by her presence, but it is her relatedness to Christ that changes all of that.  In the healing of the young girl, the primary form of restoration comes as shoring up this faith in Christ Himself -- and the touch and call that comes from Him is the healing act.  In Jesus' view on offer here, we are not made perfect by following every rule, or by making every correct appearance to the judging world around us.  We are not made perfect by being perfectly made, perfectly clean, without blemish, and without stain, or illness, or ailment.  As we have seen in our previous reading (above), not even occupation by a legion of demons excludes us from salvation.  We are, in fact, beings capable of faith which transcends all of those things, who are healed through an ongoing and persistent relationship to this Person, Christ.  That is, to God who is love (1 John 4:8), to the Person who is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).  Pagan and gnostic systems of all kinds placed great emphasis on rules and systems.  New modern forms of the same -- even some who embrace the ancient pre-Christian past in hope of a modern form of liberation -- continue to embrace various systems of rules that come down to a worldly sense of perfection, taboos, and rigid systems of conduct that allow for no nuance, and enable merciless judgments without regard for human frailty or mistaken perceptions.  But the faith that Christ offers us is one that is both transcendent of our flaws and at the same time offers us a way through them, envisions a lifelong process of growing in likeness to Him, grants us love and forgiveness, and gives us grace as its centerpiece of mercy.   This faith is about trust in the Person of Christ, and a right-relatedness -- a peace and righteousness -- whose center is there, and not dependent upon how perfectly we follow a set of rules or avoid social taboos.  Let us remember how powerful this great gift is, as did our pagan ancestors, and how blessed a gift it remains as a response to the new social conventions which exclude and vilify and scapegoat.

 

 

 

Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction

 

 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  

 

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When hears about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  

 

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said to that something should be given her to eat.

 

- Mark 5:21-43 

 

On Saturday we read that Jesus and the disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.  So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

 

 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  As we can see from the text, and quite contrary to Jesus' immediate "adventure" in the country of the Gadarenes in yesterday's reading (above), here back in Capernaum His reception is entirely different.  His reputation is known as a healer, and He is sought out even by one of the rulers of the synagogue for help for his little daughter, who is at the point of death.  Jairus believes that Christ can heal her, and she will live.

 

 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When hears about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."   My study bible gives us varied commentary on this healing miracle.  First, it tells us that Christ's healing of this woman demonstrates Jesus' power to cleanse and heal (see Matthew 8:1-4).  But also of importance, in the Old Testament, hemorrhage (her flow of blood for twelve years) caused ceremonial defilement.  This would impose religious and social restrictions, as contact with blood was strictly prohibited (Leviticus 15:25).  This suffering woman, who accounts herself unclean, nonetheless approaches Jesus secretly and with great faith.  In Jesus' words, "Go in peace," He is expressing that she has done well to come to Him in faith.   There is another, spiritual interpretation give in patristic tradition.  That is that this woman symbolizes human nature in general.  Humanity is in constant suffering and subject to death (symbolized by her flow of blood).  The physicians who could not cure her stand for the various religions of the world, including the Old Testament Law, all unable to grant life to humanity.  But it is through Christ that human beings are freed from suffering and bondage to sin.

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said to that something should be given her to eat.  My study bible reminds us that there are three resurrections performed by Christ which are recorded in the Gospel:  the one in today's reading, that of the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-17), and the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:1-44).  It says that many people have exercised authority over the living, but only the Son of God has  power over the living and the dead.  His command, "Little girl, I say to you, arise" is in some sense reminiscent of the one given to Lazarus, "Lazarus, come forth!" (John 11:43). 

Today's reading is, in some sense, a great illustration about faith.  But let us note that faith isn't really just about ascribing to a belief in Jesus.  It is much more than that.  Faith, if we take a closer look here, is an active, living connection to Christ.  It constitutes something powerful in a spiritual realm.  It activates a divine power at work in and through the faithful and their circumstances, and even on behalf of others.  It is a living thing, a kind of energy -- something not seen, and nevertheless known and perceived by those who share that faith, by Christ, and through the effects (or "fruits") it produces.  If we look closely at the healing of the woman with the blood flow, we find an interesting observation.  Jesus has just returned from the "far away" place across the Sea of Galilee, and a strange encounter with a truly forsaken man, a man who was occupied by a legion of demons (in yesterday's reading, above).  We commented in yesterday's blog post how this man mirrored what we might call social abandonment, but it's all magnified through the abandonment of faith in the context of the reading, and the apostate Jews who were herding swine.   "God-forsaken" would seem to truly describe the place.  Even the people who come to see the man healed and in his right mind beg Jesus to leave, because they've lost their swine, and that was what they cared about.  But here, we have the seemingly opposite scene, where Jesus is crowded round by a great multitude of people who throng Him.  In the middle of this great multitude is a woman who is essentially alone and forsaken.  She's spent all her money on doctors who can't help her, so by now she is not only in a chronic condition of hemorrhaging, she's also without funds.  But more deeply is the spiritual state of herself as she cannot be in community; being there in the crowd she takes a great risk as she is ceremonially unclean due to the blood flow, one who can bring "uncleanness" to others who might inadvertently touch or be defiled by her blood flow.  She, too, like the legion demoniac, is alone, but in a crowd of people.  Giving us a true taste of what faith can do, Jesus asks the disciples, "Who touched My clothes?" because He has felt power go out of Him.  On her part, she feels the healing take place internally.  Faith hasn't just made some sort of magic happen, it has made a connection, like a circuit of healing energy, between herself and the Lord.  It has healed much more than her affliction, it has taken her into communion when human community has shunned her and she has been excluded for her defiling condition.  The Healer and Teacher is also the One who restores us to community, and it really doesn't matter how excluded we might be from social and community rules.  We should also observe what happens with Jairus' daughter at his home, for there is a society there, too, that has decided that she is dead and there is nothing that can be done -- and so, they ridicule Jesus when He proclaims that she is only sleeping.  It is Jesus who must, in turn, exclude and throw out those who ridicule, because what they are doing is damaging or destroying faith, and faith is the key here that makes the healing, restorative connection.  A family is restored to wholeness through Jesus' work and especially His efforts to teach Jairus as head of this household, what he needs to do on behalf of the rest:  "Do not be afraid, only believe."  Note also that Jesus permits only Peter, James, and John to come with Him, as these are the ones strongest in faith.  (They are the same disciples whom He took up to the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-13).  Faith in Christ creates a kind of healing circuit, a communion, one that is inclusive of those otherwise left out.  It happens for the woman with the blood flow, and it happens for the household of Jairus.  If we wish for good reasons to protect our faith, to be proactive about upholding it and putting up proper boundaries against damaging it, then we have to come to terms with the fact that it is faith that creates the proper communion we seek, the one with Christ, and through Christ, the rest of the created order of life and in the world.  We look to this magnificent grace that extends itself to and through all things to give us a sense of proper order, and what it is to live in proper communion with God and by extension with the world.  Let us consider all that it means when Jesus tells the healed woman, "Go in peace."

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 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 sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite 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.  And He permitted 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 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 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 and the disciples have returned from their travel across the Sea of Galilee, and are now in their Galilean "headquarters" of Capernaum.   In contrast to His travels across the sea, here all know Him, and await His return.  The ruler of the synagogue approaches Him with a desperate request.

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."   My study bible comments on the prohibition against blood; in the Old Testament, hemorrhage caused ceremonial defilement.  This meant the imposition of both religious and social restrictions, as contact with blood was strictly prohibited.  (See Leviticus 15:25 regarding the restrictions upon women, and contact with others.)  Therefore this woman's approach to Christ is done stealthily, but in great faith.  Let us observe Jesus' response:  He is aware of power going out from Him.  A contact via touch was made through faith.  My study bible notes that just as "the temple sanctifies the gold" (Matthew 23:17), so matter is sanctified by Christ's Incarnation, and the power of Christ works through even His garment.  To touch His garment in faith is to touch Him.  Thus, in the Church there is the power of sacraments; we touch Christ also through icons, oil, water, bread, wine, etc. when we do so in faith.  This transforming holy power "overrules" all notions of what is unclean, and is healing and cleansing.  Its power extends to the whole community:  Christ brings her good cheer and praises her faith before all the people, which includes Jairus who is to hear devastating news about his daughter, but will still need to retain his faith.

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.  Jesus has the power of life and death.  Let us note the essential nature of faith to these healings.  Here, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John with Him, as well as the father and mother of this girl.  The three disciples are His inner circle, those of greatest faith.  He tells Jairus, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well."  Let us observe also how far Jesus goes to shore up faith:  He puts the ridiculing and weeping crowd outside.  This is another illustration of the power of touch in faith, but this time it is Christ who touches the girl by the hand, and the faith of the adults around her that is essential to her healing.

In today's reading, Christ's holy power defies all expectation and understanding.  It works despite the unclean nature of the condition of the woman who touches Him in a secret or hidden way.  It works to draw her out before the crowd and proclaim her faith.  It works to separate Jairus and his wife from the weeping, wailing, and ridiculing crowd.  It works even to create the power of life and death.  This is an important understanding of Christ and how faith and God's holy power can work in our own lives:  it breaks us out of our own expectations and understanding.  It defies our mindset.  In the incidents described in today's reading, without this defiance of such norms, there would be no healing in either case.  This is another reason why faith is an essential part of healing.  How is it possible for one to break through one's own assumed conventions without faith?  There is another more hidden aspect that is common to both incidents in today's reading as well, and it is that of patience.  The woman has had a long and difficult time -- twelve years of suffering with her hemorrhage.  Not only that, but she has exhausted all of her income on doctors and remains unhealed.  Yet when she secretly touches Christ in the crowd, it is with great faith.  Jairus is told even that his daughter is dead, and yet Christ admonishes him to "only believe."  Moreover, we make note of Jairus' desperation for Christ's help when he comes to Him.  Nevertheless, Christ takes time to single out this woman for whom holy power has gone out of Himself, even while He has been summoned to the house of the ruler of the synagogue to save his dying daughter.   The counsel of patience is an elusive and difficult thing, perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of faith to learn, or so it seems to me at least.   To recollect oneself in the midst of difficulties, to place all things in the hands of God, to cultivate this kind of detachment, is not simple, and it involves a great learning curve.  It's not merely an intellectual exercise, but one of the heart, that involves every aspect of ourselves -- including the physical stimulation of our nerves and all that goes with it.  Yet nevertheless, this is a great gift of faith.  It is the kind of faith that Jesus counsels for Jairus, the kind of faith Jesus publicly praises in the woman healed of her hemorrhage.  It is a subtle message to us that there is time, always time for God, for Christ, for prayer.  We may find that life works this way when we make "room" to take time out for prayer.  We're reminded in today's reading that Christ is not only Lord of life and death, but also the Master of time.  We'd be surprised how much time there is for prayer, how fluid time can be when we take time out for our own "touch in faith" to Christ in the middle of a busy schedule, how much time we may surprisingly find we have.  It is another aspect of learned patience as spiritual fruit.  This is all contained in the message of our faith in the Gospel reading for today.  How will you seek to put this all into practice? 

Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well

While he spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live. So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did his disciples. And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of his garment. For she said to herself, "If only I may touch his garment, I shall be made well." But Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour. When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, he said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed him. But when the crowd was put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. And the report of this went out into all that land.

- Matthew 9:18-26

We are in the midst of Christ's healing ministry, as reported in Matthew's gospel. This scene, with its two healings, appears in the three synoptic gospels.

As with the recent readings, I'll begin with an extensive note from my study bible on today's passage: "Authority over life and death is in the hand of God alone (Deut. 32:39; 1 Sam. 2:6). Being of one essence with the Father, Jesus has this authority (John 5:21). The healing of the ailing woman is another demonstration of Christ's power to cleanse and make whole (see 8:1-4). In the Old Testament, hemorrhage caused ceremonial defilement, imposing religious and social restrictions, for contact with blood was strictly prohibited (Lev. 15:25). This suffering woman, accounting herself unclean, approaches Jesus secretly, but with great faith. In v. 22, Jesus (1) brings her good cheer because of her simple faith; (2) corrects her thinking, for she could not hide her touch from him; and (3) exhibits her faith to all, that they might imitate her. Note that Jesus was not so disturbed by the news of the death of the ruler's daughter that he could not also attend to the needs of the suffering woman."

One thing to notice in this particular reading is that Jesus has time for everything. He is not rushed. He is first sought out by "a ruler." Elsewhere, this man is referred to as Jairus, ruler of the synagogue. Jesus takes his disciples with him, toward Jairus' house, to see Jairus' daughter. While they are on the way, the woman with the flow of blood touches the hem of his garment. In other gospels, we are told that Jesus "felt the power go out of himself" and he asked his disciples who touched him in the crowds. Here, in Matthew's gospel, he turns around and sees the woman who touched him.

There are similarities and dissimilarities between the daughter of the ruler and the woman with the blood flow. The woman has had a hemorrhage for about twelve years, and the daughter (we're told elsewhere) is about twelve years old. Both of them are female - one on the verge of childbearing years, and the other a woman long ill and unable to bear children. Both of them are on the outer edges of the society, and of low social rank. The daughter of the ruler has no social status (by marriage or childbirth) and is dependent on her father, and the woman with the blood flow is an outcast, unclean - and elsewhere we are told that she has spent all she has on medical treatment, yet only grew worse. Jesus says to her, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." The ruler of the synagogue has pressed Jesus - worshiping him - to come to see his daughter, whom he believes is dead. Yet Jesus takes time out for this woman, whom he calls his daughter. And it is her faith that has made her well: I think this is a perfect illustration about how much power our "yes" really has when we open the door to grace. Because of faith, the holy is able to do its healing work. When Jesus goes to his hometown, he is unable to perform miracles because of unbelief. Here, this woman's faith has acted as the spark that connects the power that is in Jesus, and its healing, restorative effect in her.

For she said to herself, "If only I may touch his garment, I shall be made well." We can compare the levels of faith between the two "stories" we have here as well, among the different characters. The woman with the twelve-years flow of blood has so much faith in what she sees in Jesus that she believes that she merely has to touch the hem of his garment. But when Jesus arrives at the ruler's house, he encounters something quite different.

When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, he said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed him. Where is the faith in this noisy crowd? They are mourning the girl; this is the social milieu, the pronunciation of the community - she is dead. And they ridicule what Jesus has to say about it. He tells them, "Make room" - he needs space, and the girl needs space for her life, her healing, for faith to take its action.

But when the crowd was put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. Jesus has to put the crowd outside, and he goes in to do his work of healing, taking the girl by the hand. This is, in a sense, an intimate moment, and I think we can take a lesson of faith from both of these stories in this similarity. Although the woman with the hemorrhage touched him amid the crowds, Jesus turns around and takes the time for an intimate moment with her. The spark is personal - between herself and Jesus. She took it upon herself, within herself, to think that if she touched the hem of his garment, she could be well. The daughter of the ruler must be alone in the chamber with him, and he sends away the ridiculing crowds. Both are personal moments, between the restored victim of ill health and Christ. Both are moments where faith can work its spark, and open the door to the effects of the holy, the healing of spiritual power through him. I think there is a great message here about how our faith works - we can be in the midst of a crowd, at our wits' end from effort with all possibilities exhausted, and yet faith can work. Or we can be like the girl, taken aside by circumstances (in this case, by Christ himself) alone in our chamber, and the intimate spark of faith and communion takes places there. Both, in a sense, are "in the secret place." In this sense, Jesus is displaying his attributes that are like the Father - because he sees what has happened in secret, and his power works in this "secret place" of intimacy and personal connection in the deepest way within us. After this intimate moment of holy encounter, the entire community becomes illumined, given the good news: And the report of this went out into all that land. This is true of both the woman in the crowd and the daughter of the ruler.

Again, the effects of the holy are to "lift up the lowly" and "his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation" - who have faith in him. In this story, the "lowly are uplifted" in the woman with the hemorrhage and the young girl just reaching childbearing years - and faith and its connection to mercy is shown "from generation to generation." Both are treated lovingly, the daughter of the synagogue as well as the woman with the blood flow whom Jesus also calls his "daughter." The effects of the holy are to rectify what is upside-down, unjust, the improper values of our world. Love and mercy are the keys - and how they are activated and tied to our faith is demonstrated here. Grace is always at work, love and mercy are always on offer. But it is the spark of our faith that allows them to be fully at work in us (and by extension, into our communities), it opens the door.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Rev. 3:20