Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me

 

 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, and 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 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.  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.  My study Bible explains that, for the Jews, contact with blood caused defilement and led to religious and social isolation (Leviticus 15:19-27).  This woman, it says, displays bold faith by approaching both Jesus and a ruler of the synagogue in a crowd -- thus, potentially defiling all of them and subjecting 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."  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 that "Who touched Me?" does not simply mean a physical touch.  Instead, Jesus might be better understood as asking, "Who touched Me in faith?"  In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus says that "the temple sanctifies the gold" (Matthew 23:17), and so also matter is sanctified by Christ's Incarnation, and the power of Christ, my study Bible says, works even through His garment.  To touch Christ's garment in faith is to touch Him.  In the Church, Christ is touched through icons, oil, water, bread, wine, etc.  When this is done in faith, the power of Christ is received.  My study Bible adds here that Jesus calls this healed woman forth both to take away her fear and trembling, and 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, and 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.  Again we note the importance of faith to healing.  Jesus makes every effort to separate Jairus and his family from those who ridicule, as the text tells us that He put them all outside.  Moreover, Jesus brought only those disciples of His "inner circle;" that is, those with the deepest faith, with Him:  Peter, James, and John.  

Today's reading underscores the importance of women in Christ's gracious expression of the kingdom of God.   The woman with the bloodflow would have been considered to be ritually unclean, as my study Bible notes.  But Jesus does not fault her for being in the crowd, nor for touching Him.  On the contrary, her faith is praised by Jesus, for it is her faith that has made the connection to Christ's power, and that is the secret to the kingdom of God.  She is praised by Jesus as one whose faith has made her well.  Jairus' daughter is but twelve years old, but nonetheless becomes one more important example of Christ's spectacular power of resurrection.  Even a "little girl," in this kingdom, becomes one singularly cared for and saved.  It seems that the issue of the bloodflow itself is important, because it affirms powerfully the gender of one with such faith, and for whom it would seem a great exception in the law is made by God, and in order to heal.  Where her affliction would have been added to by the "unclean" nature of her illness (and specifically seems to be a uterine haemorrhage), it becomes instead a stunning example of faith, healing, and the power of Christ.  In fact, it seems to be the only occasion on which Christ declares that He understood power going out of Himself.  Therefore, in this healing, what is specifically a woman's problem becomes not simply noticed, but proclaimed, when Jesus draws her out and separates her from the crowd in order to praise her, and her action done in faith.  What we find from the two examples of this older woman, who has had this twelve-years-long issue of bloodflow, and Jairus' daughter who has lived only about twelve years herself, is a a very strong affirmation of the place of women in Christ's economy of salvation, for both become precious signs of the Kingdom, of God among us, and occasions for the glorification of God.  Anyone faulting the woman for touching the clothing of Christ while she had her bloodflow, or even faulting Christ for taking the little girl by the hand in a private part of the home, would only be subject to censure in light of the bountiful abundance of God's grace evidenced in both healings.  Given that we are speaking of Christ Himself and the chosen acts of His ministry, one would have to acknowledge that this is not simply an affirmation of equality, but one that specifically proclaims the necessity of the place of women in the grand scheme of salvation.   It is often said that Luke's Gospel is distinctive in the ways that it shows us Christ's genuine sympathy for women, going against the predominant grain of His time and place.  But this Gospel also teaches us about the specific need for women, which includes Tuesday's reading in which we were told that there were several women who formed a part of His ministry (And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance).  These healed women -- of whatever infirmity or spiritual illness -- are like the "gold sanctified by the altar" (Matthew 23:17) which my study Bible references in a note, as reported above.  They all have been made clean, holy, healed by their proximity to Christ, and set apart as part of His ministry also.  Mary Magdalene was the first to bring the news of the risen Christ to the rest of the disciples.  John's Gospel tells us that Jesus spoke to her at the tomb:  "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God'" (John 20:17).   His words give us a sense of His caring treatment of women, a kind of tender sympathy uncharacteristic of His time.  Of course, John's Gospel also tells us of Jesus' great love for Lazarus and his two sisters, Martha and Mary (that is, Mary of Bethany, not to be confused with Mary Magdalene), and Jesus' personal conversations with the women (John 11).  Luke's 10th chapter will also give us another very personal interaction between Jesus and the two sisters (Luke 10:38-42).  Let us consider the stories we're given today in this light, of the necessity of women to Christ's ministry, and therefore to the whole sense of God's economy of salvation.  The vulnerability of each -- the woman who has lost her entire livelihood to doctors and has only grown more ill, together with the young girl whose parents must intervene for her -- teach us something about how God works even through the meek and infirm.  Note that Luke's Gospel says that each of these women who supports Christ has been healed by Him in one way or another.  It reminds us of the power of grace, working through infirmity or weakness, as testified to by St. Paul:  "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Let us be always grateful!

So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?

 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.  But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."  And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.  But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day."  The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?  So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?"  And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

- Luke 13:10-17

Yesterday we read that there were present at that season some who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  And He answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."  He also spoke this parable:  "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.  Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none.  Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?'  But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.  And if it bears fruit, well.  But if not, after that you can cut it down.'" 

 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.  But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."  And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.  But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day."  The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?  So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?"  And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.   Patristic commentators see this woman as bent down in her infirmity -- an oppression of evil from which she needs to be released.  Jesus Himself says that Satan has bound her.  We note the pattern of healing; it's similar to the casting out of demons in Luke's Gospel:  when Jesus heals her, her immediate response is to glorify God.  In His reply to the ruler of the synagogue, Jesus commands,  "Think of it," referring to the eighteen years this woman has been bound.  My study bible says that patristic commentators see this command as directing us to a spiritual meaning for the eighteen years.  The Greek expression here is literally translated "ten and eight years."  Both St. Ambrose and Theophylact see ten as representing the Ten Commandments and eight as representing grace, as the day of Resurrection is often called the "eighth day."  Therefore humanity is lifted up by faith in Christ, who fulfills both law and grace.

I find it notable that the woman is bent over for her infirmity, and that it has oppressed her for such a long time.   Jesus gives us language that gives us an understanding of oppression and binding.  As Deliverer, Jesus is the one that frees us from those who would bind us, liberates captives from captors, unlooses bonds.  She receives, in effect, her freedom from Christ.  Not only that, but her upright position as a result also gives us an image of what she is freed for.  The word in Greek translated as "made straight" is ἀνωρθώθη/anorthothe, which literally means "made straight [or upright] again."  In other words, she is restored to her proper position.  It's noteworthy also that the root of this word is "orthos" from which comes the word "orthodox," the theological term for "correct belief."  There is a connection between this sense of being made straight and a moral or virtuous meaning of "straightforward" or "upright."   As her immediate response is to glorify God, we understand that her freedom is to become the one whom God has created her to be.  She is now unbound by Christ, freed after eighteen years -- the time it takes for full maturity -- to live as fully as she is meant to live.   Like Peter's mother-in-law after her healing by Christ (Luke 4:38-39), she is restored to her place, upright.  In Scripture, to be bound may also be a metaphor for sin that locks us into place, stagnant, and burdened with ties to things that keep us stuck.  Let us also make note of the fact that this is another story of a woman in Luke; her life, afflicted as it has been for so long, quite possibly makes her someone easily overlooked by others.  But Jesus teaches us the importance and potential in each life through His care.   Jesus challenges the narrative regarding what the Sabbath is for, and invites us to consider what full healing means.  He opens our eyes to possibilities we might not have considered for ourselves, even as He is here to liberate our "stuck thinking" so that we, too, may be restored.  What burdens and bindings have you got to lose?  Why wait any longer?  "It's never too late" is another strong part of the healing and restoring message in today's text!  The eighth day is the new day of the Kingdom, the eternal day of Resurrection, in all ways that we need it.