Saturday 3rd December
Read Luke 8:40-48
“Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.
As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
45 ‘Who touched me?’ Jesus asked.
When they all denied it, Peter said, ‘Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.’
46 But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.’
47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.’” (NIVUK)
Imagine the courage of this woman. Bleeding for twelve years and physically unwell but also ceremonially unclean. To be desperate enough to enter a crowd, with all the potential for public shame, in the hope that merely touching His garment might heal her is immensely brave. Perhaps her hope was as superstitious as it was surreptitious yet, for all that, it was honoured by healing.
Commentators have wrestled through the ages with the reason for Jesus’ questions. Certainly His disciples thought it foolish in a crowd to wonder who touched Him (v45b)! Is Jesus not omniscient? Is His virtue or grace so uncontrolled that it flows out against His will? What is more likely is that Jesus’ questions served at least two purposes. First it allowed a conversation with the woman that was public and taught her that it was not her superstition but her faith that healed her. Second, in making it a public declaration that she had touched Him and she was well she would not continue to be ostracised by those who would know full well that she was permanently unclean. He had not just made her physically whole, Jesus had made her socially and spiritually whole too.
When Jesus came He changed the rules. There was no question that He was now unclean because of her touch. No, even the hem of His robe made others clean. Jesus truly was Immanuel, God with us, bringing peace and wholeness to humanity. Shining forth and banishing darkness. The brightest and best.
