Jesus Heals A Woman Sick for 12 Years

And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house: For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him. And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. Luke 8:41-48

Steps: 1, 2, 3, 11, 12

When Jesus and the disciples came back to Capernaum they men a ruler of the church named Jairus. Jairus had come to Jesus to seek healing for his daughter who was twelve. Jesus agreed to do so and was on His way to Jairus’ home when He was crowded by people wanting His attentions. In the middle of the crowd was a woman who had a bleeding sickness of some kind. She had spent all of her money on physicians and they had not been able to heal her and now she was so desperate that she put her whole faith into Jesus as a result of the stories of healing that she had heard about Him. She reasoned that if she could only touch His garment that she would be healed. She struggled through the crowd and through God’s grace she was able to get to Jesus and touched His garment and she was healed. But right when she thought she could leave without being noticed Jesus stopped the movement through the crowd and exclaimed that someone had touched Him, in a special way because He could feel the healing power of love leave Him and bless someone. When the crowd movement stopped at the proclamation of Jesus the woman felt under observation and she told her story about her condition and how God had healed her. Jesus reframed the experience and told her that her faith in Him had made her whole.

Prayer for Today: Lord, You know how logical most of us are. We would conclude that You don’t heal in the way described in this story. We often think You have a very proscribed way of doing things, yet this woman claimed to be healed by you just by believing in touching Your garment. We think we have tried things like that but have not been healed of our addictions, so what is happening here? Yet You said that it was not because of her touching the garment but because she had faith in You. Help us to develop faith in You rather than faith in our efforts. Thank You that You came close enough to her to help her. Please come close enough to us that we can reach out to You and receive Your gifts to us.