Matthew 9-10
Devotion by Shelly Millard (Nebraska)
Yet another day filled with nonstop demands. Coming off of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was besieged by disciple gathering, teaching, preaching, casting out demons, raising the dead, calming the sea and continually surrounded by crowds with physical and spiritual needs. As people were clamoring for his attention, he was able to pivot toward the need, to be present in the moment and respond to the need whether it was physical, emotional or spiritual.. He was taking a quick break to eat when Jairus, a leader of the local synagogue came to Jesus with a big request. His daughter had just died and he was asking Jesus to come to his house to raise her back to life. Understanding the urgency, Jesus got up from his meal and started walking toward Jairus’ home.
The crowds were pressing in on him, jostling as he tried to move forward. But he suddenly stopped and said, “Who just touched me”? The version of this story in Luke indicates that his disciples thought this was a ridiculous question as many in the crowd had been touching him. Yet, this touch was different because Jesus immediately felt power surge from him. He turned and identified the one who touched him as a woman who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years and was hanging on by a thread. She had searched for help, but because she was bleeding was considered unclean with no one allowed to touch or help her. She had heard about Jesus and knew that he was her only chance. Being desperate and determined, she fought her way through the crowd with the belief that if she could only touch the hem of his robe, she would be healed. In Jewish culture, the hem or fringe of a garment, known as the “tzitzit,” held religious significance as a reminder of the commandments of God. The act of the woman reaching out to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment can be seen as an expression of her faith in His divine authority and power to heal. Her belief that merely touching His garment would result in healing underscores the depth of her faith and the recognition of Jesus’ messianic identity. She was very deliberate in her action, one that was fueled by her faith. He looked at her with compassion. He saw so much more than she saw, so much more than others saw. He saw a woman who had enough faith to reach out despite her unclean condition. He saw great faith from one who was marginalized, a woman who was bleeding.
In that moment, she was not only healed of her physical problem, but she was also healed spiritually and emotionally as Jesus addressed her as daughter. No longer was she unclean or an outcast, she was included in his family and found a place where she could now belong. Jesus saw in her a great faith and knew that she had come to him out of desperation, with determination and with her intentional act of faith, received her healing. It was a small, seemingly insignificant act, that resulted in her transformation, both physically and spiritually. This woman, who acted with the courage, deliberate action and with the intention to connect with the Son of God was transformed from an outcast to a daughter and one who has traveled through history to reveal to us an example of great faith.
Questions for reflection
Imagine yourself in the crowd that day. People were pushing and jostling Jesus, perhaps wanting to see what he was going to do with the daughter of Jairus. How do you think the crowd reacted when he stopped to look at this woman who was unclean?
What characteristic of this woman in the story do you find most intriguing?
Why do you think she was focused on touching his garment rather than addressing him directly?
Have you ever had a time where you felt on the “outside” or marginalized like this woman? How do you think she reacted when he called her “daughter”?
What insights about faith demonstrated by this woman can we gain about our own faith?
How determined and intentional are you about your own faith?
Seek Grow Love 