130113 Two Daughters, Twelve Years

Jesus got terrible news when he came ashore: a young girl was very ill. Jairus, her father and a leader in the local synagogue, knew Jesus might be able to do something about it. Any parent can empathize. Any parent can picture the look of panic in that dad’s eyes. He had loved his little girl from the start – all twelve years of her life.

Jesus went, and lots of people followed to watch (and maybe get something healed, too).
On the way to Jairus’ house, a strange thing happened. Jesus came to a dead stop because someone touched him. The disciples were confused, because it was likely that many people touched him, and they wondered out loud about it. So Jesus clarified, and said he sensed power flowing out of him with the touch. Everybody just sort of looked around not knowing what to say or do, I suspect, until that “someone” claimed responsibility.

She came forward with her confession. Instead of every month for a few days, she had been bleeding incessantly every day for twelve years. This meant a lot of things for her. It meant she couldn’t have any (more) children, and that she would have only limited exposure to the Jewish rituals which were designed to help people experience relationship with God. It meant she was probably financially broke, too. Historians note that there were plenty of hucksters in Jesus’ day that claimed to be able to heal for a price.

People who suffer sometimes become extremely knowledgeable about their situation and potential cures. She certainly would have researched her faith tradition for any clues. Someone probably shared with her a prophecy that was made that had been associated with God’s anointed rescuer or Israel, also known as the messiah. The prophet Malachi wrote that there would be “healing in his wings.” The word wings in Hebrew is also translated as tassels. So, some thought that the tassels on the end of the robe worn by the messiah would carry healing power for some who would touch them.

Broke and broken, what did she have to lose? Why not reach for the tassels of the guy who some say just might be God’s anointed rescuer?

She hadn’t experienced not bleeding for twelve years. She certainly had to have been elated to not bleed once she touched his robe. But that all seemed in jeopardy when Jesus stopped moving. Would he judge her for being so presumptuous? Would he reverse the healing, or make her bleed even more?

No.

In fact, Jesus commended her for her faith, calling her “daughter”, and insuring her that her suffering was over. Pretty amazing, really, that the woman experienced God’s healing presence without Jesus’ awareness, without any sort of ritual or confession or hoops to jump through. The love was just there for the taking. God was with her, up close and personal, like a good father cradling his daughter.

The daughter! Oh, that’s right! Jesus was on his way to see another daughter. And, unfortunately, as Mark tells the story (Mark 5:21-43), his delay with the bleeding daughter was to the detriment of the dying daughter. Messengers came to Jesus and Jairus to call off the visit – the little girl apparently succumbed to the illness and was dead.

Now Jairus was probably stopped in his tracks by grief, but Jesus pressed on with words calling for hope and faith. The crowd followed, and upon arrival, scoffed at Jesus’ hopeful remarks. So he told them to leave.
Jesus went into the room where the girl’s lifeless body laid. He simply took her hand and said, “Little girl, get up!” And she did. This, by the way, was quite a contrast to some of the great prophets of old who went through quite a ritual to perform such a miracle (Jairus would have known this). Jesus’ word and touch brought the healing presence of God to the little girl. The mood of the house changed a but after that…

Two stories of daughters, both loved by God. One knowing it for twelve straight years because her father and mother and synagogue told her so. One doubting it for twelve straight years because her body told her so. One unwittingly relied on someone else’s faith to get the healing power of God to her bedside, because she was unable to do anything on her own. One who took a leap of faith as she audaciously reached for that robe as it passed by. Intriguing story. Amazing. Lot’s to talk over. No single point in this narrative. But I would like to tie them together with an obvious observation.

Both daughters discovered in their own way that they were not alone, that God was really with them. Not because of anything about them, either. Just there to bring presence, peace, hope, healing, restoration and renewal. And that hasn’t changed for any of today’s daughters. Or sons, for that matter.

Application.
1. How do you relate to this story? How do you apply the stories we see here with your own need for God’s presence? As one in need of God’s presence, what do you feel compelled to do?
2. As the ambassadors of God’s grace, what do we learn from this story about what it might mean to follow Jesus? What hoops do we make people jump through before we “let” them know they are loved by God? How are we like Jesus in being conduits for God’s power to work through us? Has anybody experienced healing from our touch? How can we increase the flow of God’s love in our lives so that more people might experience the healing, restoration and renewal God brings?