crowds flocked to jesus for healing
The Gospel for this Sunday recounts two of the great healing stories in the New Testament. First of all, there is the request of the synagogue official, Jairus, who begs Jesus to come to his home because his daughter was gravely ill. He expressed great faith in Jesus, as he knelt before him, and pleaded, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please come lay hands on her that she might get well.” Jesus left to go to Jairus’ home, but He did not seem to have a great sense of urgency.
As He made His way, He encountered the woman who had suffered for many years with a hemorrhage. If someone had contact with blood, even their own, they were made unclean by that. Blood was seen as the source of life, and blood that was shed was a source of spiritual infection. The person who had contact with blood could not have contact with any other person. They could not live in their own homes, because any chair in which they sat, any bed in which they slept, and any table from which they ate became unclean, and anyone else who touched these became unclean. So, she could not live with her family. She could not work in any job where others would have contact with her or with any object that she touched.
Seeing Jesus passing through her village, she had great faith that He could heal her, but to get to Him, she had to fight her way through the crowd, certainly making those unclean whom she bumped up against. She reached out to touch Jesus, praying for a healing. By doing so, she rendered Jesus unclean. Instantly she felt the hemorrhage dry up and knew she had been healed. Jesus felt power pour out from Him, and He turned and asked who touched Him. In a rambunctious crowd, the disciples had no idea who had touched Him. She came to Him and confessed that she was the one. Jesus told her that it was her faith that had healed her.
As Jesus stopped to speak with her, I am sure that Jairus, who was so desperate for the wellbeing of his daughter, was annoyed. Jesus did not seem to understand the urgency of his need. How could he get Him to move along?
While they were standing there, and Jesus was talking to the woman, people from Jairus’ household came and told them that his daughter had died. There was no further reason to bother the teacher. Jesus said to the father, “Do not be afraid. Just have faith,” and they went on to his house. There was a crowd outside the house who were weeping over the death of the child. Jesus asked them why they were weeping, as the child was not dead, but only sleeping. And they mocked Him. He went into the house with the mother and father and His disciples.
Jesus came to the bed of the little girl, took her by the hand, and said, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up.” She rose immediately, and Jesus told her parents to give her something to eat.
What drew most people to Jesus was not His great teaching and preaching, or any of His other miracles. They came because He was a healer. In an age without hospitals and sulfa drugs and other means of curing the sick, a healer was desperately sought after. By seeing the sick rise from their beds, and even the dying to rise from their tombs, they came to faith in Jesus and became His followers.
As He made His way, He encountered the woman who had suffered for many years with a hemorrhage. If someone had contact with blood, even their own, they were made unclean by that. Blood was seen as the source of life, and blood that was shed was a source of spiritual infection. The person who had contact with blood could not have contact with any other person. They could not live in their own homes, because any chair in which they sat, any bed in which they slept, and any table from which they ate became unclean, and anyone else who touched these became unclean. So, she could not live with her family. She could not work in any job where others would have contact with her or with any object that she touched.
Seeing Jesus passing through her village, she had great faith that He could heal her, but to get to Him, she had to fight her way through the crowd, certainly making those unclean whom she bumped up against. She reached out to touch Jesus, praying for a healing. By doing so, she rendered Jesus unclean. Instantly she felt the hemorrhage dry up and knew she had been healed. Jesus felt power pour out from Him, and He turned and asked who touched Him. In a rambunctious crowd, the disciples had no idea who had touched Him. She came to Him and confessed that she was the one. Jesus told her that it was her faith that had healed her.
As Jesus stopped to speak with her, I am sure that Jairus, who was so desperate for the wellbeing of his daughter, was annoyed. Jesus did not seem to understand the urgency of his need. How could he get Him to move along?
While they were standing there, and Jesus was talking to the woman, people from Jairus’ household came and told them that his daughter had died. There was no further reason to bother the teacher. Jesus said to the father, “Do not be afraid. Just have faith,” and they went on to his house. There was a crowd outside the house who were weeping over the death of the child. Jesus asked them why they were weeping, as the child was not dead, but only sleeping. And they mocked Him. He went into the house with the mother and father and His disciples.
Jesus came to the bed of the little girl, took her by the hand, and said, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up.” She rose immediately, and Jesus told her parents to give her something to eat.
What drew most people to Jesus was not His great teaching and preaching, or any of His other miracles. They came because He was a healer. In an age without hospitals and sulfa drugs and other means of curing the sick, a healer was desperately sought after. By seeing the sick rise from their beds, and even the dying to rise from their tombs, they came to faith in Jesus and became His followers.