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In every Gospel, the healing of the woman with an issue of blood is always told in the middle of the story of Jesus bringing Jairus’ daughter back to life. These two stories are purposely intertwined. There were no coincidences in the life of Jesus. God wanted the stories of these two individuals to be told in relationship to each other. We have much we can learn from the contrasts and similarities of these stories.
Jairus is a ruler in the synagogue. Everyone knows his name. Because of his position, he is fastidious about being ceremonially clean everyday. He carefully avoids anything that would make him unclean and follows the ritual washings “religiously.”
We are never told the name of “the woman.” She is an outcast from the synagogue and is ostracized from her family because of her uncleanness about which she can do nothing.
The Law makes this clear.
If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness. As in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean. Every bed on which she lies, all the days of her discharge, shall be to her as the bed of her impurity. And everything on which she sits shall be unclean, as in the uncleanness of her menstrual impurity. And whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening.
Lev. 15:25-27
This pitiful woman has been unclean for twelve years. Everything she touches is unclean. She is barred from entering the synagogue that Jairus is the ruler of. She probably knows who he is. He probably does not know her. If he does, he would want nothing to do with her.
The last twelve years for these folks have been so different! While Jairus was delighting in watching his daughter grow up and learn new things- making a big deal about her first word, her first step, her first time in the synagogue- the woman was being shunned by everyone, slowly losing all she had. Jairous’s daughter has known daily hugs and kisses. The woman has not been touched for twelve years!
And yet now, at the end of the twelve years, they are both in the same place emotionally. They both have come to an impossibility. Jairus came suddenly. The woman came slowly. Two different kinds of pain. Both desperate.
Desperate, but with a tiny spark of hope. They both held to a belief that Jesus could heal. Jairus hoped that Jesus would come to his home and heal his daughter. The woman had heard of the miracles of Jesus and secretly wanted to be healed from her incurable disease. For both of them, this faith was small. And that's all they needed. In the end, it was who they had faith in, not the strength of their faith that mattered.
Their interactions with Jesus are different, reflecting their different situations in life. Jairus freely addresses Jesus straightforwardly, bowing to the ground out of respect. The woman came up to Jesus secretly from behind him. She also bent to the ground but only to discreetly touch the fringe of his garment.
At that moment, Jesus stops. Abruptly. The crowd jostles until still. Jesus demands to know who in the crowd has touched him. Jairus and the woman go from faith to fear. Jairus had to wonder if this delay would hinder Jesus from getting to his daughter in time and make his efforts of no use. The woman was afraid of being found out.
Our emotions - especially fear - are windows into our soul, into the deeper recesses of our heart. They often reveal what we value most and how we relate to God and others. They can reveal our lack of faith.
Pondering what we are afraid of - can be a helpful practice - if it is done in the context of the truth about Jesus. After one asks: Of what am I afraid? One of the next questions should be: What truth about Jesus am I not believing?
Jesus never exposes our weaknesses to humiliate us - but to strengthen us.
The woman immediately knew when she touched Jesus that the bleeding had stopped, she was healed and she could be declared clean. She had believed Jesus could heal. Why not now publicly give him glory? Why did she not want him to know who she was?
She might have assumed that by touching him she had made him “unclean.” It was a bold move on her side. Reckless even. Motivated by desperation for one last chance of healing. Perhaps she feared the righteous anger of Jesus. She had known anger from so many people. What if he rejected her like all the others had?
Though the woman believed in the power of Jesus to heal, she was not confident in the character of Jesus to love. We can understand her fear. She has been rejected by everyone for twelve years. She has not experienced love and welcome by anyone. Why would Jesus be different?
She believed that Jesus could heal. But she did not know Jesus was kind.
Jesus had “stretched out his hand and touched a leper.” (Luke 5:13). He ate with tax collectors, and sinners. (Luke 5:29-32) He touched a funeral brier. (Luke 7:11-17). He spoke to prostitutes with tenderness. (Luke 7: 48-50). When Jesus sees sorrow and brokenness he moves toward it. Rather than becoming unclean by the contamination of the deceased, he “contaminates” others with his purity. “He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Cor. 5:21).
She did not know this about Jesus. But Jesus knew her. And loved her.
With one word, her fear was lifted and her faith was strengthened.
Jesus called her “Daughter.”
“Daughter.” - It must have been such a sweet sound. It must have evoked pictures of familial love and warmth she had not known for so many years. Protection. Provision. Delight. Human touch. Jesus had the same tender compassion on her that Jairus had for his daughter. With this public declaration of his love, Jesus gave the ostracized woman dignity, a peaceful mind and restful heart. She knew now that the compassion of Jesus was as great as his power.
But the whole story is not over.
Jarius has been standing confused through this long intercahgne. He probably agreed with the disciples when they wondered why Jesus had asked who touched him. The crowds were large. Everyone was pushing on Jesus. Why was it important to stop? His concern for his daughter overshadowed everything else. Then in the middle of this "interruption" he learns his daugher has died. It was no longer necessary to "trouble the Teacher."
Christ's delay to help the woman did not hinder his ability to help the daughter. Delays (and trials) are often divine plans to expose our weaknesses. Jesus' interaction with the woman brought to light Jairus's limited faith.
Jesus spoke to the fear in Jarius's heart. And his small faith. He told him, "Do not fear; only believe."
What thoughts must have been racing in his mind while he walked beside Jesus! He had seen evidence of the healings by Jesus. He had faith to believe he could heal his daughter. But to bring her back to life? That was in adifferent category. His faith was in past experiences and what he had seen, not in the reality of who Jesus was. He was guilty of thinking, "This is too big for God." His view of God was not big enough.
He believed Jesus could heal. He did not believe that Jesus could raise somene from the dead. Jairus was ready to believe that Jesus was a prophet, but believe he was the Son of God? This was too much for him.
And then what was he to make of Jesus’ comment to the mourners that his daughter was only sleeping? Surely this was not a horribly hurtful joke? Jarius, the ruler, could not control, nor make sense of, the situation. He follows Jesus in humble obedience because there is nothing else to do.
Taking the girl by the hand, Jesus woke her with the sound of his voice, “Child, arise.”
Appropriately, the response of Jairus and his wife was both belief and amazement.
Jesus had gone to Jarius’ home to give this very public man a private lesson in who he is. Jarius learned that Jesus’ power is greater than he imagined because who Jesus is was more than he imagined.
Notice how Jesus dealt so differently with these two people. He knew them as individuals. He met them where they were and spoke to the true need of their hearts.
What can we learn? There is one truth I would love you to carry away from this passage.
Jesus knows you as an individual. He knows your fears and needs.
He is wisely and tenderly working to build your faith and complete the work
He has begun in you and through you.
Jesus works differently in different people’s lives depending on their needs. Our paths to heaven may take different turns than others. But when we get there, we will see that it was a kind and gracious path that Jesus led all of us on.
Jesus “knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when his eye is off me, or his attention distracted from me, and no moment, therefore, when his care falters.” Author of Knowing God, J. I. Packer
The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Psalm 138:8
Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth carried from the womb, even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made and I will bear; I will carry and will save.
Is. 46:3,4
Behold I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.
Isa. 49:16
I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep and I myself will make them lie own, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured and I will strengthen the weak.
Ez. 34:15,16
He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Phil 1:6
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
1 Thes. 5:23