Luke 8:40-56

     The following is for the week of October 6 - 13 - We will be taking a two week break- October 13&20
     In the first century, a daughter had little societal value. But fathers clearly could have tremendous affection for a daughter. Jairus was a leader of his community, the president of the synagogue. The president was responsible for supervising the arrangements for worship. His only child was a daughter and he clearly loved her dearly, for he was willing to approach Jesus, already a controversial figure, and beg his help in healing the child he knew was dying. His anxiety was so great that he fell at the feet of Jesus to make his request.
     Jesus immediately set out to help the man, but as he went, the crowds were fierce and it may have been hard to get through them. The people had come out of their curiosity concerning Jesus, and some through their need.
     A woman was there. She had suffered for twelve years from a hemorrhage. Blood was sacred to the Israelites, yet contact with it made a person unclean. So this woman had suffered for twelve years not only from a debilitating condition, yet also from a sense that her community considered her unclean. Some may have also considered her sinful, for there was still a theology that blamed ill fortune and illness on sin; the assumption being that if a person suffered, then they must deserve to do so.
     This woman clearly felt unacceptable to approach Jesus and ask his help. Her bleeding may have been from a strictly female condition which would have made it even more difficult. It would also have been somewhat scandalous for a woman to touch a man, and an unclean woman would officially have made Jesus unclean for a time.
     But the woman had enough hope and enough faith to creep up behind Jesus and touch the fringe of his garment, believing that even this was enough for her to be healed. It may be important to note that this fringe was not almost certainly not decorative. The prayer shawl of Judaism has a tassel on each corner. It is tied with a specific number of turns and knots which correspond to the Hebrew alphabet. The symbolism refers to the Shema, the central teaching of Judaism—the Lord our God, the Lord is One. The shawl or fringe or tassel always includes at least one purple thread. Purple was an extremely expensive dye, which is why it became associated with royalty. The prayer shawl of the average Israelite used one purple thread as a symbol. Expression of this symbolism may vary from theologian to theologian and person to person, but it can be understood as representing the individual’s importance to God, as well as the individual’s responsibility.
     So, it certainly could be understood that when this “unclean” ailing woman came to touch the fringe of Jesus, she was seeking to be valued also. Her faith was rewarded; she was healed.
      Now, Jesus knew immediately something had happened. Luke expressed it as know that power had gone out from him. So he asked who it was who had touched him. Peter thought it a silly question, for the crowds had been pressing him all about, but Jesus meant something more than this and the woman knew it. Was Jesus actually unaware of who had touched him? We don’t know for he didn’t say so. Either knowing or not, he was giving the woman the opportunity to claim herself before him, which is what she did. She revealed that it was her and explained that she had been healed. Jesus told her that her faith had made her well and to go in peace.
      Some Christians have interpreted faith as a power source for healing, denying themselves medical care on the theory that if they seek it, they haven’t the faith that they’ve been healed. The strength of one’s faith has been used as an explanation for why certain prayers are or are not answered. Was Jesus trying to say here that true faith can win us healing, or was something else happening? Is it possible that he was empowering this woman, and ourselves, in a relationship with God? He always seemed wary of being seen as a miracle-working wonder-man, instead he directed people back to their relationship with the Lord.
     Peter’s anxiety to dismiss the incident could have also had to do with the fact that a very important man had requested his help. Why did Jesus have to talk to someone in the crowd, and a woman no less! Why make her healing front and center? She was a nobody and Peter, like many of the disciples, still had a worldly point of view about importance. But Jesus recognized one person’s value, not matter how ill or unclean or worthless that others might consider her.
     While this was taking place, messengers came from the house of Jairus to say don’t bother anymore, the child was dead and Jesus shouldn’t be troubled with the matter (perhaps these messengers also thought a twelve-year-old girl was unimportant). But imagine the grief of the parents who have lost their only child But Jesus said not to fear, only believe and she would be saved.
      At the house, Jesus only allowed the parents and his disciples Peter, John and James to come in with him. With traditional mourning ritual, they were weeping and wailing. But Jesus told them to stop, because the child was only asleep.
     This made no sense to those who knew death when they saw it and even in the midst of grief it provoked a strange sort of laughter. They didn’t yet know Jesus very well, who was the master of turning mourning into joy. He took the child by the hand and called her to get up, and she did. A practical man, Jesus told them to get her something to eat—this would also have reassured the parents that she was on the path of healing. Her parents were astounded by what had happened, yet Jesus told them not to say anything about it.
     On numerous occasions Jesus told people not to talk about what he had done for them. Of course, it was hardly possible for people not to know about this—the child had been announced as dead and would soon be seen by people to be healthy and alive. So it’s not clear why Jesus asked Jairus and his wife to stay silent—and obviously somebody did tell the story. But Jairus, as William Barclay pointed out, remains a most interesting character in this event. He didn’t stand on ceremony or pride, instead he asked Jesus for help, and he kept enough faith to follow him into the room where his dead daughter lay (note that his wife also had this faith).

Where do we feel unimportant in life?
How can we understand how special we are in the eyes of Jesus?
Is there some pride or other issue that keeps us from surrendering part of ourselves to God?
Where can we throw some faith ahead of ourselves into the rooms where our deepest fears or doubts or ambiguities lie?