Those Troubling Issues

Sometimes desperation makes us do desperate things. Here’s a woman with an issue of blood in Matthew 9:18-26 who has come to the end of her rope. For twelve years she’s suffered, and, as Mark 5:26 tells us, spent all her money on doctors. So now she’s broke and tired of being sick and tired. So she does the unthinkable. She reaches out and touches the hem of Jesus’ garment. A woman with an issue of blood was considered unclean, and anyone she touched was considered unclean. How, then, did she dare touch this man –this One considered by many to be holy and a rabbi (teacher)? Why, some even claimed he was the Messiah! But desperation made her bold enough to sneak behind Jesus and lay hold of the edge of His robe, all the while saying to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I shall be restored to health.”

At once Jesus feels power draining from Him and asks, “Who touched me?” The disciples are surprised by His question since there’s a huge throng pressing and jostling Jesus as they make their way to Jairus’ house and his sick twelve year old daughter. But Jesus pressed the point. Someone had touched Him in faith causing “virtue” to go out from Him (Luke 8:46). That word “virtue” in Greek is dunamis and means force, power. It is the very basis of the word “dynamite”! So Jesus felt his dynamite power leave Him. And when He sees the woman who did this, how does He react? Well, first He puts her at ease. To this unclean woman who had no business touching Him, He says, “Take courage daughter!” Then He follows it with, “Your faith has made you well.” And immediately she was healed.

The scene ends with Jesus going to Jairus’ house where the daughter has already died. And in spite of all the jeers and laughter when Jesus tells everyone “the girl is not dead but sleeping,” He calmly enters the room and brings her back to life.

It’s interesting to note the use of the number twelve. The woman had the issue of blood twelve years, and Jairus’ daughter was twelve years old.  As I’ve said in other posts, numbers in the Bible mean something, and twelve is the number indicating God is in control. It speaks of His perfect government (12 apostles, 12 tribes of Israel, etc) and indicates here that God is Master of even sickness and death. And that these things must submit to His authority.

Overall, there are two major take-away points to be gleaned here. The first illustrates that even those who feel unworthy need not be afraid to reach out and touch Jesus. Wondrous things can happen when touching Jesus through His word, prayer and meditating on Scripture. And oh how willing Jesus is to respond! Perhaps not always in the way we want, but always in the way we need. And secondly, as Jesus raised Jairus’ dead child so He can raise our dead things, too. Our marriages, our finances, our health, our job opportunities, anything that seems irrevocably lost to us, Jesus is able to restore.

What issues do you have today? Issues that have made you sick and tired, discouraged and even desperate? Why not bring all these troubling issues to Jesus? Touch Him in faith, then watch and see what He will do. 

Until next time,

Sylvia