Father, we place ourselves in Your hands. In reality, it should be no different than any other day, but in these days of uncertainty, it brings great comfort to remind ourselves that You are in control. All praise to You!

Luke 8:40-48 (<<click to read the passage)

If you will, in your mind’s eye, picture a twelve-year-old girl. It is a little easier for me, in that in a time of normalcy I get to see twelve-year-old girls a couple of times each day. And for some reason, twelve-year-old girls give me a lot less grief than twelve-year-old boys – at least at this point in my bus driving career!

I cannot imagine being in Jairus’ shoes, having to deal with my child being so ill that she was close to death. All in all, the twelve-year-old girls on my routes over the past two years have each had a pretty sweet demeanor. Just picturing any of them in this position, tugs at my heartstrings for sure!

Depending on where their birthday falls, twelve-year-olds would be in the 5th or 6th grade. They are starting that transition from being children and will soon be entering their teen years. They are solidly coming into their own as individuals. Their futures are ahead of them and for many, it shines brightly.

Now stop…

If you will, in your mind’s eye, picture a much more mature woman. We don’t really know how old she is but let’s say she was in her 30s or 40s. As long as Jairus’ daughter had been alive, this poor woman had been dealing with a serious issue of bleeding.

Where at one point her life, too, had been full of promise, she now found herself at the end of her rope…and at the end of all hope. But then Jesus went before her (providentially!) and believing that He would be the one to restore her, she took a big risk in reaching out to touch – not His arm or shoulder or elbow – but just the very “fringe of his robe”.

Her act of faith brought immediate healing! And I am sure that though she believed in Jesus that she thought that she could just slip back into the crowd with Him being none the wiser. But…that was not the case!

There is not even a gap in Luke’s writing! Without a single pause, Jesus asked, “Who touched me?”

Everybody was like, “Good grief! There are all kinds of people touching you!”

But Jesus knew…not just that someone had intentionally touched Him and not just that “healing power” had gone out from Him, but he most definitely knew who had touched him and all the circumstances of why she had done so.

She knew she had been found out and, trembling, fell to her knees before Him, and in her pent-up anguish gushed out the entirety of her story to Jesus and the “whole crowd”.

So, knowing all He knew, why did Jesus call her out? He had given her a wonderful gift in eliminating her affliction but isn’t Jesus so much more than that? He wanted to make sure that she clearly understood His healing wasn’t just some cold “surgical procedure” – just one more act of compassion by a man of great power – but with her act of faith, she had received Him, as well.

“Daughter, your faith [your personal trust and confidence in Me] has made you well. Go in peace (untroubled, undisturbed well-being).” (AMP)

Later in John’s Gospel, Jesus would proclaim,

Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.] John 14:27 (AMP)

And, my friends, Jesus has not changed one bit! May you this day find His peace. May you embrace Him as He surely embraces you. Amen.

Mar 26th, 2020, Thurs, 6:14 pm