Healed by Faith

June 20, 2021 Background Scripture: Matthew 9:18 – 26; Mark 5:21 – 43; Luke 8:40 – 56 Lesson Passage: Matthew 9:18 – 26 The span of twelve years figures prominently in today’s lesson. Twelve years is a long time by some estimations and relatively short by others. Twelve years prior to the events of our Lesson Passage two remarkable things occurred. One family welcomed the arrival of a little girl who was born that year and another person would receive a horrible medical diagnosis that involved hemorrhaging. One family watched for twelve years as the little baby grew into a preteen girl. The other person watched for twelve years as her life savings disappeared as she consulted one medical doctor after another. This left her impoverished. But on the day of the events in our lesson, the preteen girl died, and the impoverished woman put all her faith in one hope. The girl’s father came seeking Jesus from one direction, and the impoverished woman sneaked up behind Jesus from the opposite direction. When the father left home, his daughter was gravely ill. The girl’s father believed that if Jesus would come to his house and lay hands on his daughter, his daughter would recover. The impoverished woman believed if she could touch the border of Jesus’ clothing, her body would be healed of the twelve-year hemorrhage. The father came and begged Jesus publicly to come to his house and heal his daughter. The impoverished woman only wanted to sneak a blessing out of Jesus and remain anonymous within the crowd. Jesus started out for the father’s house but was interrupted when virtue went out of him. Jesus did not allow the woman’s anonymity to last long. Jesus called her out and she confessed publicly to the healing she had received. Jesus explained to her that her faith in him had healed her. This interruption in his trip to the father’s house was enough time to have someone come with bad news for the father: Your daughter has died. Don’t bother the Teacher any longer. Jesus rejected the bad news for the father. The girl was going to be okay because Jesus was going to do what the father had requested. Upon arrival at the father’s house, Jesus was met by yet another delay. The professional mourners had already arrived and were making noise and in the way. In dismissing the mourners so that he could enter the house, the mourners ridiculed Jesus for saying that the girl was going to live. Inside the house, Jesus took the girl by the hand and commanded her to arise. The girl arose and walked. What an amazing day of healing. Two persons healed in two very different ways. One person believed they could be healed by Jesus without consulting or interrupting him. Another person believed that Jesus could heal his daughter simply by laying his hands on the sick. Both persons believed that Jesus was a healer. After that day, people in other lands brought many sick so that they could touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. The Bible records that as many as touched it were made perfectly well. It goes without saying that the little girl was not the last person Jesus laid his hands on and healed. It is worth noting that Jesus has the power and the desire to heal the sick. There is no prescribed method that must be used to have healing occur. Healing comes from Jesus, but it comes by somebody’s faith. The impoverished woman had within her the faith to receive healing from Jesus. The father had faith within him to request Jesus to lay his hand on his daughter and heal her. After twelve years of suffering and twelve years of living, healing came to both by faith. Robert C. Hudson May 22, 2021