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In our last lesson, Jesus had crossed over the northern part of the Sea of Galilee to a town called Gergesa where He cast out many Demons from a man called Legion. From there they returned to the city of Capernaum, the city that Matthew calls Christ's own city. Here Jesus is met by the multitudes and while He was speaking to them a Ruler named Jairus came to Him and kneeling before him, says, "My daughter is dying, come lay your hand on her that she might live."
Notice first the humility of the man, Jairus. Though he was a Jew and a Ruler of a Synagogue, he came on his knees. Notice the reverence he displays for Christ. Secondly, notice for whom he came. His daughter, 12 years old, she was dying. but Jairus knew and believed that Jesus could heal her. "If you but come and lay your hands upon her, she will return even from the gates of the grave." Now we know that Jesus could have healed her simply by His word, but He chose rather to do it the way Jairus suggested and went with him toward his home. As He goes toward the home of Jairus, the multitudes crown around Him. Some where along the way a woman who has been ill with a hemorrhage for 12 years and had spent all that she had on doctors to no avail.
Looking back over the life of Christ that we have studied so far, we have seen many ways in which the power of Christ was requested. Some wanted the "power of His Word, others, like Jairus, wanted the power of His touch. Here is an unusual one. Here is an attempt to steal it. Now one thing is common in all of these requests, and that is faith. This woman believed that if she could just touch His garment, that she would be healed. She had been to the best physicians of her day and they could not heal her, yet she believed that Jesus could. She sought to be healed without fanfare and without troubling one who was so busy and her faith was equal to the miracle she sought.
Verse 29 says, "And immediately, the hemorrhage ceased and she felt in her body that she was healed." Somehow, Christ knew that power had gone from Him. He never did anything for any one else that it didn't cost Him something. Isn't it amazing, being bumped and shoved around in a crowd as He must have been, He could tell that He had been touched by someone of great faith. Obviously, many had touched Him that day and received no blessing, the difference of course was faith.
Now the Disciples were a little disturbed when Jesus asked who it was that had touched Him. To them, elbowing their way through a crowd, it seemed like a rather odd question. But Jesus overlooked their ignorance and looking out over the crowd and seeing as only He could see, He set His eyes upon the woman and realizing that she had been found out, she came and kneeled before Him with fear and trembling and admits it was she. Instead of condemning her, He commends her for her faith. "Daughter, thy faith has made thee hold, go in peace and be healed." Surly we can see the place of faith in the program of Jesus Christ.
Continuing on to the home of Jairus, they are met with the news that Jairus' daughter had died. Notice the lack of faith in the power of Jesus by the servants, "Why trouble the Master (teacher) any longer, she is dead." But immediately Jesus says to Jairus, "Do not be afraid, only believe." As they approach the home of Jairus, Jesus takes Peter, James and John, and leaving the others, He goes with Jairus and his wife into the house. We see from the text how well loved the child was. Many friends and relatives were about the home weeping and wailing loudly. Jesus says to them, "Why do you weep, the child is only sleeping." This causes those who were mourning to become irritated and they assure Jesus that the child was dead.
Observing no faith in those who mourned, He put them out allowing only the father and mother and the three Disciples to remain. Then by the power of His word, He commanded the child to arise. Taking her by the hand, He said, "Tal'itha Co'mi", and recorded here in the dialect that Christ spoke, meaning, "Damsel, or little girl, I say to you, arise." And immediately, the child got up and walked.
Now those who saw it happen and those at the house who must have seen the girl shortly after it happened, were amazed. Jesus strictly charged them to tell no one. Why? His time had not come. He still had much to do and miracles of this magnitude would only hasten what the Jewish leaders would ultimately do. Notice that Jesus not only took care of her immediate need, which was the breath of life, but he was also concerned about that which would sustain her. To her parents He said, give her something to eat. Christ continues to give spiritual as well as physical needs.
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