Courageous Faith Brings Healing - Matthew 9:18-26

 Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman

18 While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” 

Like many people who experienced Jesus' healing power, this man had faith that Jesus could do anything.  He was a synagogue leader, or an elder.  Luke and Mark add two helpful details that the rulers name was Jairus, and his daughter was 12 years old. Mark and Luke say she is at the point of death or "dying".  

19 Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

At once Jesus responded to the man.  And his disciples followed. Mark adds that the crowds followed as well, spurred on by the other miracles he had done. 

20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 

Because of her bleeding condition, this woman was considered being unclean by Levitical law. One can see why the woman came so hesitantly up behind Jesus.  Yet, she was desperate having dealt with this debilitating disease for 12 long years.  She would have never thought about touching Jesus physically, so touching the hem of his garment seemed like the safe thing to do and least offensive. 

21 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

We see the great faith of the woman to think that even if she only touched the hem of his garment she would be healed.  

"Touched the hem of his garment - This garment was probably the square garment which was thrown over the shoulders. See notes at Matthew 5:40. This was surrounded by a border or "fringe;" and this "fringe," or the loose threads hanging down, is what is meant by the "hem." The Jews were commanded to wear this, in order to distinguish them from other nations. See Numbers 15:38-39; Deuteronomy 22:12." (Barnes)

22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

Jesus turns and sees the woman.  Note he recognized her and more importantly recognizes her faith.  Jesus sees us as people and our deepest needs and sees our trust in him.  Jesus merely says the word and she is healed.  

"Be of good comfort.—The same word of tenderness is spoken to her as had been spoken to the paralytic. What each needed, she the most of the two, was the courage, the enthusiasm of faith."

Though Jesus was on his way to an important religious persons' house, he was okay with being "interrupted"!  He had time for this woman who had been suffering for so long.  

23 When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, 

"These were probably paid mourners, who in the custom of the day offered an ostentatious display of mourning for a price, and not out of sincere sorrow. When we notice how quickly they moved from wailing to ridiculing Jesus, it showed their lack of sincerity." (Guzik)

The other gospels add that her mother and father, and Peter, James and John go in with Jesus. These were the five allowed to witness this miracle. 

"It was important that there should be "witnesses" of the miracle, and he chose a sufficient number. "Five" witnesses were enough to establish the fact. The witnesses were impartial." (Barnes)

24 he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. 

At first this seems like a contradiction. Was she really dead or just sleeping?  Here is a helpful explanation for this play on Jesus' words. 

"Every possible evidence of her death had been given, and he acted on that himself, and conveyed to the people the idea that he raised her "from the dead." He meant to speak in opposition to their opinions. It is not unlikely that Jairus and the people favored the opinions of the Sadducees, and that "they" understood by her being dead that she had "ceased to be," and that she would never be raised up again. In opposition to this, the Saviour used the expression "she sleepeth;" affirming mildly both that the "body" was dead, and "implying" that "her spirit" still lived, and that she would be raised up again. A similar mode of speaking occurs in John 11:11 "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth." The sacred writers often spoke of the pious dead as "sleeping," 2 Peter 3:4; Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 15:6, 1 Corinthians 15:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15. The meaning of this passage, then, is, the maid has not ceased to "exist;" but, though her body is dead, yet her spirit lives, and she sleeps in the hope of the resurrection." (Barnes)

Their laughing at him reminds us of the soldiers, who laughed and mocked Jesus on the cross.  Though Jesus endured this ridicule and scorn, in this situation, and in the resurrection Jesus got the last laugh. People today laugh at Jesus' power, but they cannot laugh at a changed life and the miracle of spiritual rebirth of each person who trusts in Him for salvation. 

25 After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 

Given the rudeness and insenstivity of the crowd, it makes sense that they were put outside. Jesus took the girl (12 years old) by the hand, and she got up as she was awakened from sleep.  This was also what the father (Jairus) had asked in verse 18.  Jesus did the miracle exactly as the father had requested.  

Mark and Luke tell us that when she got up, they gave her something to eat, and Jesus commanded the five not to tell anyone what had happened.

If I were Jesus I would have wanted to open the door and vindicate myself to all of the naysayer's by saying, "Look she's alive!  I guess the jokes on you!"

But Jesus, always the one to show restraint, was more interested in the parents and the girl than his own headlines. 

26 News of this spread through all that region.

Despite Jesus' desire to keep this miracle "under wraps" the news of this miraculous healing spread throughout the region.  This also authenticates the miracle.  After all, if she really wasn't dead and Jesus did not really bring her back to life, he would have been immediately dismissed as a fraud.  Once again we have historical evidence of Jesus' divine nature recorded in all three gospels.  Interestingly John is the only gospel writer who records a similar story with Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha. Lazarus was Jesus' friend that he also raised from the dead.  In that story as well Jesus says that Lazarus was only "asleep"!  

Jesus does two miracles today for two people who were very different but had one thing in common ... faith.  They both had to overcome obstacles to approach Jesus.  The synagogue ruler risked associating himself with Jesus, who was becoming increasingly unpopular.  We can see the crowds disdain when he arrives at the scene and they laugh at him. 

The woman who was subject to bleeding also took a huge risk.  For a bleeding woman to approach a rabbi was courageous at the very least.  She was considered ritually unclean and an outcast, she had one last hope.  It was Jesus. 

What would you do to reach out and trust Jesus for a miracle in your life?  Would Jesus recognize your faith? What might others think if you were so bold to suggest if you just touched Jesus or he came to your house, you woudl be healed?  What might such boldness do to reach others for Christ?