Today’s Gospel is Matthew 9:18-26
The Healing Touch of Jesus
(Mark 5:21–43; Luke 8:40–56)
18While Jesus was saying these things, a synagogue leader came and knelt before Him. “My daughter has just died,” he said. “But come and place Your hand on her, and she will live.”
19So Jesus got up and went with him, along with His disciples. 20Suddenly a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak. 21She said to herself, “If only I touch His cloak, I will be healed.”
22Jesus turned and saw her. “Take courage, daughter,” He said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was cured from that very hour.
23When Jesus entered the house of the synagogue leader, He saw the flute players and the noisy crowd. 24“Go away,” He told them. “The girl is not dead, but asleep.” And they laughed at Him.
25After the crowd had been put outside, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26And the news about this spread throughout that region.
I recently preached on the Mark 5 version of this healing and highlighted that though the women just wanted to touch Jesus cloak, and felt unworthy to actually interact with him, Jesus made it personal. When we read our bible and say our little prayer and think that “just touching” Jesus will be enough – he responds and makes it personal. (In the Mark version he actively sought her out).
We all have deep-seated longstanding needs and unresolved issues in our lives. Today Jesus says – “Take courage, faith has healed you.” But the lesson here is that her faith led her to act. She ignored the cultural taboos around touching a Rabbi, she took the risk and reached out to Jesus though others stood in her way and were a barrier. Maybe like the little girl today you feel written off by everyone as unworthy or ill equipped or unworthy. But Jesus wants to take your hand and raise you up.
For prayer and Meditation.
What issues do you have that are unresolved in your life? what things are you feeling unworthy about – reach out to Jesus, the memory may be painful, you may be hiding from it, but seek touch from Jesus and receive the healing. Take courage.
Your faith, though the events of your life (especially the last 18 months) may have made you cynical and doubtful, though your worship life has been disrupted and the Church is not as you knew it or expected it to be! It is not dead. Your faith Just needs a fresh touch of Jesus. The religious, churchgoer in you needs a touch of Jesus to strengthen your faith. At this time when the Church building and corporate worship is not available, you have an opportunity to reorder your life and centre it in Jesus and not on your Custom (she was healed at home, not at the Synagogue).
let us pray:
Father God your Son Jesus Christ is our personal saviour and we call on His name today to revive each one of us and give us the courage to walk by faith.
We know that the revival of our Church begins with the Revival of ourselves. As we sit at home, distanced from each other and our Church buildings, restore our faith and fill us with the courage to serve you.
Amen.
