You Are Special!

Are you hurt? Here is good news! In my recent meditation of the Scripture, I was greatly blessed reading a passage in Luke 8:40-56.

I loved Jesus calling a woman as his ‘daughter’, which I find as the one and only occasion in the gospel account. All the synoptic writers have given space to this incident which should be a great encouragement to a child of God feeling discouraged or disheartened. Similarly, in only one occasion we see Jesus mentioning a man as ’son’ which again is recorded by all the synoptic gospel writers. Both of them were sick people, the woman was haemorrhaging and the man, a paralytic. However, as a woman I am attracted to the narrative of the bleeding woman closer to my heart.

Not a Contamination!

Added to her physical issues like anaemia and exhaustion, this woman would have faced terrible spiritual and social ostracism. Bleeding made her unclean (Lev 15:19–27) and anyone who touched her or anything she had been in contact with would be considered unclean too and would have to perform certain rites to cleanse themselves. She had to live a lonely life without her family and friends. She was in debt after depleting all her resources paying to doctors. Knowing that Jesus is in town this desperate woman mustered her courage and managed to touch the cloak of Jesus in the crowd. What a contamination as per law! But it was not so for Jesus.

What an Extravagance!

Interestingly this story is sandwiched between the part where Jairus, a synagogue ruler pleaded with Jesus to heal his dying daughter and later, when the little girl died. Let us look at Jairus now.  As leader of the synagogue he was well respected. He could go up to Jesus and ensure he got his request heard by falling at his feet, touching him and begging him to heal his daughter. In contrast, this nameless woman could only approach Jesus stealthily from behind and touch the back of his clothes. Jairus’ daughter had a father to fight her corner; this poor woman had none. How moving, then, are Christ’s words to her calling her ‘Daughter’. Whereas, Jairus got his daughter resurrected later, Jesus gained a daughter earlier that day. He applauds her as a woman of faith and declared peace and healing to her. What an extravagant outpouring of grace and mercy!

What a Blessing!

Do you ever feel at a disadvantage? Does it seem as if others have more going for them: better education, wealthier backgrounds, better health, more confidence and more family and friends to support them? Are you letting such things hold you back or cause you to be jealous of others? What matters is not your status before people but your status before God. Do you need to see yourself afresh, through God’s eyes, as his much-loved child?

Who are the equivalents of the woman with a haemorrhage today? Who are the vulnerable and rejected in our society who have no one to stand up for them? Let us identify with them. Let us include them and extend our family boundary. After all we are all the children of our Lord Jesus. He calls us as “My son” and “My daughter”. What a blessing!

Inspired by:

Caroline Fletcher in WordLive, 20 June, 2019