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
