As some of you might know from previous blogs, I am going through the book of Matthew reading and studying a section every day. Last week I read the section in chapter 9 called ‘A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed’, a pretty typical healing passage that I started off reading saying ‘Alright, this one will be pretty straightforward, right?’ But God had so many deep and wonderful things to share with me from this story!
The passage starts off in verse 18 saying that “a ruler came in and knelt before him,” This person of local power doesn’t barge in, demanding to see Jesus. He doesn’t try to bribe Jesus or exert power. This man simply kneels and states that Jesus can raise his daughter from the dead. I think it is a wonderful example that what God wants is faithful, humble obedience and not anything else the world tells us we have to offer.
And then this man’s story kind of takes a break. While Jesus is traveling to the ruler’s house a woman with a discharge of blood for twelve years sneaks up and touches Jesus’s robe, believing a touch will heal her. I always thought reading this story that this woman had the right idea but lacked confidence or boldness to approach Jesus outright. However, reading through it, God took me to Leviticus 15:25-30, a section of the Law that states specifically how the Isrealites were supposed to treat a person with a discharge of blood.
Honestly, it sounds pretty harsh. It says that “…all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness… she shall be unclean.” Everything that she sits or lies on is considered unclean, and everyone who touches these things or her is unclean until they are washed. She is unable to enter the temple, unable to truly live because of her discharge. So, her sneaking up on Jesus is making a lot of sense.
She was sure that he would refuse to heal her, lest he be made unclean as well. This woman felt dirty, unworthy, and I know that, although we don’t follow these laws, many of us have felt the same way. The courage it must have taken to touch this man, that I’m sure she knew was sent by God himself, is absolutely mindboggling. And you know what, when Jesus caught her in the act he didn’t tell or get mad. He simply said “Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well.” How powerful to hear that after twelve years of being told she was unclean, unworthy of entering God’s temple. This is what Jesus tells all of us! Because of what Jesus did for us, we don’t have to sneak up on him and worry about His holy reaction to our sin, because his righteousness just covers us and makes us clean! It says the woman was instantly made well! You are cleaned and redeemed! Not only can you enter God’s presence, but you are his holy temple! What life changing news!
And this story is not even done! Jesus enters the ruler’s house to a large commotion of mourners, and he just straight out tells them to leave, because the “‘girl is not dead but sleeping.’ And they (the mourners) laughed at him.” It’s easy to say, ‘How dare they laugh at Jesus, like how stupid! Don’t you know who that is?’, but I think, more often than we would like to admit, we look a lot more like the mourners than the ruler.
Now this isn’t to say that it is God’s plan to raise everyone from the dead or heal every sickness while we are still here on earth, but do we ever even bother to ask for the impossible or even the improbable, or do we just laugh? Because if we don’t ask out of faith, then yes He probably won’t show up in amazing ways. The ruler invited Jesus into the situation instead of just accepting the earthly situation as inevitable, irredeemable, or hopeless. If we try to box God’s power or influence in, we rob ourselves of all of the gifts and miracles He has for us. People raising from the dead, getting healed, souls being restored and transformed, impossible tasks and situations’ resulting in the glory of God, this happens. I’ve seen it and shared my stories. But it isn’t just for the missionaries, for the pastors, but for every single one of God’s redeemed people. American Christians need to stop laughing and start inviting and joining God in the work of His Kingdom. He has given us gifts of prophecy, healing, encouragement, and so much more, and it is His desire to pour them out on us when we ask!
