LUKE 8:40-56 A MIRACLE ON THE WAY TO PERFORM A MIRACLE

A MIRACLE ON THE WAY

TO PERFORM A MIRACLE

LUKE 8:40-56

Luke 8:40 And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.

Susie: Jesus and the disciples returned to Capernaum on the opposite shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had performed many miracles in that city, including delivering a man from a demon in their synagogue (Luke 4:33-37). Since He was famous in the area, a huge crowd of people were waiting for His return.

Luke 8:41-42 And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house: For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.

Susie: Since he was a ruler of the Synagogue who had the duties of preparing things for the Sabbath service and choosing those who would read the scriptures, Jairus had probably been there the day Jesus delivered the man from the demon.

Susan: Jairus’s one and only, precious treasure, his twelve-year-old daughter lay at home at death’s door. Jairus took a position of humility at the feet of Jesus, and entreated Him to come to his house to heal his daughter.

Susie: However, Jairus was not the only person in need of a miracle that day. The crowd jostled him and Jesus as they made their way back to his house.

Luke 8:43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,

Susan: None of the doctors this woman had seen gave her any help or any hope, and both she and her money were completely spent.

Susie: Because of her issue of blood, this woman would have been considered “unclean” meaning she could not go to the synagogue or really participate in society at all.

Leviticus 15:25 And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean.

Luke 8:44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

Luke 8:44 (CJB) came up behind him and touched the tzitzit on his robe; instantly her hemorrhaging stopped.

Malachi 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Susie: Malachi 4:2 always puzzled me when I was newer to reading the Bible. I knew it was a prophecy concerning the Messiah; but as far as I knew, Jesus did not have wings. Recently, in reading the account of the woman healed by touching the hem of Jesus’s garment in the Complete Jewish Study Bible, the lightbulb finally came on! You may have noticed the Hebrew word ‘tzitzit” in the Complete Jewish Bible translation of Luke 8:44 above. This word referred to the fringe on the edge of a garment to remind the Jewish people to obey God (Numbers 15:38-40, Deuteronomy 22:12). What the note in the CJB translation pointed out was that this fringe was also referred to as “the wings” of the garment. Since the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years probably knew the prophecy of Malachi 4:2, it would make sense for her to reach out to touch Jesus’s “wings”. By doing so, she was demonstrating faith that Jesus was, indeed, the Messiah of God who had “healing in His wings.”

Luke 8:45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

Susan: Jesus was not referring to just any touch but a touch with faith within it, a touch with a purpose. Someone had intentionally touched Him, rather than just bumping into Him in the crowd.

Luke 8:46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

Susie: Jesus, being omniscient, certainly knew who had touched Him and why. Perhaps He was giving her an opportunity to publicly glorify God for her healing. Or it could be that her healing needed to be made public in order for her to be officially declared “clean” and be able to participate fully in society.

Luke 8:47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.

Susan: The woman was bound to be weary after having this illness for so long. She was probably used to being ostracized due to her uncleanness and felt completely worthless and unworthy, devoid of value.

Susie: That would account for her trembling timidity to be made known publicly and to address the One she believed to be the Son of God directly! She fell at His feet and declared to all how she had bled for twelve years but had been completely healed when she touched the fringe of Jesus’s garment.

Luke 8:48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

Susie: This was the only time recorded in Scripture of Jesus using the tender term of endearment “daughter” to address a woman. And she was His daughter. Through placing her faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, she was adopted into the family of God.

Ephesians 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Susan: The trust that the woman placed in Jesus to heal her had brought about her healing which gave her freedom once again. Jesus told her she could go in peace. Jesus had made her completely whole and wholeness always brings peace. The Hebrew word for peace, Shalom, has the connotation of “nothing missing, nothing broken.”

Luke 8:49 While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.

Susie: The rejoicing over the woman’s healing was cut short by the bearer of bad news. A man approached Jairus and told him not to bother Jesus anymore because his little girl had died.

Luke 8:50 But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.

Susan: Jesus, standing near Jairus, heard the report of the messenger. He matter-of-factly instructed Jairus not to be afraid but to have faith in Him, and he and his family would have the miracle he sought.

Luke 8:51 And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.

Susan: Jesus only allowed His inner circle and the girl’s parents to be present to see the miracle He was about to perform.

Susie: Peter, James, and John were privileged to witness this miracle, accompany Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, and to stay closest to Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. They were definitely His closest earthly friends.

Susan: Those three were much closer than even His biological half-brothers. They enjoyed a close kinship with Him through the Holy Spirit.

Susie: The mourners and the skeptics were left outside.

Luke 8:52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.

Susie: There may have been “professional mourners” as well as grieving family and friends as that was customary in that time and place. However, Jesus told them all to stop crying and carrying on, saying the girl was merely sleeping. Jesus was not denying the fact that the girl was dead, but He knew His plan to awaken her from death.

Susan: My question is, “Who on earth aspires to be a professional mourner?!”

Susie: I really don’t know, but I’ve read in multiple places that these people existed. I guess they were the type we would label “drama queens.”

Luke 8:53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.

Susan: They doubted the veracity of His words and their mourning turned to derision as they mocked Him for thinking the child was only sleeping when they knew for a fact that she was dead.

Luke 8:54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.

Susie: Jesus sent all but the parents and the three disciples out of the room.

Susan: He sent the mourners away and kept only those who believed with Him. Then He took the little girl by the hand and told her to get up. His words returned the breath of life back into her body.

Luke 8:55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.

Susan: Immediately, she had the strength to rise from her bed, come to the table, and receive nourishment.

Luke 8:56 And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.

Susie: Even though Jairus had demonstrated enough faith to seek Jesus out to heal his daughter, he was still flabbergasted to see her rise from death!

Susan: Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about the miracle, but everyone would soon know anyway because the mourners had seen with their own eyes that she was dead and now she lived again. Jesus’s popularity was already at a fever pitch and needed no boost. He may have asked them not to make any immediate announcement so that the people would not try to crown Him king. He may have also been protecting the little girl and her family from the crowd as well.

Susie: Jesus, unlike the Pharisees, was not ostentatious. He did not purposely draw attention to Himself but rather glorified the Father. Making a big, public fanfare about this miracle would have drawn the attention of those Scribes and Pharisees who opposed Him, and it was not yet time for Him to be arrested and condemned to the cross.

Philippians 2:6-7 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.

Ponder this and Apply it: Both Jairus and the unnamed woman with the issue of blood demonstrated faith in Jesus. They each placed their need before Him believing He could meet that need. Jesus can and does still grant healing. However, sometimes we do not see a miracle immediately or ever in this life. However, the greater reward of our faith is knowing that Jesus is real and present and that, ultimately, all who place their faith in Him will be completely restored to health when we live with Him forever. We say incorrectly that a person was not healed because their body dies here on earth. If that person was a believer, the minute the spirit left their earth-suit, they were made completely whole in the presence of their loving Lord.