Healed and Restored

Luke gives us here two stories of Jesus healing and restoring - one sandwiched between the beginning and the resolution of the other. Jesus departs for the house of Jairus, a leader of the synagogue, to heal his ailing daughter. He is interrupted, however, as a woman with a bleeding disorder reaches out in the crowd to touch him. While her touch seems to almost be superstitious in nature, desiring to simply touch the hem of his garment, receive a blessing, and disappear into the anonymity of the crowd, Jesus has other plans. He draw this woman out into the open. In this way, he takes the opportunity to teach her that it was not the aura of a magic touch that healed her, but rather, she was saved by faith. Considering the public and social implications of her ailment, it is also likely that Jesus is doing this woman a great kindness by also making sure that her cure is widely known as well.

In the meantime, Jairus' daughter has died. Ignoring the suggestion of some that he no longer need proceed to the house, Jesus insists to Jairus that (like the woman with the bleeding issue) he too only need believe. Upon arriving at the house, Jesus instructs the professional mourners to cease their wailing because the girl has only fallen asleep. (The laughter of the mourners in response seems to indicate that this display of grief was more customary than personal.) Jesus then demonstrates that under his authority, death is just assailable as sleep and raised the girl to life. While previously he took what was intended to be a hushed, secret act and draws it into the open, here he takes what could have been a public spectacle and instead tells the parents to tell no one (possibly meaning to send the crowds away) and get the girl something to eat. Just like the situation with the woman, this is an example of Jesus being mindful and attentive to the good and the practical needs of the person he's ministering to.