Luke 8:42b-48
As he went, the crowds pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. Then Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and press in on you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me.” When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
Jesus, apparently, is astounded by her courage as well.
There’s a nearly comic element in this larger scene of desperate need and hope. For as soon as the woman touches Jesus she is healed…and he notices that something has happened. So he asks who touched him. And what’s funny is imagining the disciples’ reaction. Peter, as is often the case, speaks for the whole: “Come on, Lord!” (Okay, so I’m paraphrasing.) “You’ve got to be kidding. Tons of people have touched you.”
But Jesus persists, and the woman knows she’s been found out. Which invites a second moment of great courage. Many of us would have just slipped back into the crowd, mortified that we’d been caught, hoping to slip away with only a minimum of cost. But she confesses. She names her deed. She identifies herself. Makes herself vulnerable by declaring what has happened to her and, thereby, naming her need.
And Jesus names these actions faithful.
More than that, he calls her daughter, bringing her back into the community and inviting those around her to do the same.
Sometimes faith is like that. Faith isn’t only believing something will happen, but also taking action and, when it we experience grace, daring to speak about it. When we do – whenever we do – we make ourselves vulnerable by identifying ourselves, declaring what has happened, and in this way naming our need.
But when we do so, we are also drawn more deeply into the community and family of faith and hear Jesus name us once again as the daughters and sons of God.
Prayer: Dear God, give us the courage to ask, thank, and tell whenever we need and experience your blessings. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
I am a Presbyterian (USA) pastor in Shawnee, Oklahoma. I greatly appreciate your blog, and I turn weekly to Working Preacher for help and insight for my preaching and pastoring. I was wondering if you were planning on speaking to the deadly tornadoes that have struck Oklahoma this week. It has been a hard week, to say the least, and hearing words of comfort and unity from other pastors is most appreciated. I also blog and wrote a blog about the storms. The blog address is listed above. Thank you for your thoughtful and heartfelt encouragement for the working preacher.