Alot can happen in 12 years.
If you were going through a hard time for 12 years, where would your faith be? Would it be super strong or barely there?
I am in the midst of a difficulty, and I struggle some days. It has been 10 weeks. If I have trouble in less than 12 weeks, I can’t imagine where I would be after 12 years.
In the chapter of Luke in the NKJV version of the Bible, there is a subheading entitled “A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed”. I wondered why they put two miracles together. I think it is the stark comparison in the levels of faith over 12 years.
One woman had so much faith that she knew if she could just touch the clothing of Jesus, she would be healed from 12 years of bleeding. Despite the crowds, she touched the robes of Jesus. She was healed immediately. Jesus felt healing power leave him and asked who touched him. Jesus was surrounded by a huge crowd of people, also probably bumping into Him. She nervously admitted touching His robe. “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” (Luke 8:48)
The Ruler of the synagogue had a daughter, who was 12 years old and dying. Someone from his house said not to trouble Jesus, because the girl died. Jesus had to tell them to have faith. “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed.” (Luke 8:50) Jesus went to the house to visit the dead girl. Jesus went into the girl’s room with three of His apostles, Peter, James and John and the girl’s parents. He touched the girl’s hand, told here to rise, and she was alive. Meanwhile, the others in the house ridiculed Jesus. They didn’t have faith or believe, while Jesus brought the girl back to life.
One woman was suffering for 12 years and had so much faith in Jesus, that she believed touching the hem of Jesus’s robe would heal her.
One family was a prominent religious family, who raised a daughter for 12 years. They should have had faith, yet they didn’t think Jesus could bring their daughter back to life. Family members didn’t have faith, and went so far as to mock Jesus, thinking He could not bring the girl back to life.
The woman didn’t want to bother Jesus, because she believed touching the hem of his robe would heal her.
The family said not to bother Jesus, because the girl had died and believed that was the end.
Where is your heart? God knows your heart. People can go to church and even be a leader in the church and not truly have a heart for Jesus. Meanwhile, the person that seems least likely to be blessed by Jesus, has a heart bursting with faith and hope.
Both instances of faith can be true in my life. Some days, I am like the woman, believing God is going to change everything for the better. I walk around singing Forest Frank’s song, ‘I am so happy I’m alive today’. Other days, I am the sad person sulking around, thinking God has forgotten about me.
Where is your heart today?
Jesus Heals in Response to Faith
On the other side of the lake the crowds welcomed Jesus, because they had been waiting for him. Then a man named Jairus, a leader of the local synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come home with him. His only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying.
As Jesus went with him, he was surrounded by the crowds. A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.
“Who touched me?” Jesus asked.
Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.”
But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
While he was still speaking to her, a messenger arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. He told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”
But when Jesus heard what had happened, he said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed.”
When they arrived at the house, Jesus wouldn’t let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, James, and the little girl’s father and mother. The house was filled with people weeping and wailing, but he said, “Stop the weeping! She isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.”
But the crowd laughed at him because they all knew she had died. Then Jesus took her by the hand and said in a loud voice, “My child, get up!” And at that moment her life returned, and she immediately stood up! Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were overwhelmed, but Jesus insisted that they not tell anyone what had happened.
—Luke 8:40-56 (NLT)
