When I first started following Jesus, I believed that I had to work up my faith to some acceptable level. The two passages we’re going to see today reveal that faith is nothing more than coming to Jesus and trusting Him with our needs.
A leader of the synagogue was desperate, and he had enough faith to believe that even though his daughter had died, Jesus would heal her.
While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live” (Matthew 9.18).
Jesus willingly responded to this man’s request, showing us that this is how He reacts when we come to Him with our needs.
And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples (Matthew 9.19).
As Jesus was on his way to help a little girl, a woman showed us another dimension of faith. She believed that if she could just touch Jesus, he would heal her.
Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak,
For she was saying to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well” (Matthew 9.20-21).
When John the Baptist said, “I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals” (Luke 3.16), he put in perspective the courage it took to reach out and touch the fringe of Jesus’ garment.
Both John the Baptist and this woman understood the significance of touching Jesus. John recognized that Jesus was so filled with glory that even the laces of his sandals were too important for him to touch.
On the other hand, the woman knew that if she could just touch him, Jesus’ power would bring healing to her life.
If you want to imitate the behavior of this woman and John, you may find yourself on the floor reaching out in worship. You can say to Jesus, “I am not worthy to touch you, but by your grace, you’re willing to touch me.”
Or, you might like the woman, bring a problem to him. Again, reach out your hand and say, “Jesus, I am reaching out to touch you for your healing power.”
You don’t have to work up some level of faith to do this. All you have to do is do it, and that demonstrates your faith.
Your experience may be like that of the woman, and you will feel and sense Jesus say to you words similar to what he said to her.
Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that moment (Matthew 9.22).
After the brief encounter with the woman, it was now time for Jesus to enter the leader’s house. Notice how He dealt with the grief of her family and friends.
When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him.
But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.
And the report of this spread through all of that district (Matthew 9.23-26).
There are instances throughout the Old and New Testaments where God raised people from the dead. They were rare, but they were accomplished to prove a point.
A couple of thoughts come to mind about God’s love that raises people from the dead.
When Jesus raised people from the dead we learn that He has the power over life and death.
Very few people have been raised from the dead, but we all who believe in Christ will be raised, as the Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians.
(1) Paul summarizes the truth that when we walk with the Lord and leave this earth, He takes us by the hand, gives us a body suitable for heaven, and allows us to enjoy life with Him forever.
For we know that, if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (2 Corinthians 5.1).
(2) The transforming power of the Holy Spirit in human life is God’s down payment, telling us that the best is yet to come.
The one who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a down payment (2 Corinthians 5.5).
(3) There may be many things about our heavenly existence that we don’t understand. However, there is one thing that is clear: to be absent from this body is, by His grace, to be present with the Lord.
So we are always confident, even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord – for we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5.6-7).
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 