Daughter.

Have you ever just cried through an entire session of Bible Study?  I did.  Yesterday, in fact, and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why.  I just listened and breathed in the truth of the Word, and tears just flowed down my cheeks.  I whispered in my soul, “Ok, Father.  I feel this.  I don’t know why or what I am feeling, but I feel it.  And I want you to teach me what is going on here.”

All day, that story stuck with me.  Consuming my thoughts, and ever present there.  What story, you might ask?  Here.  Let me share: 

Luke 8: 40-48

⁴⁰ Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.⁴¹ And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus' feet, he implored him to come to his house, ⁴² for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. ⁴³ And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. ⁴⁴ She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.⁴⁵ And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” ⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” ⁴⁷ And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. ⁴⁸ And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

Disclaimer:  I’m so totally not a biblical scholar.  Not even close.  But I do love Jesus and I know that the Word is living and active.  And this story, yall.  He is definitely using this part of his Word to tell me something.  I mean, just thinking about this story, I was crying.  Like 8 hours after Bible study.  So, let’s explore together.

A few givens, that I feel the need to explain from the beginning – so that you will know where I am coming from:

•   Jesus is both fully God and fully man. (John 1:14, Romans 8:3, Colossians 2:9, 1 Timothy 3:16, Philippians 2:5-8)
•  Jesus is omniscient.  He can not be taken by surprise.  (Psalm 139, Matthew 11:27, Romans 11:33-34, 1 Chronicles 28:9, Acts 5:1-10, Jeremiah 16:17, Isaiah 46:10) 
• Anytime Jesus gives people the opportunity to explain something that He already knew, it was a for a specific purpose.  And it should not be overlooked or taken lightly.

So, back to the story.  There are a few things that stick out to me to explore together:  the woman, the crowd, the action, and the revelation

The Woman:  This lady had an issue of blood.  She had been bleeding for like 12 years straight.  Can you even imagine? And let’s not forget this little important tidbit.  That would have made her unclean in the culture of her day, and she would have been confined outside the city.  Like she shouldn’t even be around the others.  But, this poor lady had tried everything.  Every doctor.  Every cure.  She spent her living on physicians to no avail.  She had nowhere else to turn.  Desperate.  Alone.  She decided step up and do the one thing that offered any hope.  Bring her faith to life.  Stop just believing and actually do something – reach out and touch Jesus.  The one her soul knew held the power to heal her.  The one her soul knew – and the one who knew her soul. 

This chickadee didn’t sit outside the camp, just chilling and praying and waiting.  She got her booty up and went out to meet Jesus.  She put her faith in action and her feet to the ground and did what she needed to do to get to the only ONE that could heal her.  BUT... she didn’t want to make a show out of it.  Why?  I mean, I guess there are so many details that we won’t ever truly understand here.  But, I think I see a little of me in her.  Not wanting to be made a big deal of – not wanting to be in the spotlight – just wanting to kind of slide under the radar.  Shame? Maybe.  Guilt? Maybe.  Fear? Maybe. Low self esteem? Maybe. 

The Crowd:  Let’s not overlook that there is a crowd of people here.  Like for real.  And they are pressing in on Jesus.  Even Peter says it when he responds to Jesus, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!”  These people were all up on Jesus.  Probably touching him, bumping into him.  He was surrounded by people and being touched by the crowd.  They were all over him.  It’s so funny to me how we all love our personal space, until somebody famous comes around.  Then we’re ok being shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of people – and even with the celebrity too.  Wonder if it was like you see on tv – those hundreds of teenage girls at a One Direction concert.  Falling all over each other and the singers, if given the chance. 

The Action:  Sweet, miserable, precious lady reaches out and grabs a corner of Jesus garment.  She didn’t even have to touch him.  Just the edge of his garment – if she could just touch something  connected to him, even that would be sufficient.  It is interesting here, that the scripture shows no evidence of her grabbing his garment and pulling it off (That would likely be the case in the One Direction scenario above.  Ha!).  Rather, this whole act seems to go unnoticed to everyone except the woman and Jesus.    And, the moment she touched his garment, she was healed.  That very instant.  No magic words, no formula of rules or steps she had to follow.  Just reaching out and touching the edge of his garment was all it took. 

The Revelation: Notice, this story names Jairus, but her name is never mentioned.  Wonder why?  Maybe she didn’t feel she was important enough to be recognized by name.  Am I the only one who is like that?  Thinking that I’m not important enough or special enough to be recognized, or to even state my name or for people to remember who I am.  Good gravy, ladies, (myself included) we have got to GRAB HOLD of our WORTH!  Here is the most interesting and perplexing part to me – Jesus didn’t just let this woman and her healing go unnoticed.  This woman couldn’t just ease away and continue in anonymity.  He gave her the opportunity to present herself to the crowd.  He wanted everyone to see his daughter.  The one he loves and delights in.  The one he healed and made whole. 

Jesus knew her.  He knew she was there and he knew she had touched Him.  He knew the power went out from Him because He chose to allow it.  There were no surprises here, and he could have definitely continued down the path to Jairus’s house without stopping to acknowledge this.  But, Jesus.  He LOVES us.  We are really cherished by him.  Notice, in verse 48 he says, “Daughter.”  Daughter.  Loved.  Adored.  Precious one.  Almost as if He is calling her out of the shadows and into the light.  Not to be embarrassed, but to be introduced as the precious one he knows and loves. “Daughter, your faith has made you well.” 

And it’s as if I can hear him whispering to me.  I love you.  My daughter.  You are chosen and special and I take great delight in you.  Not a compliment to be dismissed – as I so often do.  (Let’s be honest here.  E.v.e.r.y.t.i.m.e. I receive a compliment, I dismiss it – either out loud, or in my mind.)  But one to be relished and savored.  One to delight in.  That my Father loves me and takes great delight in me.  He loves me enough to call me out of the shadows and introduce me as his beloved.  He doesn’t desire a life on anonymity, but rather wants me to embrace life as his daughter.  Favored.  Chosen.  Adopted.  Desired.  Known.  Loved.  Cherished.  Special.