マタイによる福音書9:18-26 Matthew 9:18-26,

We human beings are born into this world, grow up and become big, then grow old and eventually die. However, some people die as children before they grow up. How sad it must be for their fathers and mothers if they die as children. It would probably be more painful than their own death.

There was a Jewish ruler in Galilee where Jesus was doing the work of the Saviour. He was a man whose job, according to another passage of the Bible, was to be a ruler of the synagogue. A synagogue is a place where people hear God’s words and offer prayers. He was the leader of the congregation of the synagogue. The ruler of the synagogue came to Jesus, bowed down and made a request: “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” His daughter was 12 years old, according to another passage of the Bible. But she died because of a serious illness. The ruler was very sad. But he was not only sad. He believed that if he asked Jesus, Jesus would bring her back to life. Jesus could see that the ruler really believed in him. So he went to the ruler’s house where his dead daughter was.

On his way, Jesus saw a woman. The woman had been suffering for 12 years from a disease that caused her womb, the place in the body where babies are born, to bleed and not stop. In New Testament times, women who were bleeding from their wombs were not allowed into the fellowship of the people as unclean. Moreover, the woman had seen many doctors and spent all her wealth for treatment. Sick, lonely and poor, this woman was in deep sorrow. She did not dare to approach Jesus from the front and say, “Please save me.” So she approached Jesus from behind and touched the fringe on the corner of his clothes. She believed that if she touched even Jesus’ clothes, she would be healed. Then Jesus’ love and power worked on the woman and the blood stopped and she was healed. What a wonder! The woman had pure faith in Jesus. Through her faith, Jesus’ love and power worked miracles. Jesus said to the woman, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” The words “your faith has made you well” show that it is very important to believe in Jesus single-mindedly.

After all that happened on the way, Jesus arrived at the house of the ruler where his dead daughter was. There was already a lot of noise, with people playing flutes playing songs of sorrow and a large crowd gathered there. They were probably preparing for the funeral. But Jesus said to them, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” The people laughed at Jesus, saying, “What nonsense are you talking when she is already dead!” But when Jesus went to the girl and took her by the hand, the dead girl arose. How amazing! So was it a mistake to say that she was dead, and this girl was just sleeping? No, she really did die once. But in the eyes of Jesus, the Lord of Life, she was asleep. Jesus, the Lord of Life, is the one who has the power to give life to the dead and bring them back to life.