LANDON GALLOWAY
According to the eighth chapter of Luke, in the bustling town of Capernaum, two individuals from vastly different walks of life find themselves united by a common desperation: the need for a miracle. Jairus, a prominent synagogue leader, and an unnamed woman, ostracized and impoverished, both fall at the feet of Jesus, seeking His divine intervention.
Jairus, an influential and likely wealthy man, enjoyed a life of status and authority as the ruler of the synagogue. In stark contrast, the woman remained anonymous, defined only by her ailment and social exclusion. She had spent all her resources on doctors, to no avail, and was prohibited from entering the synagogue due to her condition. The woman is ritually unclean, and thus, a religious outsider, while Jairus is a synagogue ruler, and thus, a religious insider.
Yet, life’s trials leveled the playing field for these two. Both found themselves at the feet of Jesus, their desperation bringing them to the same place of humility and hope. The image of the woman grasping for the hem of Jesus’ garment is a poignant symbol of faith and desperation. Luke 8:47 captures this moment: “Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet…”
Jairus, too, found himself in an uncharacteristic position of vulnerability. Luke 8:41 records, “Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house.” This act, beneath the dignity of a synagogue official, demonstrates a father’s love and desperation. The man who had it all and the woman who had lost it all found themselves in the same position.
As leaders, we have been afforded front-row view of people’s lives. And, one thing is certain, life leaves everyone in the dust at some point. The young, the old, the rich, the poor, the prayerful, the prayerless – all end up in hopeless situations, where the only option is to cry out for Jesus to have mercy and intervene.
Jairus exemplifies the role of a good father and a faithful leader, one who understands the power of Jesus’ presence. He reminds us that God rewards bold faith and that the presence of Jesus is the key ingredient in the recipe of a miracle. His actions remind us of the importance of bringing God’s presence into our churches and homes. The people we lead desperately need a leader who knows where to find Jesus and will boldly approach Him.
The number twelve weaves a thread through both stories. Jairus’ daughter, at twelve years old, was the joy of his life, now at risk of being extinguished. The woman, suffering for twelve years, had endured agony and hopelessness. Jairus had twelve years of joy; the woman had twelve years of suffering. Perhaps, the number twelve is meant to remind the reader of God’s overarching plan to reconstitute the people of God based on their relationship with Jesus. A remnant of religious insiders, such as Jairus, and a collection of ritually unclean outsiders, such as the hemorrhaging woman, are both part of God’s Kingdom.
Approaching Jesus with confidence, Jairus sought healing for his daughter. However, their journey was interrupted by the woman who, unlike Jairus, did not feel worthy to ask Jesus to come to her home or lay hands on her. Instead, she reached out in faith, believing that merely touching the hem of His garment would be enough. We must not miss the power dynamics at play in this text. Jairus is a picture of privilege, someone who takes it for granted that Jesus would interrupt His day and come to his house. The woman, on the other hand, has been beaten down by life to the extent that she doesn’t feel worthy to confront Jesus directly.
However, the woman’s touch was not just a desperate act, but an informed faith. The tassels on Jesus’ garment, or tzitzit, symbolized obedience to God’s commandments and God’s name (YHWH). The tzitzit consists of a specific set of knots and threads. Each one of these is symbolic. There were five knots, which represented the first five books of the Bible (Torah). In between these five knots were four spaces, each representing one of the consonants of God’s covenantal name, YHWH. By touching the hem, she was reaching out to the Word of God and the Name of God. That is still the recipe for a miracle- standing on God’s Word and believing in God’s name.
Malachi 4:2 prophesied, “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.” The Gospel writers would expect their readers to associate the messianic Sun of Righteousness with Jesus Himself. In other words, Jesus, embodying both the Word and the Name, walked the streets of Capernaum with healing power in His wings.
Jesus’ question, “Who touched me?,” was met with incredulity by the disciples, given the pressing crowd. Yet, Jairus, anxious and urgent, certainly would have wondered why Jesus would delay. According to Mark, the woman told the “whole story” of her long illness and immediate healing. I can imagine Jairus’ angst listening to the details of such a story. “Ok, Jesus, you healed her. Now, let’s keep it moving.” It’s hard waiting for a miracle, and it’s even harder when you have to watch someone else get a miracle while you are still waiting on yours.
Despite the angst of Jarius and the urgency of the situation, Jesus isn’t done with the woman yet. And, this part of the story is the key to the whole story…. Jesus’ response was profound: “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” This is the only recorded instance where Jesus addresses someone as “Daughter,” highlighting His compassion and recognition of her faith. In a culture that valued women primarily for their childbearing, it’s no surprise that a woman made barren from perpetual bleeding would be single. So, with no husband in the picture, where was her father? Was he deceased? Was he tired of being rendered unclean by accompanying his daughter? How sad it would be to suffer such a thing all alone. How sad it would be that Jarius’ daughter has a father to intercede on her behalf, while this woman is all alone. In a culture where the hemorrhaging woman would have likely felt abandoned and unclean, Jesus affirmed her worth and restored her dignity.
In the end, Jesus proceeded to Jairus’ house and completed the miracle, raising his daughter from the dead. One girl was raised because of her father’s faith, and one woman was healed because of the faithfulness of the Everlasting Father. Luke uses the literary technique of intercalation, which is the practice of sandwiching one story within another to invite the reader to compare, contrast, and find significance in the relationship between the stories. In this case, we see how our faith and Jesus’ faithfulness work in tandem. Whether we are privileged like Jairus or despised like the woman, whether we are prayerfully confident or struggle with doubt, whether we have people in our corner or we feel all alone in the struggle, Jesus sees us, identifies us as His children, and commits to heal and restore.
Dr. Landon Galloway has been the director of Destiny Leadership Institute (DLI) since 2011. He is responsible for devising DLI’s unique online platform that allows students to obtain formal educational training while gaining practical experience in their own local church. In addition to his role, Landon has also served as a pastor of Grace Church in Houston, TX since 2017. He earned the Bachelor of Arts in History from Mississippi State University, the Master of Divinity and the Master of Arts in Biblical Language from Oral Roberts University, and the Masters of Theology and Doctor of Philosophy from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His primary research interest is the rhetorical and literary features of the New Testament narratives, particularly Luke-Acts. Landon is happily married to Sarada, and they are the proud parents of two daughters, Vanna and Zarra.
