Today’s passage: Luke 8:40-56
Helpful thoughts:
- Due to this woman’s bleeding, she would have been considered unclean according to Jewish law. This explains her great desire to blend in with the crowd who had pressed in on Jesus and not make a scene in her hopes for healing.
- The Greek word translated as “made you well” in verse 48 is from the same word we translate as salvation or saved. Jesus calls her “daughter” and tells her that her faith has given her salvation. This woman appears to have been made well physically and spiritually.
- It was common for the wealthy to hire mourners for their dead in that culture. This is why it would have been so easy for the “mourners” to go from weeping to laughter in a moment.
- Jesus’ divine power was not running low after healing the woman. His batteries didn’t need to recharge to raise Jairus’ daughter. God has all power.
Questions to consider:
- Why did the Gentile crowd in verses 34-37 fear Jesus and ask Him to leave and the crowd of Jews press in on Jesus to ask Him for things? What might have caused the different responses? How many people are recorded as believing in each account?
- How could the different characteristics of these crowds have impacted Jesus’ command to the former demoniac in verse 39 to go spread the news and then to tell Jairus and his wife to tell no one what had happened?
- Given the meaning of verse 48, what was the greatest miracle in today’s reading?