And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

                                                                                                Luke 8:48 

But when Jesus heard this, He answered him, “Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well.”

                                                                                                            Luke 8:50 

Today: Read Luke 8

A woman suffering with what is described as a hemorrhage was desperate. The doctors had done everything they could yet the prognosis was not good. This had gone on for twelve years and borrowing a miracle, she was to live out her days in this condition. A miracle was what she needed and Jesus was the One who would deliver. She knew in her heart that if she could only touch the fringe of Jesus’ garment, she would be healed. So she set out determined to find a way to see the Savior.

As Jesus moved about, the crowds grew large. It was difficult to secure the attention of Christ given all of the needs being presented to Him and the interest that surrounded His presence. Yet this woman found a way. She pushed her way through the crowd driven by two things, an intense desire to be healed and an unshakable faith in the One who could grant such a healing. As she touches Jesus’ garment, He immediately knows that power has left Him. I find this an interesting occurrence given the fact that we often think of Jesus purposely supplying someone with power by His own gifting. In this instance, we see His healing power flowing into this woman’s life without any conversation or request. Her healing happened in an instance but she was not able to secure this curing without the notice of Christ. No doubt elated at her new physical state, she fell in front of Jesus fearful of what night happen next. But Jesus does not scold her rather he declares some of the most loving words any of us could hear, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” Healed of any infirmity, she moves out into life, whole and no doubt full of praise for Christ’s generosity.

A man with a daughter is equally desperate. She is only twelve and is on her deathbed. Her passing would mean that her life would end before it ever gets started. He knows in whom he should seek. Jesus is in the area and he moves out, determined to stand in the gap for his daughter. Again the crowds are so massive that it is difficult to get to the Savior. As he nears Jesus he gets word from home. It is too late. His daughter has already died. His worst fears have come true. The advice for this heartbroken father is, “she’s gone, no need to bother Jesus anymore.” But Jesus overheard and is now ready to step in and bring help to this helpless situation. He is prepared to bring hope to a hopeless circumstance. When hearing of the child’s passing, Jesus simply says, “Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well.” How many times in scripture do we see Jesus instructing us to abandon fear? The girl will live but the instruction to the father was, “only believe.” “To believe” is the equivalent of having faith.

As Jesus enters the house of the deceased girl, He is met with obvious unbelief. He announces that she is not dead, only sleeping. This unbelief came in the form of laughter. That’s right, they were laughing at Jesus for suggesting that life, hope, and restoration were still available. But a simple command of “child arise” was all it took to change this depressing scene into a cause for celebration.

Do we understand the significance of Jesus’ declarations of healing and life coming on the heels of faith? Compare these two announcements with those of the paralytic and the immoral woman. It is not difficult to see the similarities:

Seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” (Luke 5:20)

“Your sins have been forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:48, 50)

“Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” (Luke 8:48)                                           

“Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well.” (Luke 8:50)

Four instances in which Jesus heals, forgives, saves, and redeems and in every instance faith is identified as the catalyst for the miraculous. The gospels are plentiful with other examples of how faith brought about the power of God in a tangible way. In fact, the whole of scripture tells us that faith is what separates believers from unbelievers. Our salvation is by faith (John 3:18), our ability to defend against the schemes of the enemy is by faith (Ephesians 6:16), and our ability to receive from God in prayer is rooted in abandoning doubt and replacing it with faith (Mark 11:24, James 1:5-8).

Are you living a life of faith? To watch the power of God displayed in our lives daily, as we trust wholly in Him, is truly one of the most rewarding aspects of the Christian life. May you find the redemption and healing that comes from a life of faith!