Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.’ Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well.”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, February 10, 2023
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Again, Matthew offers a slightly different take on a well-known story. Like the demons from yesterday’s text, this story appears in a more detailed form in both Mark and Luke, prompting me to wonder about the differences and what they might mean for me today. The chief difference is that in the other gospels, the moment the woman touches Jesus’ cloak, power goes out of him and heals her. In Matthew, the woman is not healed when she touches Jesus’ cloak. Instead, it is only when Jesus acknowledges her and tells her that her faith has made her well that the hemorrhaging stopped. It is not a one-sided transfer of power from Jesus to the woman, but a two-way partnership—her faith, his power—that accomplishes the cure.
I’m not saying that Jesus doesn’t have the power to just heal someone without their knowledge or consent. And I’m not saying that if you don’t experience a miracle cure it means you don’t have enough faith. Let’s just lay those two things to bed right away.
But what this is speaking to me this morning is that I have a role to play in facilitating in the inbreaking of the reign of God into the world today. Okay. Let me translate that seminary-speak: My faith and my actions help make it possible for God’s justice and mercy to show up in the world. Sitting around waiting for God to wave a magic wand and fix everything that’s wrong isn’t going to do any more than the woman touching Jesus’ cloak. But stepping into relationship with Jesus and acting in faith gets results.
When have I felt that my faith in and relationship with Jesus has made a difference in my life or the lives of others?