本章我們讀到死去的女孩和患血漏病婦人的故事。血漏病折磨那婦人十二年之久，更使她戴上「不潔淨」的帽子──她可以說是社會上的局外人。因此之故，她活在極度的羞慚中，影響到她的自尊和自信，到一個地步，她甚至不敢光明正大的到耶穌面前，並且在她偷摸了耶穌的衣服後，馬上恐懼戰兢的承認自己做的事。那死去的女孩的情況則不一樣，她十二年之久都很健康，等到她得了重病，她的父親睚魯大膽的到耶穌面前；就在耶穌往睚魯家的途中，那位膽怯的婦人伸出手來觸摸耶穌。兩個故事就此匯合。

        睚魯在享受了十二年的快樂後遭遇突如其來的憂傷。婦人則有十二年之久活在苦苦的等待中，盼望血漏止住的那天早日來到，但每個新的一天都如前一天一樣帶給她失望。在這十二年中，睚魯的女兒渡過她無憂無慮的童年，婦人則花盡了她的錢在醫生和藥物上。耶穌，充滿憐憫的全科醫生登場了。

        對那位生了十二年病的婦人，耶穌說：「妳的信救了妳。」至於那個女孩，當耶穌到達她家時，吵雜的群眾已經開始唱起輓歌了。耶穌叫他們停止哀號，因為那女孩「不是死了，是睡了」。耶穌遭到眾人的嗤笑。不過，祂逕自走入屋內，拉著女孩的手，吩咐她起來，她就起來了。十二年充滿希望的生命，突遭中斷，現在得著新的生命。在另一情況裡，十二年的憂傷，沒有解脫的希望，現在憂傷突然中止，開始了全新的生命。後者是藉患病者膽怯的一摸，前者是靠醫治者命令式的一碰，結果都使天國來到了人間，也都源於他們對耶穌的信心。

        親愛的主，謝謝您，您是最偉大的醫生，在您沒有難成的事。我們求您今天用您的聖手來觸摸我們的身體，使我們能全心全力的事奉。奉主耶穌基督聖名，阿們！

English

         Here we have the stories of a dead girl and a sick woman. The woman had an affliction which had disabled her for twelve years. What’s more, it brought with it a ceremonial uncleanness – which meant she was a bit of an outcast. Because of this, she lived with a deep sense of shame, affecting her self-esteem and self-confidence to the point where she would shrink from coming to Jesus openly and of easily confessing afterwards that she’d touched Him. The dead girl, on the other hand, had been alive as long as the woman had been sick. Her father, Jairus, had come boldly to Jesus, and it was while on His way to Jairus’ house that the timid woman had reached out to touch Him. And so the two stories converge.

         Jairus had encountered a sudden sorrow after twelve years of joy. The woman had been living with twelve years of deferred hope, longing for the day her affliction would cease, but finding every new day was just as bad as the last. It could very well be that she had spent most of her money on doctors and medicine, even while the young girl had been merrily skipping through a carefree childhood. Enter Jesus, the compassionate and versatile healer.

         To the woman who had been sick for twelve years, He says, “Your faith has healed you, take heart.” As for the girl, He goes to her house where a noisy crowd has already begun singing death dirges. He tells them to stop because the girl “is not dead but asleep.” Here is an instance where Jesus faced open mockery. Nevertheless, He went inside the house, took the girl by the hand, ordered her to get up, and she got up. Jesus had done it again. In one case, twelve years of sorrow with no hope or release, had suddenly ended and a whole new life begun. On the one hand, a timid touch by the sick one, on the other, a commanding touch by the Healer, both resulted in the kingdom of heaven coming amongst mankind once again. All because of faith in Jesus.

         Thank You, dear Lord, for being the Great Physician with whom nothing is impossible. We pray today for Your divine touch in our bodies, that we may be enabled to serve You with all our strength.