The drama begins in verse 21 when Jesus sails across the Sea of Galilee and lands probably in Capernaum. Once on a land, the ruler of the synagogue there, a man named Jairus, approaches Jesus, falls at the healer's feet, and asks him to come to his house and heal his 12 year-old daughter, who is near death.
Jesus agrees, and they hurriedly start on their way to Jairus' house. Along the way, crowds of desperate people push against Jesus because his healing abilities have made him hugely popular. One in the crowd, a woman, has had a bleeding issue for 12 years. In other words, she's been suffering since Jairus' daughter was born. She's sought the care of many doctors, who have relieved her of nothing but her money. Her condition, in addition to making her sick and poor, has also made her a social outcast, since her constant bleeding made her unclean under Jewish law.
This poor woman has no hopes of gaining an audience with Jesus as Jairus had done. No, her goals are not that grand. Instead of meeting the Savior face to face, she's content to just be near him as he rushes by. She would love to look into his eyes and speak with him, but she will settle for brushing against the edge of his robe. And that is what she plans to do.
But there is a problem with this plan. Jesus is in a hurry. Touching him would make him unclean, which would require him to got to the temple to be cleansed. He doesn't have time for that. He doesn't have time for her. Still, in her desperation, she proceeds with her plan; she reaches out with her gaunt, emaciated hand and grasps the very edge of his robe, just for an instant as he passes by.
What happened next was magical . . . and terrible. She was healed, instantly, and she felt it. Energy coursed through her veins and strength returned to body, a feeling that she thought she'd lost forever. In just a few seconds, this woman went from pondering her death on the street to beginning a new life, or picking up with her old one. The feelings in her body, her mind, her heart, her soul were all phenomenal, beyond description.
But then the terrible happened: Jesus stopped and wanted to know who had touched him. Everyone, and especially the disciples, thought Jesus was crazy. He was being touched on all sides by a plethora of hands. But the woman knew what he meant.
Jesus went from person to person, asking them if they were the one. Then the woman realized that she was not going to get away without paying the consequences for her sin. She trembled, wondering what he would do. Would he beat her? Return her, just as quickly as he'd healed her, to the bleeding condition? Oh God, not that! He came nearer and she fell at his feet, sobbing, admitting what she'd done, and begging for mercy.
But Jesus did not beat her or take away the miracle. Instead, he added to it. He reached down and touched her with a gentle hand. He called her "daughter," and praised her for her faith. He dismissed her in peace and promised that her healing was for good. In other words, Jesus lifted her up as an example to others. It was as if he was saying, "This is what I'm looking for. This woman, this kind of faith. You should all have what she has; you should all be like her."
As Jesus was blessing the woman, servants from Jairus' house came with news that his daughter had died. There suggestion to Jairus was that he bother Jesus no longer and come home to mourn his daughter's passing. But Jesus pulled Jairus aside and said, "Fear not; only believe." Then he went to the house and raised the girl from the dead.
Now, there are many amazing truths we can take from this story, many of which I've not even touched on. The one before us at this moment is to contrast Jairus with the sick woman and to discover what relevance it has to our spiritual lives. It seems really important to note, first, how each approached Jesus. We saw earlier, that Jairus approached Jesus as any man in his situation would. He was an important and rich man, and he was desperate to save his daughter's life. He did what he had to do: he boldly approached Jesus and requested a favor. The woman, on the other hand, knew her place and did not even try to speak to Jesus. This indicates that the woman had a humility, a poverty of spirit, that Jairus lacked. She was no more desperate than he, but she was broken in her spirit as well as her body.
The contrast completes itself when we look at what each got from the Lord. Jairus got what he asked for; his daughter was restored. He also got a lesson: "Fear not, only believe." But the woman got more than what she hoped for. In addition to healing, Jesus called her "daughter," praised her for her faith, and showed her off as an example for others to follow. He also gave her a benediction.
All of this leads us to the conclusion that God gives to those who seek Him, yet he desires from us a total dependence on him. He wants us to realize, and live like, there is no way we can rely on our own resources (our own energy, wealth, power, influence, intelligence, personality, gifts, talents, etc.). He wants us to come to Him empty, so that He can fill us with Himself. And if we ask Him to fill us, He will give us more than we can possibly hope or imagine.