But Jesus turned about, and when he saw her, he said,
Daughter, be of good comfort; your faith has made you whole.
And the woman was made whole from that hour.
All Commentaries on Matthew 9:22 Go To Matthew 9
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Hom., xxxi: After His instructions He adds a miracle, which should mightily discomfit the Pharisees, because he who came to beg this miracle, was a ruler of the synagogue and the mourning was great, for she was his only child, and of the age of twelve years, that is, when the flower of youth begins; “While hespake these things unto them, behold, there came one of their chief men unto him.”“While he spake these things unto them, behold, one of their chief men,” namely, Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, "came to him, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, my daughter is even now dead.” It should be observed, lest there should seem to be some discrepancy, that the other two Evangelists represent her as at the point of death, but yet not dead, but so as afterwards to say that there came afterwards some saying, “She is dead, trouble not the Master,” for Matthew for the sake of shortness represents the Lord as having been asked at first to do that which it is manifest He did do, namely, raise the dead. He looks not at the words of the father respecting his daughter, but rather his mind. Forhe had so far despaired of her life, that he made his request rather for her tobe called in life again, thinking it impossible that she, whom he had left dying, should be found yet alive. The other two then have given Jairus’words; Matthew has put what he wished and thought. Indeed had either of them related that it was the father himself that said that Jesus should not be troubled for she was now dead, in that case the words that Matthew has given would not have corresponded with the thoughts of the ruler. But we do not read that he agreed with the messengers. Hence we learn a thing of the highest necessity, that we should look at nothing in any man’s words, but his meaning to which his words ought to be subservient; and no man gives a false account when he repeats a man’s meaning in words other than those actually used. See his dullness. He begs two things of Christ, to come, and to lay His hand upon her. This was what Naaman the Syrian required of the Prophet. For they who are constituted thus hard of heart haveneed of sight and things sensible.
Mark and Luke say that He took with Him three disciples only, namely, Peter, James, and John; He took not Matthew, to quicken his desires, and because hewas yet not perfectly minded; and for this reason He honours these three, that others may become like-minded. It was enough meanwhile for Matthew to see the things that were done respecting her that had the issue of blood, concerning whom it follows; “And behold, a woman who had suffered an issue of blood twelve years, came behind and touched the hem of his garment.”.
She came not to Christ with an open address through shame concerning this her disease, believing herself unclean; for in the Law this disease was esteemed highly unclean. For this reason she hides herself.
Or because the woman was fearful, therefore He said, “Be of good cheer.” He calls her “daughter,” for her faith had made her such.
She had not yet a perfect mind respecting Christ, or she would not have supposed that she could be hid from Him; but Christ would not suffer her to go away unobserved, not that He sought fame, but for many reasons. First, He relieves the woman’s fear, that she should not be pricked in her conscience asthough she had stolen this boon; secondly, He corrects her error in supposing she could be hid from Him; thirdly, He displays her faith to all for their imitation; and fourthly, He did a miracle, in that He showed He knew all things, no less than in drying the fountain of her blood. It follows, “And the woman was made whole from that hour.”
