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.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
The daughter of the synagogue ruler signifies the Jewish people, whereas the woman signifies the church of the Gentiles. The Lord Christ, born of the Jews in the flesh, was presented to those Jews in the flesh. But he sent others to the Gentiles; he did not go himself. His bodily and visible community ties were in Judea. Therefore the apostle says, “For I say that Christ has been a minister of the circumcision in order to show God’s fidelity in confirming the promises made to our fathers.” It was said to Abraham, “By your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves,” “that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.” Therefore Christ was sent to the Jews. He went to restore life to the daughter of the synagogue ruler. The woman appears on the scene, and she is healed. She is healed first in faith, being practically ignored by the Savior, for he said, “Who touched me?” Here we have an ignoring attitude by God and faith in the mystery by her. It means something when...
Epistrapseis kai idon, turning about and seeing, as if he were ignorant, and wished to see who it was that had touched him, as the other evangelists relate. In St. Mark (v. 29,) we see she was cured on touching the garment; and Jesus only confirms the cure by what he says in verse 34.
But Jesus turning about. Our divine Saviour, fearing lest he might alarm the woman by his words, says immediately to her, Take courage; and at the same time calls her his daughter, because her faith had rendered her such. (St. Chrysostom)
Ap. Anselm: This must be understood as the time in which she touched the hem of His garment, not in which Jesus turned to her; for she was already healed, as the other Evangelists testify, and as may be inferred from the Lord’s words.
As the woman is healed, the crowd of sinners is made whole. At first it seemed more appropriate to follow the law of cleanliness. But a more pristine wholeness is restored to publicans and sinners in the appearance of the woman. Thus, upon meeting the Lord as he was passing by, she believed firmly that by touching his garment she would be healed of her flow of blood. Dressed in shabby clothes and defiled by the uncleanness of her interior affliction, in her faith she hastens to touch the tassel of his cloak. In the midst of the apostles she sought to touch the gift of the Holy Spirit as it was coming from Christ’s body. She is suddenly healed. … The Lord praised her faith and constancy, because what had been prepared for Israel, the common people of the Gentiles were now claiming for themselves.
This woman that had the flux came to the Lord not in the house, nor in the town, for she was excluded from them by the Law, but by the way as He walked; thus as He goes to heal one woman, another is cured.
He said not, Thy faith shall make thee whole, but, “hath made thee whole;” forin that thou hast believed, thou art already made whole.
So what did Messiah do? He did not let her go unnoticed but led her into the center of attention and made her visible. He had many reasons for doing this. Some might imagine that “he did this merely for love of glory—otherwise why would he not allow her to remain concealed?” But what are they proposing who might say this? That he should keep her silent, that he should ignore her need, and thereby pass up miracles too numerous to mention, all because he is in love with glory? What an unholy thought, inspired by the most unholy one of all. What then is his intention in bringing her forward? First, Jesus puts an end to her fear. He does not want her to remain trapped in dread. He gives no cause for her conscience to be harmed, as if she had stolen the gift. Second, he corrects her assumption that she has no right to be seen. Third, he makes her faith an exhibit to all. He encourages the others to emulate her faith. Fourth, his subduing the fountains of her hemorrhage was another sign of h...
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 t...
On account then of all these things He brings her forward, and says, Daughter, be of good cheer, even as He had said also to the paralyzed person, Son, be of good cheer. Because in truth the woman was exceedingly alarmed; therefore He says, be of good cheer, and He calls her daughter; for her faith had made her a daughter. After that comes also her praise: Your faith has made you whole.
But Luke tells us also other things more than these concerning the woman. Thus, when she had approached Him, says he, and had received her health, Christ did not immediately call her, but first He says, Which is he that touched me? Then when Peter and they that were with Him said, Master, the multitude throng You, and press You, and sayest Thou, who touched me? Luke 8:45 (which was a very sure sign both that He was encompassed with real flesh, and that He trampled on all vainglory, for they did not follow Him at all afar off, but thronged Him on every side); He for His part continued to say, Somebody...
What is this that He bids her, “Be of good cheer,” seeing if she had not had faith, she would not have sought healing of Him? He requires of her strength and perseverance, that she may come to a sure and certain salvation.
part. e Beda: Or; The ruler of the synagogue signifies Moses; he is namedJairus, ‘illuminating,’ or, ‘that shall illuminate,’ because he received the words of life to give to us, and by them enlighten all, being himself enlightened by the Holy Spirit. The daughter of the ruler, that is, the synagogue itself, being as it were in the twelfth year of its age, that is, in the season of puberty, when it should have borne spiritual progeny to God, fell into the sickness of error. While when the Word of God is hastening to this ruler’s daughter to make whole the sons of Israel, a holy Church is gathered from among the Gentiles, which while it was perishing by inward corruption, received by faith that healing that was prepared for others. It should be noted, that the ruler’s...
We ought to admire and at the same time to imitate the humility and mercifulness of the Lord; as soon as ever He was asked, He rose to follow him that asked: “And Jesus rose, and followed him.” Here is instruction both for such as are in command, and such as are in subjection. To these He has left an example of obedience; to those who are set over others He shows how earnest and watchful they should be in teaching; whenever they hear of any being dead inspirit, they should hasten to Him; “And his disciples went with him.”.
In which her humility must be praised, that she came not before His face, but behind, and judged herself unworthy to touch the Lord’s feet, yea, she touched not His whole garment, but the hem only; for the Lord wore a hem according to the command of the Law. So the Pharisees also wore hems which they made large, and in some they inserted thorns. But the Lord’s hem was not made to wound, butto heal.
. The woman was unclean due to her illness (Levit. 15:19), and for this reason she did not approach Him openly for fear that she would be prevented. She intended to escape His notice, and yet hoped to obtain healing if only by touching the hem of His garment. But the Saviour revealed her, not because He loved glory, but to show her faith for our benefit, and also to strengthen the faith of the ruler of the synagogue. Jesus tells her, "Take courage," because she was fearful that she had stolen the gift; He calls her "daughter" because she had faith. He shows that if she had not offered faith she would not have received the grace, even though His garments were holy. It is said that this woman made a figure of Christ and at its feet there grew a plant which aided those with hemorrhages. Some impious men destroyed the figure at the time of the Emperor Julian the Apostate.
