Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, waken us to believe in You, and strengthen us mightily. Amen.
Text: Matthew 9:18-26
While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.” So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples. And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment; for she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour. And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they laughed Him to scorn. But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. And the report of this went out into all that land.
Devotion
“The girl is not dead, but sleeping.” With these words the Lord declares His power to save from death. For our human nature death is invincible, and in our eyes there is no escape from it. Every human being who thinks thoughts according to the laws of reason must unconditionally surrender to death. Whether we are good or evil, smart or stupid, we are helpless either way. On our own we know nothing, and we have nothing, that can free us from death. But for Jesus death is a sleep. With a word He can wake someone from death, as from sleep. For He is Lord not only within the nature of creation, but also over and outside of it. He can accomplish what He wants, supernaturally just as easily as by natural means. He does everything that He pleases, in heaven and on earth, in the sea and in the depths. But I can understand this only by faith. Indeed my reason sees that God is infinitely great. When I consider that the sun is more than a million times larger than earth, and yet it’s only a little bit of His creative power, or when I think of how He wondrously formed me in my mother’s womb, then I realize that God is great. But I realize also (or perhaps I don’t realize) that I comprehend little or nothing of His greatness. Faith alone acknowledges God’s glory, God’s power to create life out of death.
The Gospels always show us our Lord Jesus among the poor, who look to Him for help and receive it. Precious Savior, how good this is for us! But help me also to believe! The Spirit of God had humbled the woman with a flow of blood through her chronic need, and now He has also given her faith by the Word. She was unclean and should not come among people, but now she comes anyway, because she believes that Jesus will cleanse her. She surely knows that no man can do this. But she believes Jesus can, and she is not disappointed. Let every unclean person, every sinner, who is condemned by the Law and excluded from Israel, come to Jesus, and He will save them. He will stop the flow of sin. Its source shall be dried up, soul and body cleansed and healed.
That synagogue ruler in our text is another beautiful example of faith. When he left, his daughter was lying there, near death, and by now she certainly had to be dead. But he still believes that Jesus can save her. Word came from home that it was over. But Jesus strengthens him, and he believes. Was his faith put to shame? Has anyone who believed in the Lord been disappointed? “Well,” you say, “they had such faith!” You are right. But remember, whoever will humble himself and pray for faith has it. That is for sure! It is God’s gift and it is created by His Spirit. To the soul it is a completely different kind of light than reason. But the Spirit is here in the Word and wants to enlighten you. Faith is certain of what is invisible and incomprehensible, so the heart chooses it and trusts it. Faith holds on to the Lord’s Word and builds on His promises without seeing. Faith knows that Jesus lives and has given me His life. So even if I die, I cannot die. Because He died and rose again, and I am baptized into Him and eat His body and blood, so my sin is not sin, – though in itself it is infernally poisonous, daily troubling my heart, – and my death is not death, though I still feel it as death both in body and soul. For the Lord holds me close to Himself, and there is no power that can separate me from Him (Rom 8:39).
But do you really think that the faith of the saints is without weakness? O no, but come and strengthen your faith by seeing your Savior’s almighty power and grace! The woman with a flow of blood was hardly free of superstition, and although she is lovable in her fear and trembling, still her faith was shaking. Jairus would easily have sunk down into dark unbelief, if the Lord had not at the right time said: “Do not be afraid; only believe” (Mar 5:36), so it would have been over for him. Let neither your sin nor your distress, neither your unbelief nor weakness, neither your hardness nor blindness keep you away from our Lord Jesus, but rather let all these things drive you to Him. No power of hell can prevent that. If you can do nothing else, then say to Him: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief” (Mar 9:24), and then your help has come.
Closing Prayer
Lord, let Your Holy Spirit enlighten us with His gifts. Amen.
Hymn
Though I be by sin o’ertaken,
Though I lie in helplessness,
Though I be by friends forsaken,
And must suffer sore distress,
Though I be despised, contemned,
And by all the world condemned,
Though the dark grave yawn before me,
Yet the light of hope shines o’er me.
Unto life Thou shalt arouse me
By Thy resurrection’s power;
Though the hideous grave shall house me,
And my flesh the worms devour;
Fire and water may destroy
My frail body, yet with joy
I shall rise as Thou hast risen
From the deep sepulchral prison.
Kingo: Like the golden sun ascending L 346:4.8 ELH 354:4.8 tr. G. A. T. Rygh;
tune: Werde munter