Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Tone 7; The Thirty-Three Holy Martyrs of Militene (284-305); Our Venerable Father and Wonder-worker Lazarus, Hermit of Mount Galesius (1054)
Ephesians 2:14-22; Luke 8:41-56
Read Luke 8:41-56
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
In today’s Gospel, there are two healings. Jairus and Jesus are going to Jairus’ daughter to try and help her. But along their way, a woman that has been bleeding for 12 years secretly touches Jesus and is healed. It’s as if she stole Jesus’ power and was miraculously healed. One could say that she stole a miracle from Jesus. But Jesus, feeling that power has gone out of Him, now insists that the person who received power from Him should openly confess it.
Because we have heard this story so many times, we may miss the drama, the suspense of this story. If power has gone out of Jesus, one may logically ask, “Will there be enough healing power in Jesus for Jairus’ daughter? Hence the suspense.
Sometimes when we pray we may feel small and insignificant and we might also wonder whether God has time and power to answer our prayer. Today’s Gospel assures us that Jesus always has time and power to answer our prayer.