The streets of Capernaum were mobbed with people. 
A Man leading the crowd seemed bent on a mission. Another man named Jairus had just pleaded with the Man to come heal his young daughter who was desperately ill. Fear gripped; faith motivated!
A woman with a persistent flow of blood for twelve years stood at the edge of the crowd. She had sought doctors to heal her, but to no avail. Rather, she became worse. She had spent all she had. In addition, she knew she was unclean, and no one could touch her without becoming ceremonially unclean themselves. Twelve years. Her fingers dug into her palms. She watched the Man pass before her. Her heart beat wildly in her chest. If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well. With her eyes fixed on the Man called Jesus, she entered the crowd maneuvering her way behind Him. Fear gripped, faith motivated. Her desperation to be made well pushed her forward.
She came within touching distance. She reached out and touched the Man’s robe. Immediately, she was healed. The woman and Jesus both simultaneously knew what had happened. The woman had no idea that Jesus had consciously healed her. She tried to disappear into the crowd when she heard Jesus say,”Who touched My clothes?”
Jesus wanted to correct any mistaken notion the woman may have had about her healing. It was not any magical quality of His clothing, but His divine will and her faith correctly placed in Him that made her well.
The woman swallows hard. She focuses on her sandaled feet. Trembling, she bows low, and admits it was she who had touched His robe. She looked up. Jesus looks at her with tenderness in His eyes, and says, “Daughter, your faith has made you well.” Can you picture her joy? He called me ‘daughter.’
Meanwhile, Jairus must’ve been anxious and tense because of the time Jesus took to care for the woman when his own daughter lay dying. Just then, someone from Jairus’ house came with the horrific news, “Your daughter has died.”
The woman stood in stunned silence ~
The woman stood in stunned silence condemning herself for taking precious time from Jesus – time He should have had to tend to the man’s request to heal his dying daughter. She heard Jesus speak with compassion and surety.
“Do not be afraid. Only believe.” Jesus continued on His way to the man’s house and brought life back into the lifeless body of the young girl. She sat up, and Jesus instructed them to give her something to eat. Can you imagine their elation? Our daughter lives.
We can learn much from these two accounts of healing. 1) Healing miracles highlights not only the authority of Jesus, but also the response of faith that God honors. 2) The power of prayer is not in the one who asks, but in the One who listens. 3) Perseverance through prayer pays off. 4) Faith in anything or anyone other than Jesus is missing the mark if the content of our faith, namely Jesus, is not the power behind our prayer.
Not all are healed, and for those, God gives an abundant measure of grace and strength to endure. Do not despair.