Go in Peace

Luke 8:40-48

Key Verse 48

“Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

Introduction

We will study two events for the next two lessons. They have something in common in that they include women who were sick and healed by Jesus. An older woman came to Jesus willingly, while a younger woman was known to Jesus through her father. From Jesus’ point of view, he could have cured Jairus’ daughter first for she was an acute patient. However he allowed the woman who had a chronic disease to get on the way. Jesus blessed her obedient faith. May the Lord help us to learn about how to come to Jesus by faith.

1. Read verses 40-42a. Who welcomed Jesus when He returned? Why? (40) Who is Jairus? (41) Why did he come and fall at Jesus’ feet? (42a)

1-1. Read verses 40-42a.

⁴⁰ Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. ⁴¹ Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house ⁴² because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

1-2. Who welcomed Jesus when He returned? Why? (40)

A crowd welcomed him. They may have anticipated something great because they may have heard how Jesus had calmed the storm and healed the demon-possessed man on the other side of the lake.

1-3. Who is Jairus? (41)

He was a synagogue leader (41a)

The ‘leader of the synagogue’ (NRSV) was an official appointed by the elders

to look after the building, its contents, and its arrangements for worship. He

was probably not the same person as the ‘attendant’ of Luke 4:20, but in Luke 13:14 it could be the ruler who was outraged about the undignified disturbance caused when Jesus healed a crippled woman on a Sabbath.

Local elders had general oversight of the synagogue. They often appointed a ruler of the synagogue. The ruler was a layman who cared for the building and selected those who participated in the service. The ruler was assisted by an attendant. One of his duties was to deliver the sacred scrolls to those who read and return them to the special place where they were kept (Luke 4:17, 4:20).

It was his duty to select the readers or teachers in the synagogue, to examine the discourses of the public speakers, and to see that all things were done with decency and in accordance with ancestral usage;

A leader of synagogue would be one of the men of standing in his community.

1-4. Why did he come and fall at Jesus’ feet? (42a)

“because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.” (41a)

He had a desperate problem because his daughter of about twelve was very sick and was about to die. So he came to Jesus and fell at his feet, pleading with Him to come to his house to heal her.

At that time, people easily died of many diseases because not many treatments or medicine was available. We can imagine how desperate he was seeing his lovely daughter dying. Most fathers would understand this man. Despite his standing in the community, he lost his usual cool demeanor and did not care of anything. He humbly fell at Jesus’ feet and pleaded with Him.

2. Read verses 42b-44. As Jesus is on his way, what did the crowds do to Jesus? (42b) In the middle of crowds, who was there and what was her situation? (43) What did she do and what happened to her? (44) What can we learn from her?

2-1.Read verses 42b-44.

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. ⁴³ And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years,^[c] but no one could heal her. ⁴⁴ She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

2-2. As Jesus is on his way, what did the crowds do to Jesus? (42b)

“As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. (42b)

Jesus was the superstar; everybody wanted to touch him and get close to him so that they almost crushed him.

2-3. In the middle of crowds, who was there and what was her situation? (43)

⁴³ And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her.

Mark 5:25-26 read, “And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.”

A woman who had been suffering from a bleeding disease for twelve years and she had spent all her livelihood to find the cure of her disease, but no one could heal her. She became penniless and got worse.

*Note -about the bleeding disease: We don’t know exactly what kind of bleeding disease she may have had. She may have a genetic disease such as hemophilia or another disease, which are difficult to be cured.

Long period of bleeding (12 years) would make her be anemic, causing lots of problems, i.e., extreme tiredness, dizziness, palpitation, cold sweating, etc.

According to the law, she was unclean and anything she had touched became unclean (Leviticus 15:25-30). She could not have normal life, nor have any relationship with others because if she touches anyone, he or she becomes unclean.

²⁵ “‘When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period. ²⁶ Any bed she lies on while her discharge continues will be unclean, as is her bed during her monthly period, and anything she sits on will be unclean, as during her period. ²⁷ Anyone who touches them will be unclean; they must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.²⁸ “‘When she is cleansed from her discharge, she must count off seven days, and after that she will be ceremonially clean. ²⁹ On the eighth day she must take two doves or two young pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ³⁰ The priest is to sacrifice one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. In this way he will make atonement for her before the Lord for the uncleanness of her discharge. (Lev 15:25-30)

2-4. What did she do and what happened to her? (44)

⁴⁴ She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

When she overcame many obstacles and came to Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak, immediately her bleeding stopped. The fountain of her bleeding dried up immediately.

2-5. What can we learn from her?

She had an absolute faith in Jesus and his healing power and overcame all obstacles, i.e., crowds, her uncleanness, her inner doubt. She came to Jesus and touched it.

3. Read verses 45-48. What did Jesus ask? How did Peter answer? (45) How did Jesus recognize that she had touched his cloak? (46) What can we learn from Jesus who helped her to come out? What did she do? (47) Why was important for her to confess what happened to her? How did Jesus bless her further? (48)

3-1. Read verses 45-48.

“Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” ⁴⁷ Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. ⁴⁸ Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

3-2. What did Jesus ask?

⁴⁵ “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.(45a)

3-3. How did Peter answer? (45)

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you (45b).

Peter felt little indignant because the question seemed ridiculous because there were so many people milling around Jesus. They were almost crushing Him.

3-4. How did Jesus recognize that she had touched his cloak? (46)

⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

3-5. What can we learn from Jesus who helped her to come out?

Jesus stopped on the way to Jairus’ house, which seemed very urgent. Jesus wanted to recognize her faith and he did not want that she just had been cured and disappeared silently.

Her cure was not by coincidence or by chance but it is by Jesus’ healing power and God’s grace. Jesus wanted her to come out and confess what happened to her because she knew it and wanted to give her better gifts, i.e., recognition of faith, peace and personal relationship with Him.

3-6. What did she do? (47)

⁴⁷ Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.

She trembled with fear because she made Jesus unclean by touching Him. She came out and confessed what happened to her before many people. It is important to confess what Jesus has done for us.

3-7. Why was important for her to confess what happened to her?

Her cure was not by coincidence or by chance but it is by Jesus’ healing power and God’s grace. It is important for her to acknowledge God’s grace in her life.

Jesus wanted her to come out and confess what happened to her and wanted to give her better gifts, i.e., recognition of faith, peace and apersonal relationship with Him.

3-8. How did Jesus bless her further? (48)

⁴⁸ Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

Jesus recognized that her faith healed her. So Jesus blessed her to go in peace. She was not only cured but had peace in her mind. It must be threefold peace: peace with people, peace with the world, and most importantly peace with God.

In conclusion:

In this passage, Jairus, who was a ruler of synagogue came to Jesus and fell at his feet for his daughter was dying. On the way to Jairus’ house, one anonymous woman with bleeding disease came to Jesus. She could not come to Jesus openly because of her unclean condition, but she believed that she would be cured if she just touched the edge of his cloak. Despite crowds, she came to Jesus and was successful to touch the edge of his cloak and immediately she was cured. She then wanted to disappear silently, but Jesus recognized what happened. He stopped and wanted to recognize her faith and blessed her. When she came out and confessed, Jesus blessed her with peace. Just as she received blessing of cure and peace by faith, so God makes us clean as white as snow if we come to Jesus by faith and confess our sins. He will make us his sons or daughters and we will experience peace with people, with world and with God. Amen

One word: Go in peace

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