Resource Detail

2025 Study of Matthew’s Gospel #10

YOUR FAITH HAS HEALED YOU

Matthew 9:14-26

Key Verse 9:22

1. What deeper meaning of fasting do you find in Jesus’ response to John’s disciples (14-15)? Why do you think Jesus used the metaphor of new wine and new wineskins in this context (16-17)? What does this passage teach us about how disciples of Jesus should follow him?
2. What can we learn about the synagogue leader from his actions and words (18-19)? How might the woman’s twelve-year struggle with bleeding have affected her physically, emotionally, and socially (20a)? What kind of faith did this woman demonstrate (20b-21)?
3. In what way did Jesus respond to and bless the woman’s faith (22)? What did Jesus say to the people mourning at the synagogue leader’s house, and why do you think they laughed at him (23-24)? How did Jesus raise the synagogue leader’s daughter (25-26)?
4. How is Jesus’ authority and compassion demonstrated in this passage? In what situation do you need to trust in Jesus’ restoring power today?

2025 Matthew’s Gospel June 22, 2025

YOUR FAITH HAS HEALED YOU

Matthew 9:18-26

Key Verse 9:22

Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.”And the woman was healed at that moment.

I want to thank all of you who came to support and pray for Miri’s family during her father, P. Choi’s homecoming service. I learned that P. Choi met Jesus during his military service, and from that point on, he devoted his life to serving God. He was an influential pastor among the Korean community in New York. I wish I had known him earlier. Now, we have hope to see him in the kingdom of heaven. Today’s message is about Jesus healing a bleeding woman and raising a synagogue leader’s daughter from the dead.

Please look at verse 18: “While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, 'My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.’” What kind of person was a synagogue leader? In Jewish society, the synagogue was the center of religious and social life. To become a synagogue leader, one had to be highly respected, spiritually mature, and influential in the community. This respected, older religious leader came to Jesus and knelt before Him. From a human perspective, Jesus was a young man with no formal religious title or social status. Kneeling in front of someone is a powerful act—a symbol of humility and submission. This man laid aside his pride and bowed before Jesus. Isn’t that remarkable? What made him do that? It was because of his love for his daughter.

Matthew records him saying, “My daughter has just died.” But in Mark’s Gospel, the synagogue leader—whose name is Jairus—says, “My little daughter is dying.” In other words, she wasn’t dead yet. Matthew presents a simplified version of the story. Jairus was urgently pleading with Jesus to come before it was too late. Luke tells us this was Jairus’s only daughter, who was 12 years old. If you’re a father, you know how precious and beautiful a 12-year-old daughter can be. Now imagine that child suddenly falls sick—so sick that nothing works, and her condition gets worse. Jairus must have tried everything—he probably brought in the best doctors in town. He would have tried every medicine, every possible treatment to save her. But nothing worked. She continued to grow weaker until she was close to death. Can you imagine the anguish in his heart? Watching his daughter fade away, helpless to do anything—that’s every parent’s nightmare. He must have felt desperate, hopeless, and powerless.

Then he heard about Jesus. Someone told him, “Jesus can heal your daughter. No disease is too hard for Him.” That message gave Jairus hope in a very dark and desperate time. He couldn’t afford to miss this chance. He ran to where Jesus was, and the moment he saw Him, he fell to his knees and pleaded: “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”(Mark 5:23) Any father who loves his daughter would be willing to give his life for her. So what is pride compared to that? What is reputation or status when your child’s life is at stake? Jairus teaches us something powerful here: Faith begins when we lay down our pride and come to Jesus with a desperate, humble heart.

My daughter is getting married this August 15 to Joshua Bae. Some people have asked me, “How do you feel about it?” And I usually respond, “I’m fine! It’s not like she’s moving to another state or far away. I feel like I’m gaining a son.” I can say this with peace because I expect my daughter to be happy in her marriage. That gives me comfort as a father. But imagine if my daughter suddenly fell ill—seriously ill—and began to die. My heart would be torn apart. M. Peter and Mary Song know this kind of pain. Their daughter Becky has been battling cancer. As parents, their hearts must be breaking every day. Let’s continue to pray earnestly that the healing power of Jesus will come upon her. “Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”

Jesus saw Jairus’s love for his daughter and his faith in Jesus. So Jesus got up and went with him. But something unexpected happened on the way to Jairus’s house. Look at verse 20: “Just then, a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.” What kind of illness is this bleeding disease? It was a condition where blood would not stop flowing from her body. It caused tremendous physical suffering. We can imagine her appearance withered—her youth was lost to her sickness. She likely never experienced a romantic relationship. Her dreams had to be abandoned. But it wasn’t just the physical pain. According to Jewish law, her condition made her ceremonially unclean. That meant that anyone or anything she touched also became unclean. Because of this, she was rejected by society. She lived in isolation and shame—not for a few weeks, but for twelve long years.

She had tried everything she could to be healed. Mark’s Gospel describes her situation this way: “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” (Mark 5:26). She had gone from doctor to doctor, spending all her money trying to find a cure—but nothing helped. Her condition got worse. You can imagine how hopeless that must have felt. It’s like when we go to the hospital, spend a lot of money, hoping to get better—but instead, our condition worsens. We feel helpless and discouraged. Some patients lose trust in doctors. They say, “These doctors don’t care about me.” Interestingly, Luke’s Gospel doesn’t mention the part about her spending all her money on doctors. Maybe that’s because Luke was a doctor—perhaps he felt a little uncomfortable saying that!

However, something changed for this woman when she heard about Jesus. Somehow, she came to believe that Jesus could heal her. “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17). When we hear the word of God—the good news about Jesus—that’s where faith begins. Think about how many healing stories we’ve heard in Matthew’s Gospel: the man with leprosy, the centurion’s servant, and the paralyzed man. They all heard about Jesus. And when they heard, they believed. And when they believed, they came to Jesus. And when they came to Jesus, they were healed—and even more than that, they were saved. Today, we are hearing the stories of Jairus and this bleeding woman. And we shouldn’t let these stories go in one ear and out the other. If we do, we will miss the chance to have faith. But if we listen carefully, reflect deeply, and receive these stories with open hearts, we can have faith—faith that heals, faith that saves, faith that transforms our lives.

This woman came running to Jesus. But when she arrived, she faced a major obstacle—Jesus was completely surrounded by a crowd. There were so many people that Luke wrote, “the crowds almost crushed Him” (Luke 8:42). How could this physically weak woman make her way through the crowd? She must have pushed with all her strength, squeezing between people, maybe even getting knocked over as she tried to reach Jesus. She was desperate—but determined. Now, remember—according to Jewish law, she was considered unclean. She wasn’t supposed to touch anyone. If she did, she could have been publicly shamed or even stoned. But, step by step, with faith, she pushed forward. And finally, she made it to Jesus. And what did she do?

“She touched the edge of His cloak” (Matthew 9:20). It was like a football player reaching the end zone—she touched the edge of His robe. Touchdown! She made it. Why did she do this? Verse 21 explains it perfectly: “She said to herself, ‘If I only touch His cloak, I will be healed.’” To some, that might sound like a superstitious belief. But her faith was in Jesus. She believed that even the smallest act of faith—just a touch—would be enough for Jesus to respond. And what happened? Mark 5:29 tells us: “Immediately her bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.” She knew right away that she had been healed. Just as she believed, she was touched by the healing power of Jesus.

And then, she tried to leave quietly. Why? Maybe she thought she didn’t deserve Jesus’ attention. Maybe she was afraid people would recognize her. But if she had just walked away, she would’ve missed something greater. Her body was healed—but her soul still needed restoration. She needed a relationship with the Savior. That’s why Jesus didn’t let her slip away unnoticed. Matthew doesn’t give us all the details, but Mark and Luke tell us more. Jesus stopped, turned to the crowd, and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” Now—did Jesus really not know who touched Him? Of course, He did. He’s all-knowing. But Jesus didn’t call her out like, “Hey you! I know it was you—come out here and confess!” No. Jesus wanted her to come forward on her own—to enter into a personal relationship with Him.

Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against You!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” And the woman knew—He was talking about her. She realized Jesus wasn’t just satisfied with healing her body. He wanted a personal encounter. So, trembling with fear, she came forward and fell at Jesus’ feet. In front of everyone, she shared her story—why she had touched Him and how she had been instantly healed. That must have been terrifying. She didn’t know if Jesus would accept her or reject her. But she took the risk and told the truth—publicly. And what she received in return was not shame but affirmation, restoration, and peace.

At that moment, the woman heard the voice of Jesus—full of love and grace—speaking directly to her: “Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you.” “Take heart, daughter.” Does that sound familiar? Jesus said something similar to the paralyzed man: “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Just as Jesus welcomed the paralyzed man as a son, He now welcomed this suffering woman as a daughter. This is who Jesus is—He receives each person as His own child. He doesn’t treat people out of duty. He loves deeply, personally, and individually. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, who knows each of His sheep by name and cares for them one by one. Jesus doesn’t see you as just another face in the crowd. He knows your name, your story, your wounds, and your faith. He loves you—personally, fully, and intentionally.

Jesus said to the woman: “Your faith has healed you.” The Greek word used here for “healed” is sōzō (σῴζω). This word can mean “to heal,” but more often it means “to save.” This woman had already been healed in her body. But Jesus wanted to offer her something more—healing for her soul. He wanted to give her complete, holistic healing: in her body, in her mind, in her emotions, and in her spirit. This is the kind of salvation Jesus offers. It’s a total restoration. It’s very similar to the Hebrew concept of Shalom. Jewish people greet one another by saying “Shalom aleichem,” which means “Peace be upon you.” But Shalom means more than just “peace” in the sense of no conflict or inner peace. Shalom is about wholeness—being made complete. It includes peace with God, peace with yourself, and peace with others. It’s a life where relationships are healed, justice is restored, and God’s presence fills every part of your life. This is the kind of holistic restoration Jesus came to bring. He desires for us to be healed—physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. And to receive this kind of healing, Jesus invites us to trust in Him. Just like the woman who suffered for twelve years, we, too, can come to Him in faith. And today, Jesus speaks the same words to us: “Your faith has healed you.” May we come to Jesus with faith, and may we receive His full, saving, restoring grace.

While Jesus was helping the bleeding woman, one man was standing anxiously. That man was Jairus. His situation was urgent. Time was running out. And now, Jesus was delayed. Jairus’s heart must have been filled with fear and tension. And then, just as he feared, it happened. Some people came from the house of Jairus and said, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” When Jairus heard those words, his heart shattered. The little hope he had—that Jesus could heal his daughter—disappeared. He sank into deep despair. He was crushed by the words: “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” At first, those words may sound gentle or even respectful, as if they’re trying to be considerate of Jesus. But in reality, they were words of unbelief that pushed Jairus away from trusting Jesus. The message behind them was: “Now that your daughter is dead, not even Jesus can help.” And Jairus was overwhelmed by fear and sorrow. His daughter was gone. And now, he was losing hope.

But at that moment, Jesus turned to him and said: “Don’t be afraid. Just believe, and she will be healed.” (Luke 8:50) “Just believe.” Jesus asked Jairus to believe in something greater than healing—to believe in resurrection. Jesus invited him to trust that He is the Lord of life, the One who holds power even over death. When Jesus arrived at Jairus’s home, the scene was heartbreaking. People were weeping loudly, wailing, and playing funeral pipes. They were crushed under the power of death. We’ve seen this at funerals—loud cries, deep sorrow.

When Jesus saw the people crying at Jairus’s house, He said something shocking: “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” To Jesus, death was like sleep. Why? Because to the Lord of life, even death is temporary. But how did the people respond? They laughed at Him. They didn’t believe it. They couldn’t imagine that anyone had power over death. But Jesus sent them all out of the house. Then, He took the little girl by the hand and said: “Talitha koum! Little girl, I say to you, get up!” (Mark 5:41) Immediately, the girl stood up and began to walk around. And I can almost imagine her saying, “Mom, I’m hungry. Give me something to eat.” Everyone there was completely astonished. This is the power of Jesus. He is not only a healer—He is the Lord of resurrection. When all hope seems gone, Jesus tells us, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe.” May we hold on to that faith—even in fear, loss, or hopelessness.

Through today’s message, we learn from the simple yet powerful faith of the bleeding woman—she believed in Jesus’ power to heal, and she acted on that belief by touching the edge of Jesus’s cloak. Jesus saved her saying, “Your faith has healed you.” We also learn from Jairus, the synagogue leader. His deep love for his daughter led him to lay aside his pride and come humbly to Jesus. Even when he heard the devastating news of her death, he held on to hope and chose to believe in Jesus, the Lord of resurrection. Jesus blessed their faith. He brought holistic healing to the bleeding woman—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He also raised Jairus’s daughter from the dead. Jesus is the same today. He is calling us to have faith. He wants to bring us holistic healing and restoration. He says to us: “Take heart, daughter. Your faith has healed you.” Amen.