Matthew 9:18-26

The Raising of A Ruler's Daughter And The Healing Of The Woman With A Discharge of Blood (9:18-26).

No better illustration of the fact that the new had come can be found than here. In the raising of the anonymous Ruler's daughter we are provided with a foretaste of the resurrection. It was a pointer to the fact that to all ‘Rulers', as to all men and women, new life was being offered. And in the woman who was made clean we have a picture of the prospective new Israel who need to reach out and touch Jesus and be cleansed. (Compare for the latter Ezekiel 16:60).

In what follows Jesus goes to the aid of a young girl who has died, and raises her from the dead. But there is a subsidiary story, which is always seen as an integral part of the main story. This reveals a woman who was continually ceremonially ‘unclean' because of a discharge of blood from within her which she had had for twelve years. She too was dying, and she had been dying for twelve years. And she had found no hope anywhere until the day when she came to Jesus and found that He could make the unclean clean. Both were in their own way representative of the people of God, dead in sin and unclean before God.

But in order to confirm the lesson lying behind this we need to go to a passage in Ezekiel 16. There Jerusalem was likened to a baby, cast out at birth covered in the blood flow of its mother, whom God had commanded ‘in her blood' to live (Matthew 9:6). He then betrothed her to Himself, but she remained naked (it is not a natural picture). And when she came to an age for love (i.e. about twelve years of age) He wiped the blood from her (Matthew 9:9). So either the idea is that for twelve years she had been covered in vaginal blood, or that she was once again covered in blood because of her menstruation, seen as connecting back to her first condition. And now she was His to be restored by His mercy to full glory.

It would seem that this is the lesson behind both the child whom God will make to live, and the woman with a flow of blood for twelve years which will be made clean. The two together reveal that Jesus (the Bridegroom - Matthew 9:15) has come to make clean and give life to His people so as to betroth them to Himself.

Analysis.

a While He spoke these things to them, behold, there came a ruler, and worshipped him (Matthew 9:18 a).

b Saying, “My daughter is even now dead, but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live” (Matthew 9:18 b).

c And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did His disciples (Matthew 9:19).

d And behold, a woman, who had a discharge of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the border (or ‘fringe') of His cloak. For she said within herself, “If I do but touch His clothing, I will be made whole” (Matthew 9:20).

e But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, be of good cheer, your FAITH has made you whole” (Matthew 9:22 a).

d And the woman was made whole from that hour (Matthew 9:22 b).

c And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute-players, and the crowd making a tumult, He said, “Remove yourselves, for the damsel is not dead, but sleeps.” And they laughed Him to scorn (Matthew 9:23).

b But when the crowd was put forth, He entered in, and took her by the hand, and the damsel arose (Matthew 9:25).

a And the fame concerning this went forth into all that land (Matthew 9:26).

Note that in ‘a' the ruler came and worshipped Him, and in the parallel His fame went throughout the land. In ‘b' he pleads for his daughter's life and in the parallel Jesus grants his request. In ‘c' Jesus arose and followed him and in the parallel they arrive at the ruler's house. In ‘d' the diseased woman says to herself that if she touches Jesus' clothing she will be made whole, and in the parallel she is made whole. Centrally in ‘e' it is her faith which has made her whole.