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Daughter, take courage, your faith has made you well.  ~ Matthew 9:22

Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.  ~ Mark 5:34

Daughter, your faith has made you well, go in peace.  ~ Luke 8:48

Hello my precious sister!

As I sat down to read my Bible, I asked the Lord to lead me to something that you would like to read. Sometimes my path to landing on a topic seems a little circuitous, but in the end, it always comes together, praise God! If my letters help you in any way, know that it is Him, not me. (but I would still love to hear from you!)

In my desire for God to be glorified and you to be edified, I opened my Bible to the back, where the concordance dwells, and looked for topical words that apply to women. The topic that caught my eye was ‘daughter’. There are lots of places in the Bible where women were called daughters. It mostly occurs in the context of ‘sons and daughters of God’ in the OT, as in naming the general population or in the NT as familial relationships. However, there are 3 specific times in Jesus’ life that He addressed a woman as “daughter”.

She was a woman rejected by all. Although a grown woman, she was as an orphan; disowned by her family. In fact, she remains nameless in each of the gospel accounts. She was a social outcast, considered unclean; not allowed to ever mingle in the marketplace. She was even denied entrance to the synagogue; the one place of solace, comfort or acceptance, because of her uncleanness. In fact, everything she even touched would be considered ceremonially unclean as well. 

She must have had family and money at one time, for she spent all the money she had on doctors who could not cure her. How desperate she must have been! But God had a plan for her!

Somehow she had heard of Jesus and his miraculous works and she was determined to seek Him. She didn’t want to be turned away, cast away once more. She didn’t even feel worthy to ask anything of Him, but thought if she could just touch the hem of His garment she would be healed!

Most of us reading this have probably seen how this scene plays out in “The Chosen”, but let’s put that aside for the moment and think about another possible scenario: Jesus is on His way to Jairus’ house to ‘wake’ Jairus’ daughter, who has, from all appearances, died. His fame is spreading and crowds are starting to gather around Him and follow Him wherever He goes. Everyone is pressing in on Him, clamoring, questioning, making progress difficult. 

The woman, who is approaching from behind, has no hope of pressing through the crowd, so she starts yelling, “unclean, unclean!” as a leper approaching must do. Fearing contamination, the crowd parts, not unlike the parting of the great sea; God has made a path for her! Her faith gives her courage to run up behind Jesus, fall at His feet and touch the hem of His clothes. She perceives in her body that she is instantly healed! 

Jesus immediately perceives that power has gone out from Him and, in a moment of Divine comedy asks, “Who touched me?”  With the crowd pressing in, His disciples are incredulous!  But of course He knew who touched Him! It’s interesting that, in spite of the crowd that must have been jostling Him, no one wanted to admit it. Except the one outcast, the one who, in her season of suffering, had the light of God’s hope and help kindled in her heart…the woman of faith.

In recognizing her broken state, she ran to the One who could make her whole. As she fell down before Him in trembling and worship, she declared before everyone there her testimony of faith and healing! Jesus responds to her by calling her “daughter”. She is the only woman recorded so named by the Lord. She has been brought into an eternal family at last!

My sister, I hope that resonates in your heart as you consider your own acceptance into the family of God! In our earthly existence we experience breakdowns, heartache, struggles and strife. We live in a fallen world; run to the One Who can make you whole! Jesus says to you, “Daughter, your faith has made you well, go in peace; and be healed of your affliction.” 

I pray that for you, in Jesus’ Name. 

With love, your sister, Celeste