Your Faith Makes you Well

Matthew 9:18-26 (ESV)
While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." [19] And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. [20] And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, [21] for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I will be made well." [22] Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well. [23] And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, [24] he said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. [25] But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. [26] And the report of this went through all that district.
“Take heart, daughter, your faith, has made you well.” It’s funny, faith. It can in the cause of love make someone break convention. Many would have considered what this woman did to be sinful. She herself knew that it wasn’t right according to societal customs. But in faith she reached out for her only hope. Her faith made her well Jesus says. Some might argue that it was the Grace and Mercy of Jesus Christ.
Every once in awhile I have the joy of being chastised for saying “justification by faith alone” on account of some would be uber confessional who thinks that phrase is somehow at odds with the fuller version of it in the confessions that says Justification is by Grace through faith. Though the Bible uses the phrase Justification by faith, and so do the confessions. Indeed faith is not at odds with Grace, the two work together in tandem as one. You really can’t have the one without the other. Faith takes hold of Grace and mercy, even as it is the product of grace and mercy. Yes our faith is not our creation.
It is not our creation, but it is ours. It is a gift given to us that we own, and when it grabs hole of the hem of Jesus, it makes us well. Spiritually it heals our souls of disease we can’t even imagine. It has the power to lift our spirits, and face the worse the world has to offer, without becoming bitter, jaded, and loveless. It gives us hope. It is our faith, the creation of the grace and mercy of Christ, and it makes us well.
This woman did not reach out to touch the hem of Jesus before she had heard of him and his power to heal. She knew who Jesus was, she had heard of his grace and mercy. She knew she did not deserve to be in his presence. She knew she was breaking social custom, and that Jesus by human right should have every reason to be mad with her. Her faith was even weak, some might say.
It was a far cry from the “strong faith” that so many televangelists and the like proclaim today with their name it and claim it theologies. It is a far cry from the strong faith that so many today tell us we should have so that we would be unashamed to stand in the presence of God and demand from him those things we desire like spoiled children. When things go wrong in our life we are told that we do not have strong enough faith. This is wrong. The problem is we are sinners living in a sinful world, that crucified Jesus who had perfect faith, and stronger faith than any Joel Olsteen could ever imagine.
Her faith told her who Jesus was. Her faith knew that a sinner like her deserved no mercy. She trembled in his presence, even as she trusted that there she would find salvation. Her faith was in his mercy, not in herself. She trusted his grace. The grace and mercy she had heard of in so many stories of healed lepers, paralytics, schizophrenics, and demon possessed sinners. And it was that weak faith that knew it deserved nothing, that reached out for his mercy. She heard the gospel, the good news, and the spirit gave her faith to hear and trust. Her faith made her well. Just as your faith justifies when it trusts in God’s grace and mercy, that sent this Jesus to the cross to forgive your sins and give you eternal life.