Daily Bible Reading 21st July 2026 // Luke 8:40-56
40 Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. 41 And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus' feet, he implored him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.
As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. 43 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. 44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. 45 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
49 While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler's house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” 50 But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” 51 And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. 52 And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” 53 And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” 55 And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given to her to eat. 56 And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.
The second point is this: though she had heard of Christ, and heard truly, her grasp of what she had heard was pretty frail, for her faith, real and authentic as it was, was mixed with a kind of superstition, and she thought that touching His garment would bring her healing. Jesus' response was, not 'Who touched My garment?' but 'Who touched Me?' Her faith was real, though mixed with superstition and misunderstanding. Not that Christ was content, or ever is, that this should be so. Indeed, part of His confrontation with her after the healing was to correct that misunderstanding. But look at the reality of it! What she was convinced about was that power resided in Him, belonged to Him, and that it would be communicated to her if only she could touch Him. It could flow to her, and would, if only contact could be made. This, in fact, means that she had discerned the principle and purpose of the Incarnation, for in the Incarnation Christ has come into contact with needy humanity, and in His Cross and victory He has accomplished in the absolute sense what can best be called a great, divine exchange, in which all that is His becomes ours, and all that is ours He takes on Himself. And personal faith is the 'bridge' over which this 'exchange' is made, whereby His power and grace are given us, and our sickness given to Him. He took this woman's need and took it with Him to the Cross. The exchange did take place, for 'virtue went out of Him'.