I am meditating on the power and authority of Jesus seen in Luke 8. First, His authority over the natural world when He calmed a violent storm with only His word. Then, His authority over the spiritual world when He commanded a “Legion” of demons to leave a possessed man. Those who witnessed these events were overtaken with fear.
But Luke does not end with Jesus’ power over the natural world and over the spiritual world. He has two more incidents to report.
After leaving the region of the Gerasenes, Jesus returned to the other side of the lake. There he was immediately confronted by a grieving father, Jairus, a leader of the synagogue, whose only daughter, 12 years old, was at death’s door. He pleaded with Jesus to come to his house. [vs 40-56]
Jesus consents, but as they travel to Jairus’ home, a woman suffering with a chronic bleeding condition that left her “unclean” for 12 years touches the hem of Jesus’ robe in faith and is healed. Jesus stopped, immediately recognizing what happened, and seeks in the crowd for the person who had anonymously touched Him. Initially everyone denies it, but Jesus was not moving until He discovered who touched Him. (Can you imagine what was going through Jairus’ mind during this delay?)
Finally, the woman confesses, and Jesus announces, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” [vs 48 HCSB]
They get to Jairus’ house and Jesus tosses out the hired mourners who think the child is dead. He then takes the child by the hand and tells her to get up. She does. And “Her parents were astounded,” Luke reports. [vs 56 HCSB]
In Luke 8, Jesus, exercised authority over the natural creation, over the spiritual world, and finally over sickness and death. He astonished everyone who witnessed that authority. I pray we too are astonished and amazed by our Wonderful Savior and LORD.
