Church Fathers Commentary Luke 8:40-48

"And as Jesus returned, the multitude welcomed him; for they were all waiting for him. And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus` feet, and besought him to come into his house; for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as he went the multitudes thronged him. And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, who had spent all her living upon physicians, and could not be healed of any, came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately the issue of her blood stanched. And Jesus said, Who is it that touched me? And when all denied, Peter said, and they that were with him, Master, the multitudes press thee and crush [thee]. But Jesus said, Some one did touch me; for I perceived that power had gone forth from me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people for what cause she touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace." — Luke 8:40-48 (ASV)

St. Augustine of Hippo: After relating the miracle of the Gadarenes, Luke continues with the story of the ruler of the synagogue’s daughter, saying, And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.

Theophylact of Ohrid: This was because of both His teaching and His miracles.

St. Augustine of Hippo: However, the event he adds next, And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, should not be assumed to have happened immediately. Instead, we should understand that the feast of the tax collectors, which Matthew mentions, occurred first. Matthew connects these events in such a way that they cannot be understood to have happened in any other order.

Titus of Bostra: The name is included for the sake of the Jews, who at that time knew the event well, so that the name might be a clear proof of the miracle. And it was not one of the lowest, but a ruler of the synagogue who came, so that the mouths of the Jews might be more effectively silenced. As it follows, And he was a ruler of the synagogue. Now he came to Christ because of his need, for grief sometimes urges us to do what is right, according to the Psalm, Hold their mouths with bit and bridle, who come not near to you.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Because of his urgent need, then, he fell at His feet, as it follows, And he fell at Jesus’ feet. But it would have been right for him to fall at Christ’s feet and acknowledge Him as God without such a pressing necessity.

St. John Chrysostom: But notice his dullness of heart, for it follows, and besought him that he would come into his house. He was truly ignorant that Christ was able to heal even from a distance. If he had known this, he would have said as the centurion did, Speak the word, and my daughter shall be healed.

Greek Expositors: But the reason for his coming is explained by what is added: For he had only one daughter, the pillar of his house and the successor of his family line, about twelve years old, in the very flower of her age. And she lay dying, about to be carried to her grave instead of her wedding bed.

St. John Chrysostom: But the Lord had come not to judge the world, but to save it. Therefore, He does not consider the rank of the petitioner but calmly undertakes the work, knowing that what was about to happen would be greater than what was asked. He was called to heal the sick, but He knew that He would raise one who was by this time dead, and so implant a firm hope of the resurrection on the earth.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But when He was about to raise the dead, He first cured the woman with the issue of blood in order to build faith in the ruler of the synagogue. In the same way, a temporal resurrection is celebrated at the Passion of our Lord so that the other resurrection might be believed to be eternal. But as he went, the people thronged him.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: This was the greatest sign that He had truly put on our flesh and trampled all pride underfoot. For they did not follow Him from a distance, but thronged Him.

Greek Expositors: Now a certain woman, afflicted with a severe disease, whose illness had consumed her body while physicians had consumed all her wealth, finds her only hope in such great humility that she falls down before our Lord. It is of her that the text continues, And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, etc.

Titus of Bostra: How worthy of praise, then, is this woman! With her bodily strength exhausted by the continual issue of blood, and with such a great crowd thronging around Him, she entered the crowd in the strength of her affection and faith. Coming up behind Him, she secretly touched the hem of His garment.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: For it was not lawful for the unclean to touch any of the holy saints or to come near a holy man.

St. John Chrysostom: For by the custom of the Law, a malady of this kind was considered a great uncleanness. Apart from this, she also did not yet have a right estimation of Him; otherwise, she would not have thought she could remain concealed. Nevertheless, she came, trusting to be healed.

Theophylact of Ohrid: But just as when a person turns their eye to a shining light, or puts fuel on a fire, they immediately have their effects, so indeed the one who brings faith to Him who is able to cure immediately obtains a cure. As it is said, and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

St. John Chrysostom: But the garments alone did not save her (for the soldiers also divided them among themselves), but the earnestness of her faith.

Theophylact of Ohrid: For she believed and was saved. As was fitting, she first touched Christ with her mind, and then with her body.

Greek Expositors: But the Lord heard the woman’s silent thoughts and silently granted her silent request, willingly permitting her to seize her cure. Afterwards, however, He makes the miracle known, as it follows: And Jesus said, Who touched me?

St. Cyril of Alexandria: For the miracle that was performed did not escape the Lord's notice. Rather, He who knew all things asked as if He were ignorant.

Greek Expositors: Now His disciples, not knowing what was being asked and supposing He spoke merely of someone physically touching Him, answered our Lord’s question. As it follows, When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude press you and throng you, and you say, Who touched me? Our Lord therefore distinguishes this particular touch with His answer, as it follows, And Jesus said, Somebody has touched me.

He made a similar distinction when He said, He that has ears to hear, let him hear, although everyone present had physical ears. It is not truly hearing if one hears carelessly, nor is it truly touching if one touches without faith. He now reveals what was done, adding, For I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. He answers in this tangible way, taking into consideration the minds of His hearers.

Here, however, He is revealed to us as the true God, both by His miraculous deed and by His word. For it is beyond us, and perhaps beyond angels as well, to be able to impart virtue as if from our own nature. This belongs to the Supreme Nature alone. No created being possesses the power of healing, or of performing any similar miracles, unless it is divinely given. But it was not from a desire for glory that He did not allow this display of His divine power to remain concealed—He who had so often commanded silence about His miracles. Rather, He did it for the benefit of those who are called to grace through faith.

St. John Chrysostom: First, He removes the woman’s fear, so that she would not suffer the pangs of a guilty conscience for, as it were, stealing the grace. Second, He reproves her for thinking she could lie concealed. Third, He makes her known publicly for the sake of others and reveals a miracle no less significant than the stopping of the blood, by showing that all things are open to His sight.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Moreover, He persuaded the ruler of the synagogue to believe without doubting that He would rescue his daughter from the hands of death.

St. John Chrysostom: Now our Lord did not immediately identify her, so that by showing that all things were known to Him, He might cause the woman to announce what had happened herself. This ensured the miracle would be free from all suspicion. Hence it follows, And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling.

Origen of Alexandria: But the same cure which the woman obtained by touching Him, our Savior confirmed with His word, as it follows, And he said to her, Your faith has made you whole; go in peace, that is, be released from your affliction. And indeed, He first heals her soul by faith, and then her body.

Titus of Bostra: He calls her "daughter," as one already healed because of her faith, for faith claims the grace of adoption.

Eusebius of Caesarea: Now they say that the woman set up in Paneas (Caesarea Philippi, from where she came) a noble triumphal monument to the mercy granted to her by the Savior. For there stood upon a lofty pedestal near the entrance to her house a brazen statue of a woman on her knees, with her hands joined as if in prayer. Opposite to this was erected another statue resembling a man, made of the same material, clothed in a stole, and extending his hand to the woman. At his feet, on the pedestal itself, a strange kind of plant was growing, which, reaching to the hem of the brazen stole, was said to be a cure for all diseases. They said that this statue represented Christ. It was later destroyed by the emperor Maximinus.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Now, mystically, Christ had left the synagogue in the region of the Gerasenes, and He whom His own people did not receive, we who were strangers now receive.

The Venerable Bede: Or, at the end of the world, the Lord is about to return to the Jews and will be gladly received by them through a confession of the faith.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But who do we suppose the chief of the synagogue to be, if not the Law? It is out of consideration for the Law that our Lord had not entirely abandoned the synagogue.

The Venerable Bede: Alternatively, the ruler of the synagogue is understood to be Moses. Hence he is rightly called Jairus, meaning “enlightening” or “enlightened,” because as the one who received the words of life to give to us, he both enlightens others and is himself enlightened by the Holy Spirit. The ruler of the synagogue fell at the feet of Jesus because the lawgiver, along with the whole line of the patriarchs, knew that Christ, when He appeared in the flesh, would be far superior to them. For if the head of Christ is God, then His feet must fittingly be understood as the Incarnation, by which He touched the earth of our mortality. The ruler asked Him to enter his house because he was eager to witness His coming.

His only daughter is the Synagogue, which alone was formed with a legal institution. At twelve years of age—that is, when the time of maturity was approaching—she lay dying. For after being brought up nobly by the prophets, as soon as she came to the age of discretion when she ought to have brought forth spiritual fruit to God, she was suddenly overcome by weakness and error. She forgot to enter the way of the spiritual life and, unless Christ had come to her aid, would have fallen into destruction. The Lord, while going to heal the girl, is thronged by the crowd, because in giving wholesome warnings to the Jewish nation, He was weighed down by the customs of a carnal people.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But while the Word of God hurries to this daughter of the ruler to save the children of Israel, the holy Church—gathered from among the Gentiles and perishing from its fall into gross sins—seized by faith the healing that was prepared for others.

The Venerable Bede: Now the issue of blood may be understood in two ways: either as the prostitution of idolatry, or as those things which are done for the delights of the flesh and blood.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But what does it mean that this daughter of the ruler was dying at twelve years of age, and the woman was afflicted with the issue of blood for twelve years? It must be understood that as long as the Synagogue flourished, the Church was weak. For at almost the same age of the world, the Synagogue began to grow up among the patriarchs, and idolatry began to pollute the Gentile nations.

But just as she had spent all her wealth on physicians, so the Gentile nations had lost all the gifts of nature.

The Venerable Bede: Now by "physicians," we should understand either false doctors, or philosophers and teachers of secular laws, who, while debating much about virtue and vice, promised to give mortals useful instructions for life. Alternatively, we can suppose that the physicians signify the unclean spirits themselves, who, by giving what seems to be advice to men, arrange for themselves to be worshipped as God. By listening to them, the Gentiles consumed the strength of their natural industry all the more, and were all the less able to be cured from the pollution of their wickedness.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Hearing that the people of the Jews were sick, she begins to hope for the remedy of their salvation. She knew the time had arrived when a Physician would come from heaven, and she rose to meet Him—more ready because of her faith, yet more hesitant because of her modesty. For it is the role of both modesty and faith to acknowledge weakness but not to despair of pardon. Out of modesty, then, she touched the hem of His garment; in faith she came, in piety she believed, and in wisdom she knew she was healed.

In the same way, the holy people of the Gentiles who believed God blushed at their sins enough to abandon them. They offered their faith by believing, showed their devotion by asking, put on wisdom by feeling their own cure, and took on the boldness to confess that they had received ahead of time what was not theirs. Now, Christ is touched from behind, as it is written, You shall walk after the Lord your God.

The Venerable Bede: And He Himself says, If any man serve me, let him follow me. Or, it is because the Church, not seeing Christ present in the flesh, began to follow His footsteps through faith now that the sacraments of the temporary dispensation were completed.

St. Gregory the Great: But while the crowd thronged Him, one woman touched our Redeemer. This is because all carnal people in the Church oppress Him from whom they are distant, and only those who are joined to Him in humility truly touch Him. The crowd, therefore, presses Him but does not touch Him, because it is both intrusive in His presence and absent from His life.

The Venerable Bede: Alternatively, one believing woman touches the Lord, since Christ—who is afflicted beyond measure by the diverse heresies multiplying around Him—is faithfully sought by the heart of the Catholic Church alone.

St. Ambrose of Milan: For those who throng Him do not believe; those who touch Him believe. By faith Christ is touched; by faith He is seen. Lastly, to express the faith of her who touched Him, He says, I know that virtue is gone out of me. This is a tangible sign that the Divine Nature is not confined within the limits of the human condition or the compass of the human body, but that eternal virtue overflows beyond the bounds of our ordinary state.

The Gentile people are not saved by human aid; the gathering of the nations is the gift of God, which even by its little faith draws His everlasting mercy to itself. For if we consider what our faith is and understand how great the Son of God is, we see that in comparison to Him, we touch only the hem—we cannot reach the upper parts of the garment. If we also wish to be cured, then, let us touch the hem of Christ by faith.

But the one who has touched Him is not hidden. Happy is the person who has touched the very edge of the Word. For who can comprehend the whole?