21 And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him : and he was nigh unto the sea.
22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jai- rus by name ; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
23 And besought him greatly, say- ing, My little daughter lieth at the point of death : I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed ; and she shall live.
24 And Jesus went with him ; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touch-
ed his garment.
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up ; and she felt in he?' body that she was healed of that plague.
30 And Jesus, immediately know- ing in himself thatvirtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes ?
31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
32 And he looked around about to see her that had done this thing.
33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and tell down before him, and told him all the truth.
34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole ; go in peace and be whole of thy plague.
The main subject of these verses is the miraculous healing of a sick woman. Great is our Lord's experience in cases of disease ! Great is his . sympathy with His sick and ailing members ! The gods of the heathen are generally represented as terrible and mighty in battle, delighting in bloodshed, the strong man's patrons, and the warrior's friends. The Saviour of the Christian is always set before us as gentle, and easy to be entreated, the healer of the broken hearted, the refuge of the weak and helpless, the comforter oi the distressed, the sick
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man's best friend. And is not this just the Saviour that human nature needs ? The world is full of pain and trouble. The weak on earth are far more numerous than the strong.
Let us mark, in these verses, what misery sin has brought into the world. We read of one who had had a most painful disease " for twelve years/' She had " suf- fered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse." Means of every kind had been tried in vain. Medical skill had proved unable to cure. Twelve long weary years had been spent in battling with disease, and relief seemed no nearer than at first. " Hope de- ferred" might well " make her heart sick." (Prov. xiii. 12.)
How marvellous it is that we do. not hate sin more than we do ! Sin is the cause of all the pain and dis- ease in the world. God did not create man to be an ailing and suffering creature. It was sin, and nothing but sin, which brought in all the ills that flesh is heir to. It was sin to which we owe every racking pain, and every loathsome infirmity, and every humbling weakness to which our poor bodies are liable. Let us keep this ever in mind. Let us hate sin with a godly hatred.
Let us mark, in the second place, how different are the feelings with which people draw near to Christ. We are told in these verses that " much people followed" our Lord, " and thronged him." But we are only told of one person who " came in the press behind," and touched Him with faith and was healed. Many followed Jesus from curiosiJ^^^d derived no benefit from Him
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