While he was saying these things to them, an official came forward, knelt down before him, and said, “My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples. 20 A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.” 22 Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” And from that hour the woman was cured.
23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they ridiculed him. 25 When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose. 26 And news of this spread throughout all that land.
In this powerful episode, two desperate individuals—an official whose daughter has died, and a woman suffering from hemorrhages—approach Jesus in hope. Though their circumstances differ, both act with striking faith. The official, likely a synagogue leader (cf. Mk 5:22; Lk 8:41), believes Jesus can restore life to his dead daughter. The woman, afflicted for twelve years and rendered ritually unclean under the Mosaic Law (cf. Lev 15:25–27), dares to reach for the tassel of His cloak. According to Numbers 15:38–39, these tassels were reminders of God's commandments. Her faith is not in magic or superstition—it is in the person of Jesus, the one she believes has divine authority to heal.
This scene also parallels other New Testament moments where faith is the channel of divine power. The centurion’s servant is healed from afar (Mt 8:10–13); the blind men are told, “Let it be done for you according to your faith” (Mt 9:29). In each, healing is not transactional but relational—it flows from a genuine encounter with Jesus and trust in His mercy.
Jesus responds to each in a personal and compassionate way. To the woman, He turns and says, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you” (v. 22). The Greek word sōzō means both “to heal” and “to save,” pointing to a restoration that reaches beyond the body to the soul. When Jesus arrives at the official’s house, He dismisses the mourners, saying, “The girl is not dead but asleep” (v. 24). This was not a denial of her death—she had truly died, as everyone there understood—but a declaration that death is not final in the presence of the Lord of life. Jesus takes her by the hand, and she rises. This was not resurrection in the full Christian sense—she was restored to mortal life and would one day die again. Yet this act foreshadows His own Resurrection, which brings glorified, eternal life that never ends (cf. Rom 6:9). In restoring the girl, Christ reveals His power to call us from both physical and spiritual death into the new life He alone can give.
This moment anticipates another, more well-known restoration: the raising of Lazarus (Jn 11:1–44). Like the girl, Lazarus had died and was mourned. Jesus calls him from the tomb, restoring him to earthly life. But as with the little girl, this was not the final Resurrection. Lazarus lived again, but he would experience physical death again. These miracles were not only acts of compassion—they were signs of divine authority. They point beyond themselves to Christ’s own Resurrection, which is altogether different: a passage through death into glorified life, never to die again (cf. 1 Cor 15:42–45). In Jesus, the final enemy—death—is not merely delayed but ultimately defeated.
The Gospels make it clear that faith is often the gateway to healing. Jesus frequently says, “Your faith has saved you” or “Let it be done for you according to your faith” (cf. Mt 9:22; 9:29). But this faith is not merely belief in an outcome—it is trust in the person of Christ, even without knowing the result. Many of the miracles Jesus performed—including the restoration of the girl and the healing of the hemorrhaging woman—were not just acts of mercy, but signs that the kingdom of God had broken into the world (cf. Mt 12:28). Yet the Gospels also show that where there is no faith, even Jesus does not force His power upon people; in His own hometown, He “did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith” (Mt 13:58).
The miracles revealed that Jesus had divine authority to forgive sins, heal bodies, and conquer death (cf. Mt 9:6; Lk 7:22). The Apostles later continued these works to confirm their mission and testify to the risen Lord (cf. Acts 3:6–16). Yet Scripture and the Church also recognize that not all suffering is removed in this life. Some are healed, others are sanctified through suffering, but all are invited to trust in the God who restores, redeems, and ultimately raises to eternal life. Faith opens the door to divine mercy and eternal life—not always through the outcome we hoped for, but always through the One who holds our lives in His hands.
Early Christian commentators, like St. Jerome (c. 347–420 AD) and St. John Chrysostom (ca. 349–407 AD), saw in these miracles signs of Christ’s authority over both sin and death. The woman’s condition represented the soul wounded by sin and separated from the life of the community. Her restoration mirrors the healing found in repentance and faith. The girl’s restoration reveals Christ’s power to call us from both physical and spiritual death into new life. For the early Church, these were not merely wondrous acts—they were theological signs: Christ is the physician of both body and soul, and faith is the open door through which His healing enters.
These encounters echo Old Testament themes where God alone is the source of life and healing (cf. Deut. 32:39; Ps 103:3). Jesus’ actions, then, are not merely signs of compassion—they are divine acts that reveal Him as the fulfillment of these ancient promises. In touching the untouchable and raising the dead, He inaugurates a new creation where faith in Him restores what sin and death have shattered.
Lord Jesus, You are the healer of every wound and the restorer of life. Strengthen our faith, that we may reach for You in confidence, trusting not only in Your power, but in Your mercy. Heal us in body, mind, and spirit, and raise us to walk in the fullness of life You promise. Amen!
A Word for the Suffering:
Faith is never wasted. Christ sees, responds, and holds every sorrow within His redemptive plan. For those carrying illness and the threat of death, and for those who love them, may Christ be your strength and peace. May His mercy sustain you, His presence comfort you, and His promise of eternal life remain your hope—now and always. Amen!
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Sources and References:
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, ed. Orchard et al. (1953).
- The Navarre Bible: Matthew, Faculty of the University of Navarre (2008).
- The Paulist Biblical Commentary, ed. Chiu et al. (2018).
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, §§1503–1505, 1506–1510, 2616, 994–996.
- St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew.
- St. Jerome, Commentary on Matthew.
- The Didache, 1st c. Christian catechesis.
- Romans 6:9; 1 Corinthians 15:42–45; Matthew 8:10–13; Matthew 9:6, 9:22, 9:24, 9:29; Matthew 12:28; Luke 7:22; John 11:1–44; Acts 3:6–16.
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