Your Faith Has Done What?

by Edwin Crozier

When Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, convinced Jesus to go to his house to heal his daughter, it seemed his plans were ruined by a woman with an issue of blood. For as long as Jairus’s daughter had been alive, this woman had suffered. She had spent all she had on physicians. They hadn’t helped her at all. Then she heard about Jesus.

She snuck up behind Him, touched the fringe of His garment, and was healed immediately. Thinking she could blend in with the crowd and slip away, she was pulled up short because Jesus called out, “Who touched me?” At first, she denied it. But when she realized she could not be hidden, she admitted what she had done.

Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace” (Luke 8:48 ESV).
What had her faith done? Made her well. But wait a minute. This statement sounds familiar. Let’s back up and see why.

In Luke 7, a sinful woman invaded the lunch at Simon the Pharisee’s house. When Jesus allowed her to wash His feet, Simon decided Jesus must not be a prophet. Surely, if He was, He wouldn’t allow such a sinful woman to even touch Him. Jesus told a story about debtors, forgiveness, and love. He told the woman her sins were forgiven. The other dinner guests questioned, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” But Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:50 ESV).

Here’s the thing. While the English translations of Jesus’s statements to these two women seem different, the original sentence is exactly the same in both. Jesus said the exact same thing to both women. And by doing so, He gave insight into the very nature of salvation. We tend to think of salvation as going to heaven when we die. No doubt, the saved go to heaven. But salvation is not going to heaven. Salvation is healing us from our sin sickness. Salvation is being made well. It is being rescued from drowning in our sins.

But recognize in both stories how the salvation/healing was accomplished. Neither was primordially ordained to happen apart from the women's actions. Rather, both women came to Jesus, humbled themselves before Jesus, and recognized Jesus was the only hope of their salvation and healing. And because they did, they were saved. Their faith saved and healed them not because having an internal mental assent saves and heals. But because their faith caused them to track Jesus down, bow at His feet, and seek salvation/healing from Him.

Let us follow their examples. The Pharisees and physicians of the world will not help us. They will not save us with all their machinations and legislation. But Jesus will save us. Put your faith in Him. Reach out to Him. Humble yourself before Him. Follow Him. He will save you. He will heal your sins and give you victory.

Praise the Lord!