Jesus was never too busy to take time out to show love for even the humblest of God’s people by responding to their needs. Here are the stories of three women to whom Christ showed compassion. In the first story, the healing of Peter’s wife’s mother, Jesus is gracious to a godly, hospitable woman. In the second story, Jesus goes against the customs of His day by interacting with an “unclean” woman. Then in the last story, we see Jesus even go so far as to chastise the religious leaders of His day for their coldness towards women.
– Then He got up and left the synagogue, and entered Simon’s home. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him to help her. And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and she immediately got up and waited on them. (Luke 4: 38, 39)
One time when Jesus was ministering in Capernaum, he stayed at Simon (Peter’s) home. Peter’s mother-in-law was there and was so sick that she could not even get out of bed. This godly woman was no doubt suffering emotionally as well because she was used to ministering to the disciples and would have felt distress that she could not serve them when they came on this visit.
Peter must have had great affection for his kindly mother-in-law and asked Jesus to heal her. We are used to seeing Jesus heal people. Of course it is a wonderful, miraculous blessing. But the most amazing part of this story is that the woman got up and immediately began waiting on Jesus and Peter and his friends.
Her response is a good example for us. When Jesus comes into our lives, cleansing and healing us from our sins, the first thing we should be is grateful. Then immediately we should find ways to serve Him.
– And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak; for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I will get well.” But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” At once the woman was made well. (Matthew 9:20 – 22)
In Luke’s version of this story we see that Jesus is on His way to heal the daughter of a synagogue official named Jairus. The little girl was dying and Jairus was urging Jesus to come quickly.
As He was following Jairus, a woman came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe on the bottom of His cloak. The woman had spent all the money she had. (Mark 5:25-34) She had been to many doctors but not a single one had healed her. She was desperate to try and get near Jesus.
Why did she approach Jesus from behind and try to not let anyone see her? In 
Jewish society anyone who had an issue of blood was considered unclean. Perhaps she did not want to shame herself or Jesus by going near to Him in public. We are not sure why she just tried to touch Him rather than talk to Him, but we know that it was not because of lack of faith. She had enough faith to believe that even if she just touched Jesus she would be healed.
After the woman touched Him, Jesus turned and said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” The disciples were surprised at Jesus’ words. There was a large crowd pressing all around them. Jesus knew that some power had gone out of HIm. When the woman saw that she was discovered she fell down before Jesus and told Him what she had done and how she had immediately been healed.
Jesus said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” It was important that Jesus spoke to this woman. He was telling her and everybody else in the crowd that she was now clean. Jesus not only restored this woman’s physical health, but He also restored her standing in her community. Now no one would need to keep shunning her. Now she could live a joyful life.
This woman’s private faith turned to a public testimony of the greatness and loving kindness of Jesus.
In the meantime, someone came to tell Jairus not to bother Jesus anymore. The little girl was dead. Jesus must have known that the child would die. How kind of Jesus to take out time to speak to this woman who had been sick for twelve years and assure her of physical and spiritual salvation. We’ll find out what happened to the little girl in next week’s post.
– And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God. (Luke 13:10 – 13)
In the last story we saw that Jesus defied the rules of the religious leaders when He interacted with an unclean woman. We saw that Jesus takes time out for those in need no matter who they are.
In this story Jesus takes time to heal a crippled elderly woman even though “the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, ‘There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.'” But Jesus pointed out the official’s hypocrisy. “Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound; think of it; for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” (Luke 13:16)
The official was putting his rules above the welfare of human beings. He did not care that the woman had been suffering for eighteen years or that she was an object of God’s love.
Jesus set them straight. The officials were “put to shame” (Luke 13:17). This phrase does not mean ashamed because they were sorry. It means that they were shamed in front of the others in the temple when Jesus pointed out to them that they were not obeying God’s command to them to love their neighbors (Leviticus 19:18). They were supposedly the teachers of the law; they should have known better.
They are the ones who broke the law, not Jesus. It was not wrong to heal on the Sabbath.
Like all three of these women we have been blessed. We have been shown much grace by our Savior. Let us be thankful and show our gratitude by being kind and compassionate to others as Jesus was.
