Details

How we tell a story matters.

While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well." Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well. When Jesus came to the leader's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, "Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district. - Matthew 9:18-26

Matthew's version of this story of the hemorrhaging woman and the dead daughter is a lot shorter and less detailed than Mark's or Luke's versions.

In those, we learn that the girl is twelve, the same number of years the woman had suffered with bleeding.

We also learn that Jesus felt the power leave him when the woman touched his cloak.

These details change the story, shifting our focus from the healing to something else, whether that be age or suffering or power.

Matthew wants us to stay focused on something else.  He is showing us that faith heals.

The woman chased after Jesus to simply touch him, while the man traveled out of his way after his daughter died to bring Jesus to her.

These are amazing acts of faith.

When we would give up, they kept trying, and it paid off.

So, that is the lesson for us.  Never give up.  Believe in the impossible and have undying faith.

More to come...