Did you know that God has no grandchildren, grandnieces, or grandnephews, but only children?  God has children only, no grandchildren.  For God has a direct relationship with us, each of us, regardless of our background, socioeconomic status, skin color, sexual orientation, race and all the human labels.

Today’s scripture beautifully reflects this truth.  We meet two female figures in today’s gospel reading.  They have in common that they are women, meaning that they were considered inferior to men in the time of Jesus.

Nevertheless, they are quite different from each other in age, socioeconomic background, and support system.  One is a daughter of the leader of a synagogue.  As the head of a synagogue, her father belongs to the Jewish ruling class.  We even know his name, that is, Jairus.  It is rare to find named characters in the gospel of Mark.  Probably due to his high social and religious status, Jairus assertively approaches Jesus and asks Jesus to heal his daughter.  So our first female figure could represent people belonging to a high socio-economic class, who have a voice to request, a right to be visible, and a honorable place in society.

In contrast, the other female, unlike Jairus who is the leader of a synagogue, has no name in the story.  Having no name, she is just part of the background, the crowd, the unidentifiable.  She has even spent all she had; she is likely to be left with nothing, but her illness.  In the episode, she has no one who can advocate for her, not her parents, husband, siblings, or friends.  She is all by herself with her sick female body.

In fact, she is an outcast, a nobody!  She is poor, sick, impure, and untouchable.  This might be why she did not directly ask Jesus to heal her, but covertly touched his clothes.  This poor female has no one who can stand with her, defend her, or support her, while Jairus is there for his daughter.  This nameless woman is all alone with her broken condition physically, economically, mentally, and spiritually.  Can you see the differences between the two females—Jairus’ daughter and the nameless woman?

Being aware of these differences is crucial in understanding today’s gospel lesson and also in relating its meaning to our personal lives. 

Let us return to the story with this realization.  At the beginning of the story, as a socially respected leader Jairus comes to Jesus to ask him to cure his daughter.  Jesus goes with Jairus to heal his daughter, who is dying.  Remember Jairus’ daughter is dying.  Every second matters.

However, their way is interrupted by a nameless, poor, impure, unclean, and untouchable person, a female who is in a state of shame and dishonor due to her bleeding during the time of meeting Jesus.

Because of her impurity and uncleanness, she shouldn’t be in a public place.  Her presence in the crowd is a violation of the Mosaic law, particularly the purity law.  Furthermore, by touching Jesus’ clothes, she would make him unclean.  However, just like Jesus, she may know that this purity law does not serve the true purpose of the law anymore and that it serves the healthy people only, not the unhealthy.  She may even know that Jesus has come to serve the sick, not the healthy.   So, with her faith that “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well,” she has boldly touched Jesus’ clothes.

A miracle happened to the poor, unclean, untouchable woman, which no one knows about, but only Jesus and she know.  This is already significant; with this knowing, she is in a better place than Jesus’ disciples. 

Then why is Jesus wanting to know who has touched him when he would have already known it was she and that she was made well?  Why is Jesus taking more time to acknowledge this lowly woman while he knows Jairus’ little girl is dying?  Why is Jesus doing this when he has done it that would publicize his uncleanness caused by the bleeding woman?  The scripture does not give a direct answer to it.  

What is clear in the scripture is that Jesus as an embodied love of God does not ignore the need of this poor woman in favor of the young girl who has a far superior sociocultural status.  Rather, Jesus, who is impressed by her faith, acknowledges her in the midst of a crowd and praises her, by saying “Daughter, your faith has healed you.”

She has lived as an invisible person.  She has remained in the shadows where people cannot see her.  As an untouchable, it is possible, she has been thirsty for human recognition, for being seen.  We all want to be seen; we all want to be recognized; we all want to be acknowledged.  Yet, her social label has been “unclean,” “impure,” “unapproachable,” “untouchable” and so “should be avoided.”

NOW she is recognized in the middle of a big crowd.  Jesus brings a spotlight on her at the center of the crowd.  She becomes visible as a human being, not being treated as a sick body. 

Furthermore, Jesus calls her “Daughter"!  “Daughter” is a new name Jesus gives her.  The word “daughter” immediately reminds us of Jairus’ request in the beginning of today’s scripture: “My little daughter is dying.”    

While the impure woman has been treated as an invisible, untouchable nobody, Jesus calls her “daughter.”  In this moment, she transforms from nobody to a daughter—a daughter of God.

Beloved siblings, brothers, and siters in Christ, you matter to God.  You are dear to God.  However, how often do you think you are too insignificant for God to care for you and for God to keep Her eye on you to see your needs and protect you?  How often do you feel as if God were so busy taking care of all other things except for you?  But Jesus’ recognition of the outcast woman with the hemorrhage and her courageous faith reminds us that God is ever attentive to each of us and is eager to take time with us.

However, it is through our faith that we can hear God speak to us, “My daughter” “My son.”  Even when the entire world does not recognize us, even when we feel we are completely invisible to the world, God call you “My daughter” and “My son” and speaks to you, “You are dear to me.  I am well pleased with your being.”