Two women were healed. One was a child, one was an adult. One had lost blood, the other had lost life. One was well-off. The other had spent everything.

And Jesus healed them both.

The child couldn’t speak for herself. She was dead. Her dad, a synagogue leader, a highly spiritual lay person, came to Jesus on her behalf.

The adult couldn’t speak for herself. She was a woman. There was no one to speak for her, so she got close to Jesus herself.

The child was at the center of a tragedy, though she didn’t know it. There was a funeral happening already. Her dad was desperate, as only the parent of a child who has died can be. Though he knew the risk to his reputation for looking for Jesus, he didn’t care. He just wanted her back.

The adult was at the center of a tragedy, though only she knew it. She was ceremonially unclean. She knew the risk of touching anyone, knew that she would make them unclean as well. She didn’t care. She just wanted her life back.

The child couldn’t do anything. That’s why the dad said, “if you will come and touch her with your hand.”

The adult couldn’t expect anything. That’s why she said, “if only I can touch his coat.”

And Jesus healed them both.

I wish I knew exactly what we are supposed to do with these stories. I wish I knew how to tell when to reach out and when to have someone else intercede. I wish I knew why Jesus healed these two women and not many people I know.

But I do know this: Jesus wants to have people talk to him and to reach out for him and to believe that he can do the unbelievable.