“Daughter”

This is one of the sweetest and most powerful words from the mouth of our Lord.

In Luke 8 a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years touches Jesus without his knowing and is immediately healed. Jesus recognizes that power had gone out from him and asks the crowd who touched him, but everyone denied it. Then it says the woman came “trembling” before Christ and “fell down” and “declared why she touched him and how she was immediately healed.” (Luke 8:47)

It seems there was reason for the woman to fear; Jesus was a busy man on a mission and he just stopped in his tracks and asked who touched him! I would bet everyone was wondering what Jesus was going to do and say. Was he angry? Annoyed? Who would dare touch him without asking first? Instead, the first word out of his mouth is “Daughter.” He calls her his “Daughter.” She is not only physically healed by Jesus but she is now identified by Christ himself as a “daughter” of the King of Kings. Because of her sickness she was most likely shunned, possibly even by her own family. Physical sickness was one thing but social and relational sickness was another. Jesus restores both here.

The amazing thing is that because of our spiritual adoption Jesus calls us “sons” and “daughters” as well. May that encourage us and grip us today afresh with an awareness of the love of Christ for sinners like you and I. May that also lead us to care in the same way for others!