The Healing of the Woman and the Young Girl

One of the Gospel's most well-known healing stories is of the woman and the young girl.

The story begins with Jesus en route to healing a 12-year-old young girl who is very close to death. Almost immediately, he is delayed after involuntarily healing a woman with a 12-year ailment along the way.

What if this story is not simply a recording of events, but written within the framework of Jewish Midrash, echoing themes of Purim and Passover while foreshadowing the redemption to come?

The Number Twelve

We should take notice of the number 12 in this story. This hint made me consider the possibility that we could be wading through some degree of Midrashic material in this account.

This does not necessarily challenge the historicity of these events but conforms their retelling within the greater tapestry of the redemption of Israel, a mission Jesus reiterated numerous times¹.

For the sake of time, we will only focus on the high points of this idea, but there is certainly more in this story for those interested.

Timing

Though chronology is difficult, this story seems to have occurred sometime before Passover. This puts this story somewhere after the celebration of Purim as these holidays are roughly one month apart.

On the Jewish calendar, this time of year is filled with themes of [Messianic] redemption and restoration - consistent with the events of Purim² and Passover.

Traditionally, it is customary to read Song of Songs between these holidays as it nicely complements these themes, telling the story of Israel's exiles and redemption.

For many, this naturally includes studying the accompanying Midrash collection - Songs of Songs Rabbah.

As we might expect, many themes in the Midrash also appear in the Gospel account.

The 12 -Year-Old Girl

Beginning with the story in Luke, Yair's 12-year-old daughter first captures Jesus's attention. She seems to be dying.

Yair is an upstanding citizen, an elder in the synagogue community, and is desperate to seek help from this itinerant Galilean healer.

If you recall, Yair was the name of Mordechai's father, connecting us to the book of Esther. Rabbinic tradition also states that Yair is another name for Mordechai. This immediately connects us to the redemptive events in the Purim story, where the Jewish people were saved from imminent death.

In the Midrash³, there is a notable play on words with the [Hebrew] word for 'young girl' that is recast as a restoration 'from death'. This connects the girl with the idea of death and resurrection.

The Woman with the 12-year Bleed

Abruptly, the narrative turns as Jesus enters a crowded place. It is here that he inadvertently heals the woman who simply touched the tzitzit (fringe) on his tallit (prayer shawl).

Almost immediately, readers wrestle with the juxtaposition of a healing that can wait versus a more dire healing.