The Rewards of Faith

Please note: This transcript is provided as close to verbatim record of the sermon.

Be of Good Cheer: The Rewards of Faith

A Study on “Tharseō” (Take Heart)

This morning we resume our studies on the word tharseō, which you may recall is translated in various Bible versions as be of good cheer, take heart, take courage, or take comfort. The objective of this series is to examine the context of each occasion where the Lord uses this word, so that we may learn lessons for Christian living today.

The context we are considering this morning teaches us about the rewards of faith.

Scripture Reading: Luke 8:41–56

The passage before us is a familiar one. It is often referred to as the “sandwich passage”—two miracles woven together. Both miracles are connected by the number twelve:

• A woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years, and
• Jairus’ daughter, who was twelve years old when she died and was raised again.

As we read and reflect on this passage, I would like you to pay attention to words or details that seem to suggest a connection between three individuals: Jairus, the woman with the issue of blood, and Jairus’ daughter. I will also share with you a fresh perspective on this well-known account.

This incident is recorded in all three Synoptic Gospels—Matthew 9, Mark 5, and Luke 8. We are focusing on Luke’s account because it provides additional details that are not included in the other two.

(Scripture read: Luke 8:41–56)

May the Lord bless the reading and meditation of His Word.

Observations from the Passage

I wonder if you noticed some of the clues that suggest a possible link between these characters. Let me highlight a few:

1. The woman had suffered for twelve years, and Jairus’ daughter was twelve years old.
2. Jairus’ wife is not mentioned at the beginning of the passage, but she is mentioned at the end.
3. The miracles occurred on the same day, one leading directly to the other.

Was this a coincidence? An accident? Or was it a divine design—a sovereign arrangement that brought the woman and the child together in God’s purposes?

Notice also that both Jairus and the woman approached Jesus in the same posture: they fell at His feet. They came humbly, reverently, and in worship.

A Possible Interpretation: A Family in Crisis

There is a school of thought that suggests all three individuals belonged to the same family. According to this view, Jairus and his wife were prominent members of the community in Capernaum. Jairus, as a ruler of the synagogue, held a position of great responsibility. No one preached or read Scripture in the synagogue without his approval.

They were blessed with a daughter—but alongside this joy came sorrow. Jairus’ wife developed a blood condition that proved to be chronic. According to Levitical law (Leviticus 15), she was ceremonially unclean. She could not attend the synagogue, could not touch others, and others could not touch her. Eventually, she could not even live with her husband.

Because Jairus loved her deeply, he gave her money to seek a cure. Weeks became months. Months became years. Twelve long years passed. She became a social outcast—until the day Jesus passed through that street, and she heard of the Great Physician.

The story ends, as we know, with a glorious healing.

Now, I must say clearly: this is one possible interpretation, not a certainty. If you do not agree, that is perfectly in order. My theme—“A Family in Crisis”—does not depend on them being biologically related. Whether they were one family or not, the lessons remain the same.

Families in Crisis

This passage presents a family in crisis:

• One member isolated for twelve years,
• A child sick, dying, and eventually declared dead.

Families have been in crisis before, and families will continue to experience crisis. These crises range:

• From the traumatic—sudden accidents, tragic deaths, shocking news,
• To the problematic—conflict within families, legal disputes, sickness, financial strain, or lifestyle choices that contradict Scripture.

The results of crisis can range from agony to harmony.

• Crisis can fracture and splinter families,
• Or it can draw them together in deeper unity.

Faith in Action

Let us now look at the faith demonstrated in this passage.

1. They Came to Jesus in Their Brokenness

Jairus came openly and pleaded earnestly. Mark 5:23 records his words:

“My little daughter lieth at the point of death… I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.”

Here we see fact, fear, and faith.

The woman’s prayer was quieter, almost unspoken. Mark 5:28 records her words:

“If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.”

There was no formal address, no spoken petition—just a desperate faith in her heart. Yet the Lord heard that prayer.

Scripture reminds us:

“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

Faith with Results

Faith is never barren. It produces results.

1. The Lord’s Question: “Who touched me?”

Jesus knew who touched Him. The question was not for information, but for revelation:

• To publicly acknowledge the woman’s faith,
• To teach that it was not the touch that healed her, but her faith,
• And to restore her publicly to the community.

Had the healing remained secret, she would have remained an outcast. Jesus ensured her public reintegration:

“Go in peace.”

The Lord’s Commendation

Luke 8:48 records the tender words of Jesus:

“Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole.”

In Mark 5:34, we find even richer meaning.

1. “Daughter”

This is the only recorded occasion where Jesus addressed a woman as daughter. He did not call her “woman,” “sister,” or anything else—He called her daughter.

I want to suggest that on that occasion, the Lord recognized her saving faith. Scripture tells us that those who believe in Christ become sons and daughters of God through faith.

2. “Whole” — Twice, Two Meanings

In the original Greek, two different words are used:

• “Your faith has saved you,”
• “Be healed from your affliction.”

Her faith brought:

• Spiritual salvation, and
• Physical healing.

The rewards of faith were complete:

• Mental
• Emotional
• Spiritual
• Physical

From Crisis to Rejoicing

Finally, look at the outcome of this family in crisis.

Luke 8:54–56 shows us:

• Resurrection: “Maid, arise.”
• Restoration: Her spirit returned; she arose immediately.
• Reception: The parents were astonished.

Jesus instructed them to be quiet—not to suppress joy, but to allow the family time together after twelve years of pain and sudden restoration.

Conclusion

Here is the simple lesson of this passage:

A family in crisis, when they place their faith in the unfailing love of God, will—in the passage of time—become a family in rejoicing.

Closing Prayer

Father, we thank You for this time of worship.
We thank You for Your unfailing love—a love that will not let us go.
We thank You for the Lord Jesus Christ and for all He has done for us through His crosswork.

Lord, we thank You for Your Word this morning—the comforting, encouraging “be of good cheer” that You spoke to those in need.
Teach us that whenever we face crisis—personally or as families—faith in Your unfailing love will, in time, change the nature of things.

Bless us as we go, for Your glory, the building up of Your saints, and the saving of some.
We ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.