The banquet given by Levi; the woman with the issue of blood; the daughter of Jaïrus

Continuing with Fouard's Life of Christ:

II: The banquet given by Levi; the woman with the issue of blood; the daughter of Jaïrus

Matt. ix. 10-26; Luke v. 29-39, viii, 40-56; Mark ii. 15-22, v. 21-43.

It was in the morning that Jesus delivered the two demoniacs of Gergesa, and by pushing out to sea without delay He could reach the fertile land of Genesareth again that same day.  A long time before they hove to and dropped anchor in the little bay eager crowds had spied the vessel which had borne Him away, and hastening down along the banks, they waited to greet Him.

But none welcomed Him more gladly than Levi.  Evidently this Apostle had remained behind in Capharnaum, and having in the interval called together a number of His friends, publicans and sinners, like himself, he begged the Lord to partake of a great feast, which he immediately prepared for this assemblage.  Jesus showed no hesitation about accepting the invitation, and in good time sat down to the banquet, surrounded by His disciples.

That the Lord was present at this feast soon began to be noised throughout the town.  The Scribes and Pharisees were the first to make their way into the great hall, thrown open wide to all comers.  There they saw, enacted under their very eyes, this sad scandal, the rumour of which had so shocked them.

Verily!  ay, true enough!  There sat a Master of Israel at the same table with publicans, and familiarly talking with such low company!

They were too wary now to grumble and mutter in the Saviour's hearing; but feeling that they might act more freely with the Apostles, they gave vent to their distrust and horror in their ear.

"How comes it," they said "that you and that master of yours eat and drink with publicans and sinners?"
Censure such as this, coming from men they were accustomed to look up to with reverence, could not fail to disturb these simple minds, little versed in controversy.

Jesus, knowing every movement of their souls, discerned the trouble, and Himself replied to the formalists, "that He was not come to call the just, but sinners.  For men in good health have no need of a physician, but only the sick." Then, borrowing an expression common among their Rabbis, He added,

"Go, ye, and learn the meaning of those words: I will have mercy, and not sacrifice!" That is, Charity rather than mere stickling for observances.

Such precepts as this uttered by the Prophet Osee conferred upon the Law its only true dignity, by permeating it with the real Spirit of Christianity before the time.  But the Pharisees of Capharnaum had not so construed it; and now they refused to comprehend more than that Jesus undertook to defend His friends, and so for their part, they would refrain hereafter from all disputes with Him!

Some of John's disciples, attracted thither by the hurrying throngs, had also entered the great hall.  At sight of Jesus seated there, taking His part in the good things of the feast, mindful too of how the Baptist "would neither eat nor drink," and even now was languishing in the dungeons of Macheronte, these sad memories quite broke down all their hopes.  So then, the Christ had already for gotten His Precursor!  Far from spending His time in fasting and tears, like these mourners over the downfall of their great Prophet, He was actually enjoying rich banquets, and diverting himself in the company of sinners!

Such a spectacle embittered their minds the more against Him, and made their disappointment over their own master’s fate all the harder to bear.  Finding that the Pharisees were ready to make common cause against Him, they joined them in reproaching the Lord anew.

"Why," they began, "should we and the Pharisees multiply our fasts, were you and yours eat and drink?"

Jesus for gave their presumption, because they zeal made it excusable; but He recalled to the minds of John's disciples how their master had compared Him to the Bridegroom amid the marriage festivities, and continuing the figure, He said, "Would you have the sons of the Spouse fasting and weeping while the Spouse is with them?" It is befitting for us to fast in seasons of mourning only; now John had foretold that the coming of the Kingdom of God would be like a wedding festival, wherein the Christ should celebrate His espousals with Humanity; and therefore, on this day of gladness, to demand that the Apostles, the friends of the Bridegroom, should abandon themselves to grief, would be to discredit the testimony of John himself.

"But a time will come," He added, "when the Spouse shall be taken from them, and they shall fast in those days."

For the first time Jesus allowed the multitude to have some inkling of the violent death which awaited Him; but He did not dwell at any length upon this dark foreboding; indeed, He rather made haste to restore happiness and peace among Levi's guests, who had been disturbed by these ill-timed questionings.

Hereupon changing the tone of their talk, and looking round Him upon the gay furnishings which decked the board, the joyous company in their bright-coloured festal robes, the tankards from which flowed sparkling wines, He began to speak in a Parable which had now come to be His usual manner of teaching.

Under this figure He propounded a truth which would be the most apt to shock the Jewish mind; for He wished to have them know that in His Kingdom the ceremonies of the Mosaic worship were to be abolished, the bloody sacrifices, the symbolical ceremonies, circumcision, and everything else which in the Law was but a shadow of future things, would now fade away under the clear light of the Gospel.  And the Lord knew, were He to announce abruptly that the Ancient Covent had already passed away, He would arouse Judea against Him; hence He must needs prepare men's minds, as usual, with gentle condescension.

"No one," He began, "puts a piece of unworn cloth into an old garment; otherwise the new," when damp and shrunken, "gathers up the old, and the rent is made the worse.  And no more does anyone put new wine into all bottles; otherwise the bottles break, the wine flows away, and the bottles themselves are lost.  Rather you put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved."

Mysterious and little understood though they were, these words could not fail to excite some surprise in the minds of His audience; perhaps they even caused renewed murmurs of disapproval.  Jesus fully realised how strong the attachment to time-honoured observances can be, and so He added,

"He who is wont to drink old wines does not at first relish the new, but finds the old better."

The woman with an issue of blood. J-J Tissot.

As He was speaking in this way, one of the great men of Capharnaum entered the happy circle.  It was Jaïrus, Chief of the Synagogue, — one of those notable men of the city who had very lately sought out Jesus to implore His aid in behalf of the Roman Centurion; The Apostles accompanied Him; behind them searched and excited throng of publicans, Pharisees, those disciples of John, and the people of the town, all eager to see what was about to happen.

Now, amid this motley mass of humanity, there was a sick woman who had been subject to a loss of blood for some twelve years.  Such a malady was a dreadful humiliation for any daughter of Israel; because it was looked upon as a scourge that was only laid on women of wicked character, and hence those afflicted with it were avoided and despised.  The poor sufferer had paid out all her means in fees to the physicians, but still in vain.  She had undergone, without any benefit, all that peculiar treatment as to which the Talmud gives us some curious details, yet the disease grew greater every day.

She had now given up all other hope save in Jesus; but she was still held back by her timidity and shame, both because she had nothing at all to offer Him, and because the sickness was thought to be such a terrible disgrace; at last she resolved to get the gifts of grace by stealth, like a thief.

"If I can just touch His robe," she said to herself, " I shall be healed."

Urged on by this intense and lively faith, she glided through the multitude, pushed her way right up to the Master, and furtively seized the tassel hanging from His mantle in her thin and wasted fingers.

Scarcely had she touched it, when the issue of blood was stopped; her trust had been rewarded.  With beating heart and half choked with fear, she fell back amid the crowd.

But though no one had noticed her act, Jesus knew it of Himself.  Feeling at once that power had gone out from Him, He halted and turned towards the people.

"Who has touched My garment?" He said.

As each one began to plead innocence, Peter and those round Him replied,

"Master, the people crowd about and harass you, and can you ask, Who has touched me?"

"I have felt that power has gone out from Me," Jesus answered; "someone has touched Me."

And as His eyes fell upon the throng He fixed one of those grave and piercing glances which fathom the depths of the heart upon her whom He had healed.  The woman, seeing herself discovered, began trembling, then tottered to Him and fell at His feet, declaring before all the people for what cause she had touched Him, and how one the instant she had been cured.  The Lord had merely looked for this simple acknowledgement.

"My child, be of good courage," He said to her; "go in peace, your faith has saved you."

While He was still speaking comforting words to her, some members of the household of Jaïrus came hurrying towards them.

"Do not trouble the Master any longer," they said; "your daughter is dead."

The unfortunate father had uttered no complaint at seeing Jesus make so long a wait by the roadside.  Great and importunate as was his grief, it could not make him grudge this sufferer the happiness of being healed; for the noble man's charity equalled his fate.  The Master now turned back to him, and seeing him bound in speechless sorrow, He spoke to him very gently.

"Do not fear, only believe; she shall be saved." And still followed by the throngs, He proceeded once more on the way.

At the house Jesus found mourners already gathering, upon the first tidings of the child's death.  The delicate body, ready to be wrapped it in its winding sheet and linen bands, was lying on the cold ground; round about it the women were moaning and wailing, while the shrill keening of the flutes made their cries the more dismal.

"Talitha, Koumi!" "My child, arise!" J-J Tissot

"Weep not!" Jesus said to them; "the child is not dead, she sleeps."

The mourners, hearing the speech, thought that He was mocking them, and would have continued their wail, but Jesus forbade them.  He made them pass without the darkened chamber, and allowed only the mother and the father of the child, together with His three most intimate Apostles, Peter, James, and John, to remain in the room.

In their presence He took the hand of the young girl, and called to her,

"Talitha, Koumi!" "My child, arise!"

But once the little maid rose and started to run, in high glee, for she was only twelve years old.  The parents were beside themselves with joy and the Lord had to remind them of such things as were necessary for the child, telling them to give her something to eat.

In working this new marvel of resurrection Jesus said yielded to his boundless love; but may He not have feared that so wonderful a sign of His Christhood would arouse all the enthusiasm of the people, and reawaken Herod's jealousy?  He had not confined Himself, therefore, to merely commanding them to keep silence concerning the matter, but had taken every precaution to conceal the deed beforehand.  His first words had been, "The child is not dead, she sleeps;" and although these words were meant to signify that for Him it was as easy to recall her soul to life as it would be to awaken her from slumber, yet this sense of the words would be sure to escape the minds of the common people.  The wondrous deed being accomplished, He probably remained in the house until the people outside, ignorant of what was going on within doors, gradually dropped away.

Thus Jesus avoided the first outburst of excitement; but the secret could not be kept for long.  The sight of the little girl, brought back from death to life, the great gratitude of her parents, the wonder and awe of the Apostles, — all these soon betrayed the fact, "and the fame of the miracle was noised abroad through the whole countryside."

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam