And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment. The woman with the twelve-year hemorrhage is the interruption of the journey to the ruler's daughter. By the law of Leviticus 15:25, her discharge made her ritually impure and made impure everyone she touched. Coming up behind Jesus and touching his garment rather than approaching from the front is the self-effacing approach of someone who knows her approach is technically prohibited. She has been excluded from the covenant community's normal life for twelve years — the same twelve years that Jairus' daughter has been alive. Numbers 15:38–39 specifies the fringe of the garment as the reminder of the commandments; the woman touches the covenant reminder on the covenant teacher's clothing.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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