And now onward again in the history of the Gospel!
When we left Matthew’s house already quite late in the morning and were halfway to Capernaum, a woman likewise came (Matt. 9:20) from behind, following Me most hurriedly, who, like another Greek woman earlier, had suffered from a flow of blood for about twelve years, and no one could help her. This woman, who received news from the earlier Greek woman, merely touched the hem of My outer garment and became well in an instant. For she said to herself, following the impulse of her innermost feeling (Matt. 9:21): ‘If only I might touch the hem of his garment, I shall recover!’ And so it immediately happened to her just as she had believed! And she also felt at once that through touching My garment in faith, the source of her twelve years of suffering had dried up.
(Matt. 9:22) But I turned around and said to the woman: ‘Take comfort, My daughter, your faith has helped you! Go in peace!’ And amid many tears of thanks and joy the woman went home and remained healthy from then on.
This woman was a Jewess and not a Greek woman; but she had her dwelling not far from a Greek settlement, often visited the Greeks and learned much from them, and in this way also of the healing of the earlier Greek woman, whom Mark and the painter and poet Luke mention later. Because of this, the two most similar events are regarded as one and the same even by the most learned theosophists, which, however, is by no means correct according to the full truth and provides good water for the mills of those addicted to doubt.
But Matthew the scribe also immediately asked Me whether he should now record this deed too, and what of all the deeds of this day.
And I said to him: ‘You should record everything that happened today except the provisioning of your namesake’s house, and likewise not the many speeches that were exchanged. In brief, we shall return home again today, and tomorrow we shall have enough time to determine precisely what of today is to be recorded.’
Matthew the scribe was entirely satisfied with this, and immediately afterwards we also reached the colonel’s house and went there at once into the hall where the deceased daughter lay upon a bed adorned in the Roman manner.
There were a multitude of flute players and other noisemakers there; for it was customary to make a great noise around the dead so that they might either awaken again or, if that might no longer happen, to drive away the emissaries of their prince of hell, Pluto, according to the opinion of the common, blind, mostly heathen people, who were precisely the ones busiest here. Matt. 9:23.
But when I entered the large room with the disciples and saw and heard their senseless noise (Matt. 9:24), I commanded that first of all they should fall silent with their noise and leave the room, and now the whole house altogether, since the daughter had not died but was only sleeping!’
Then the hired noisemakers—naturally for money, for without money no noise was made for anyone!—began to laugh at Me, and one of them said to Me confidentially: ‘You will scarcely succeed here as with Jairus!? Just look at her more closely, and as a physician you must immediately recognize that, according to the teaching of the famous ancient Greek physician Hypocrates, the most complete death sits upon her nose—and you claim she is sleeping!?’
But the colonel saw that the makers of the uproar would not leave; then he commanded them to leave under threat of severe punishment, and ordered the soldiers on guard to drive the people out. Matt. 9:25. Thus the room was soon clear of all the noisemakers;
and when the room, as well as the whole large house, was free of the troublesome guests, only then did I go fully into the room with My disciples and the members of the colonel’s household. I immediately stepped up to the deathbed and, without saying a word, merely took the daughter by the hand, and in an instant the daughter rose so completely strengthened and healthy as though nothing had ever been wrong with her.
But when the daughter saw that she has lain upon the bed well known to her, on which only the dead are laid, she at once asks what it means that she is on the deathbed?!
But the colonel stepped up to her and said, overflowing with the highest joy: ‘My most dearly beloved Cornelia! You have become very ill and have also died completely of that evil illness; you were dead and would also have remained irretrievably dead if this truly almighty Healer of all healers had not raised you with His divine power, just as He had raised the little daughter of the school ruler Jairus, whom you know well, a few days ago. So rejoice now in the most beautiful life again, and from now on be more than grateful to this Friend of friends, who alone has given you back the lost highest good, the most precious life!’