The Woman & The Wrestler

Luke 8:40–56, Genesis 32
Series: The Strange Places We Meet God

Introduction: Meeting God in Places of Need

In this series, The Strange Places We Meet God, we’ve seen how God reveals Himself in moments of deep need:

• God met the Israelites in slavery through the burning bush.

• God showed up when Elijah and Moses needed direction.

• Today, we explore two people who encountered God when they needed faith:

  • A bleeding woman

  • A wrestler named Jacob

I. The Bleeding Woman (Luke 8:40–56)

The Context

When reading biblical stories, we often isolate them from the broader narrative. But context matters. This story appears in Mark 5, Matthew 9, and Luke 8. We’ll focus on Luke’s account—written by a doctor, who notices important physical details.

In the lead-up to our story, Jesus:

• Calms a storm

• Heals a demon-possessed man

Now, a crowd is gathered. Jairus, a synagogue leader, pleads with Jesus to come heal his 12-year-old daughter, who is dying.

The Interruption

As Jesus makes His way to Jairus’s house:

“A woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years… came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.”
(Luke 8:43–44)

This woman, ceremonially unclean for 12 years, quietly touches Jesus in hope.

Jesus asks, “Who touched me?”

Peter objects—“Everyone is pressing against you!”
But Jesus insists: “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” (v.46)

The Miracle Within the Miracle

In the middle of Jairus’s urgent need, Jesus pauses. The crowd watches. The woman trembles, confesses, and Jesus responds:

“Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” (v.48)

This is the only example of two intertwined miracles in the Gospels.

Imagine Jairus in this moment—frustrated by the delay as his daughter nears death.

Yet, we learn:

• Jesus honors faith, even when it’s hidden and timid.

• The woman not only receives healing but also public affirmation.

• Jesus lifts her from isolation and shame into peace and community.

The Resolution

News arrives: Jairus’s daughter is dead. But Jesus says:

“Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” (v.50)

He enters the home, and in a stunning moment of power and grace:

“He took her by the hand and said, ‘My child, get up!’ Her spirit returned.” (vv.54–55)

What We Learn from These Two Miracles

1. Faith may begin in secret—but Jesus draws it into the light.

2. Delays in God’s timing are not denials.

   • Jairus had to wait while Jesus healed another.

   • Faith involves patience with God’s priorities.

3. Jesus sees beyond what others see.

   • Others laughed. Jesus restored.

4. God’s power is for the desperate and the faithful alike.

II. Jacob Wrestling with God (Genesis 32)

The Deceiver’s Journey

Jacob, whose name means “heel catcher” or “deceiver,” was a man of manipulation:

• Took Esau’s birthright

• Stole his father’s blessing

• Fled to Laban, who deceived him in turn

• Manipulated livestock and wealth

Eventually, Jacob decides to face Esau. But fear grips him when he hears Esau is approaching with 400 men.

He tries to strategize and divide his camp—still trying to control the situation.

Then, finally, he prays:

“I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness… Save me, I pray.” (Genesis 32:10–11)

The Wrestler

That night, Jacob is left alone—and he wrestles with a man until daybreak. This was no ordinary man.

The man touches Jacob’s hip and dislocates it.

“I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (v.26)

The response?

“Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” (v.28)

Jacob names the place Peniel, meaning “face of God,” because he had seen God face to face—and lived.

The Transformation

• Jacob’s wrestling was physical—but also spiritual.

• God wounded him so he could walk differently, live differently.

• His new name, Israel, means “God’s fighter” or “may God strive for him.”

Jacob becomes the father of the nation named after him. And his limp reminds him of his dependence on God, not self.

Conclusion

Both the bleeding woman and Jacob the wrestler show us what it means to meet God in desperation:

• One reaches out quietly.

• One fights all night long.

Yet both leave changed:

• One walks away healed and affirmed.

• One walks away limping and renamed.

In your place of need—will you reach out? Will you hold on?

Discussion Questions

1. What does the woman’s silent faith teach us about approaching Jesus with our hidden struggles?

2. How do we respond when God delays what we believe is most urgent?

3. What can Jacob’s wrestling teach us about surrendering control to God?

4. Have you ever had a “Peniel moment”—an encounter with God that changed you?

5. In what areas of your life are you being called to “just believe”?