Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” (Luke 8:47–48; NKJV)

In the second half of Luke chapter 8, Luke records three life-changing encounters with Jesus. Recall that Jesus had been ministering to the crowds and teaching His disciples on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. That evening, Jesus and His disciples sailed eastward across the sea. It was during that overnight voyage when Jesus rebuked the storm and the disciples marveled at the authority and power displayed by the Lord.

The first of the three encounters in the second half of Luke 8 occurs when Jesus and His disciples  step foot onto the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. They were now in the region that Luke calls “the country of the Gadarenes” (Luke 8:26). They were immediately confronted by a demon-possessed man who had superhuman strength, wore no clothes, and was living among the tombs in the countryside (vv. 27, 29).

The second of the three encounters occurs when Jesus leaves the country of the Gadarenes and returns to the western side of the sea of Galilee. When Jesus arrived, the crowds were waiting for Him. Luke narrows his focus to a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue. Jairus’ daughter was very sick and near death. Jairus came plead with Jesus to miraculously heal his daughter (vv. 40–42).

The third encounter occurs while Jesus is on His way to heal Jairus’ daughter. While the crowds were pressing in around Jesus, an unnamed woman who had been suffering a physical malady for twelve years reached out to touch the hem of Jesus’ clothing, hoping for miraculous healing (vv. 43–44).

Looking at these encounters side-by-side, we see that each individual comes to Jesus in a different frame of mind and faith. The demon-possessed man was out of his mind. The demons within the man clearly recognized the deity of Christ but were opposed to Him. Still, they fell down in necessary submission to Him. Jairus came with urgent need, pleading with Jesus, although it seems He did not fully believe in Him when he came (Luke 8:53). And the woman came with a sense of hope and godly fear, Jesus being her only last chance for restoration.

Despite their different frames of mind and faith, Jesus performed the necessary healing in the lives of all three individuals. He cast the demons out of the man. He healed the woman. And He raised Jairus’ daughter.

Notice how each individual came to Jesus. The demon-possessed man immediately recognized Jesus as the Son of God and fell down before him (v. 28). Jairus, though not fully believing in Jesus, still assumed such a posture as he pleaded with Jesus for his daughter’s life (v. 41). And the woman, likewise, when Jesus asked her to reveal herself, fell down before Him as she told the crowds about the healing she just received (v. 47).

The Greek words group Luke uses here for “fall down” (piptō, prospiptō) refers to the physical action, but it can have a variety of nuances. For example, it can refer to falling seeds or collapsing structures. It can refer to accidental or intentional actions. And it can also be a metaphor, like falling in battle (death), falling on someone’s neck (a loving embrace), or falling into a snare (giving in to temptation).¹

Importantly, the intentional falling down before a person was a cultural expression of respect and deference. It communicates a sense of submission (as with the demon-possessed man), humble reverence (as with the woman), or emphasizes a request (as with Jairus).²

In other words, when each of these three individuals encountered Jesus in the fullness of His divine authority—regardless of whether they recognized or believed in that authority—they bowed down before Him.

It did not matter whether the individual was opposed to Jesus (the demon-possessed man) or hoping in Him (the woman). Nor did it matter whether they were fully trusting in Jesus (the woman) or merely pleading with Him for help (Jairus). No matter the individual’s frame of mind and faith, their response was the same—when they encountered Jesus in the fullness of His authority and power, they fell down before Him.

As I reflected on these ideas, a question came to my heart. When was the last time I fell down before Jesus? Am I living with a sense of humility and reverence in the presence of my Lord? Have I sought Him out, asking for Him to speak healing and restoration into my life with the fullness of His divine authority and power?

If I am being honest, I cannot answer these questions as positively as I would like. But through this Scripture and reflection, I sense my Lord inviting me once more to turn my eyes and heart back to Him with a renewed sense of wonder and reverence at His divine authority, coupled with joy at the thought of His great love and mercy toward me.

Christian—when was the last time you fell down before Jesus with a sense of humility and reverence toward Him? Let it be today, as He invites you to find renewed faith and hope in Him.

Notes

1. Christopher A. Beetham, ed., “πίπτω,” Concise New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2021), 732. Logos Bible Software.
2. Ibid.