And the fame of him went abroad into all that land.” – Matthew 9:26

For what would you like to be famous?

If not famous, for what would you be known or remembered?

A famous man came to Jesus one day. He is so famous that we do not know his name. However, we are told that he was a ruler.

One might assume that a ruler would have been a person of importance who was well known, at least in his region.

With all his fame and all of his wealth, he was a beggar on that day. The one thing that mattered to him was something that neither his wealth nor his power could give him – the life and health of his precious daughter.

On that day, Jesus was teaching, but, he was willing to be interrupted by a man with a broken heart and a desperate plea. This man also had faith in the face of impossible odds. He told Jesus that his daughter was so sick, that she had died.

But you can heal him, was the man’s plea.

This anonymous, famous, wealthy, powerful man, fell at the feet of Jesus in worship. He begged for the life of his daughter. Jesus did not hesitate. He did not favor the rich. He favored the broken and the wounded. In this moment, the poorest man was the wealthy man.

Yet, along the way, there was another, whose name we do not know.  She was hemorrhaging. She had been bleeding for years. She was so anonymous, that she did not even ask for Jesus’ attention  She just touched the hem of his garment.

But he knew and he stopped, and he inquired, “Who touched me?”

He felt the release of power. No one is anonymous to Jesus. No one escapes his attention,

Both stories end well.  The woman was healed. The girls was brought back to life even though the crowds were laughing at Jesus. He got the last laugh.

He also got the fame.

Miracles of that sort do not happen every day – or at least are not noticed every day.

Jesus’ fame spread. His fame is what counts because, when his name is known, people listen to him and their lives are transformed.

If you were to become famous, for what might it be. Perhaps the only thing that matters is to be known for what Jesus has done in your life.