Jesus acknowledged her act as an act of faith. By failing to offer a rebuke, he demonstrated both that the healing came by God's power and not automatic magic (Hooker 1983:61) and that he was unashamed to be identified with her uncleanness. In the times of our deepest pain, the assurance of God's presence can provide comfort commensurate with the pain. This is true because the One we claim as Lord embraced our ultimate humiliation and shame on the cross, refusing even a simple narcotic to deaden the pain (27:34).