Turning our focus to Jairus for a moment, consider this: Jairus is a leader in the local synagogue. Most of the leaders are rebelling against Jesus (Pharisees and experts in the Law). I wonder if Jairus was a believer before his daughter was sick? If not, then he would be having a crisis just like the owners of the swine. Did his daughter’s illness tip him into confessing his belief in Jesus? Or, was he already a believer and this was a temptation to doubt?
Either way, Jairus demonstrates the best practice: he goes to Jesus and falls at His feet, pleading for help. I wonder how many problems we could have victory over if we only followed his example? Who would still be alive today if we had humbled ourselves before Jesus? What ministries would be thriving? Who would be converted? Who wouldn’t have wandered from the faith? What tragedies have we endured because we didn’t run to Christ and plead for help?
I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to be impatient when I really want to see something happen. For instance, if Jesus agreed to heal my daughter, then I wouldn’t want to stop and chat along the way. I would have no problem spending all the time He wanted AFTER my daughter is healed…but before…let’s not. Instead, let’s hurry to the task and accomplish it. After all, that is our purpose, right? To heal the daughter?
Maybe not. Or, maybe that’s only a small part of the purpose. Maybe the real purpose was to demonstrate to a large group of people that Jesus is God, and as God He has authority over life and death. No one who believes in Him need be afraid of death. To the believer in Jesus, death is only sleeping. (maybe that was it).
Of course Jairus doesn’t know any of that. He is quite possibly extending his faith as far as he can already…and now Jesus has stopped walking and is wondering who “touched him” in a crowd of people who are all touching Him. Good grief.
I consider this morning that there are a great number of people in our day who “crowd around” Jesus. They want to see the miracles, they want to be part of the moment…they are curious or thrill seekers, or something else. They are almost certainly bumping up against Jesus, and not a single one of them feels any healing power in themselves. How is it that Jesus was touched and jostled day after day and this is the only account of anyone receiving a “discharge” of healing power?
I have heard that Jewish tradition held that the tassels on the robe of the Messiah would contain healing power. By reaching out to touch the hem of the robe (where the tassels were) this woman is confessing her belief that Jesus is the Messiah. And anyone who recognizes Jesus as the Messiah will receive power from Him. Christ is completely aware of what is going on, even in the midst of the crowd. He isn’t carried away in the moment, He doesn’t miss the opportunity because He is too focused on Jairus. I might have been…but Jesus is not. His eye always has the Father in focus, and that keeps Him in the center of the Father’s will. In the center of the Father’s will is where all of us are complete and completely effective.
If only we would reach out in faith and touch the hem of Jesus. He is the only holy thing in all of creation that isn’t contaminated once it comes in contact with something unclean. Anything touched by Jesus becomes whole, and holy. It becomes healed, functional and filled with joy. I suppose Jairus could have been thinking to himself “in just a few more minutes that is going to be me dancing for joy and thanking Jesus for helping me and my little girl”.
But just at that moment….the bad news comes, the girl has died. Satan never misses an opportunity to encourage us to collapse in doubt and discouragement when a miracle is just around the corner. He always accuses and lies, and tries to rob us of our hope and faith.
Thank you Jesus, for whispering in our ear the same words you whispered to Jairus: “don’t be afraid; just have faith”. What miracles we would miss if we didn’t act in faith!
I applaud Jairus this morning for his incredible testimony. His dogged pursuit of Jesus is an encouragement to me, his refusal to be sidetracked by doubt and fear are motivators for me as well. And the way that God worked in his life in power? Well, it fills me with hope that God will do the same for me.
I suppose that from that day on, every time Jairus looked at his daughter he was reminded of the great power of God. I hope that as his daughter grew into a young woman and had children of her own that she carried the faith with her. Scripture doesn’t tell us what happened afterwards. Wouldn’t it be a tragedy to have been healed by Jesus only to later surrender the faith?
have a wonderful day in Christ,
PR