WEDNESDAY 24 March 2021 “Desperate”

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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,

I wonder what helps you determine you need to get to a doctor, and you simply can’t delay any longer? Is it the amount of your pain, or the sight of blood, or inability for your body to do things it normally has done in the past? In some parts of the world getting to medical help is not simple and can be very expensive. So here’s a more important question… from whom do you seek your medical help first, your doctor or Jesus? And what are your expectations as you call out to both Jesus and your doctor?

Join me in Luke 8 today my friends, as we encounter two people who needed help, and both decided it was finally time they’d reach to Jesus for His miraculous help. While Matthew and Mark also give us their reports, I like Luke’s because he was a physician himself and while he was not present with Jesus on this day, I fully expect he really did his due diligence in speaking with those who were eyewitnesses. Luke tells us that by this time whenever Jesus arrived in a town, word spread quickly and a crowd soon formed, as people expected no matter what Jesus would say or do, it would be noteworthy and they didn’t want to miss anything!

If you are a parent or grandparent, then I assume it is not difficult for you to feel the urgency and the fearlessness of Mr. Jairus, “…a ruler of the synagogue, who came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with Jesus to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about 12, was dying.” (Luke 8:41) We presume Mr. Jairus and his wife had done all the home remedies they knew, and they’d already been to see whomever the medical person was in their town, but their only daughter was growing worse very rapidly.

Now we know Jesus had healed other people from a distance in the past, but this time it appears Jesus responded quickly and they headed immediately to Jairus’ home, I presume Jairus explaining the symptoms and what they had already done as they walked along briskly, so as soon as Jesus would arrive He could get right to work.

But suddenly Jesus stopped and He stood still, looking around the crowd and listening intently. I imagine the crowd grew silent, everyone looking around wondering what Jesus was looking for and listening so intently to hear? Likely, it would only have been a few seconds and Mr. Jairus would have urged Jesus, “Please sir, we must hurry, we already may be too late.” But Jesus wasn’t moving, He was searching the crowd and listening. Dr. Luke reports it this way: “A woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years, but no one could help her. She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his clothes, and immediately her bleeding stopped!” No one had noticed. It was a bustling crowd on the move with Jesus after all, but now with Jesus having stopped and looking around and listening, finally He spoke “Who touched me?’ Jesus asked.” (Luke 8:45)

Confused looks came on people’s faces as they looked at Jesus and at each other. Peter broke the confusion: “Master, the people are all crowding around you and pressing against you. We all are touching you.” And I can see all the people nodding and saying, ‘yeah that’s right…’.

“But Jesus shook His head, and looking intently said ‘Someone touched Me, and I know that power has gone out from Me.” (Luke 8:46) Now put yourself in the crowd. We’re rushing with Jesus in response to Mr. Jairus and his urgent request for help for his dying daughter… and suddenly now Jesus and the crowd have stopped, are hushed, and Jesus says someone in the crowd touched Him in such a way POWER has gone out from Him! What could He mean? Who could it be?

And then it happened, a woman who was standing right next to you stepped forward and she knelt trembling at Jesus’ feet. “It is I Jesus” she said! Jesus bent down to lift her to her feet, and His smile calmed her fear and shame. She explained she had suffered with a bleeding disorder for many years and spent all she had visiting every doctor and medical treatment in the region, but nothing had helped. She was growing weaker. She was slowly dying and she knew it. But then she had heard about Jesus and some amazing things He was doing.

When she’d heard that day that Jesus was in her town she had come and not wanting to trouble Jesus or make a scene, she had simply reached through the crowd and taken a brief hold on his robe, asking God to do in her bleeding body what only God could do!

Do you see the smile on Jesus’ face as He is so pleased with such great faith. Listen, Jesus is speaking… “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” Oh my such tenderness, such empathy, such respect. Her smile says it all, and she turns to disappear into the crowd. What a magnificent moment, but this peaceful joy lasted only seconds and suddenly another voice, this time someone speaking to Jairus: “Your daughter has died, don’t bother the teacher any more.”

Oh my, from such a pinnacle of victory to such a depth of despair. Women in the crowd began to wail, Jairus nearly collapsed and Jesus reaches out to support Jairus. Looking intently at Jairus, Jesus says to him “Don’t be afraid, just believe and she will be healed.” Jesus wraps his arm around Jairus’ shoulder, draws him close and they start walking again toward Jairus’ house with the crowd anxiously now walking along with them. Jesus is talking to Jairus as they walk but with the noise of the crowd, none of us can hear what He is saying, perhaps His words are intended only for a grieving father.

The wailing beckons us to Jairus’ home. Neighbors and friends have gathered with Jairus’ wife as she grieves. Jesus asks the crowd to wait in the street, and invites three of His disciples to come with Him and Mr. Jairus as they enter the small courtyard of this grieving house. Jesus pauses, looks at the grieving people, death especially death of a child is so painful isn’t it? But then Jesus shocked them all “Stop wailing, the child is not dead but asleep.” Some of the people were offended at His comment. How could He be so insensitive? Others thought it was a comment of hope but in poor taste for they knew she was not sleeping, she had actually died. Some simply laughed at Him and ignored Him.

Mark reports: “Jesus took the child’s father and mother, Peter, James and John and they entered to where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her “Talitha koum!” which means ‘Little girl, I say to you get up!” (Mark 5:40,41)

Seconds likely seemed like hours. All eyes were fixed on the girl, no one spoke or even breathed. Suddenly her eyes opened, she took some deep breaths, she turned and saw her parents and she sat up! Stunned, her parents rushed to embrace her. Jesus stepped back and savored the moment. I wonder what Jesus thought in that moment? The day before He had calmed a storm with only words, then freed a man from thousands of demons who were tormenting him. Now within a few moments Jesus has healed a dear woman from 12 years of bleeding, and raised a young girl to life from the dead.

Peter, James and John were speechless, their mouths hanging open, their minds grasping for some logic to explain what they have just witnessed. They knew she had not been only sleeping when they came in this room, she had been dead…stone cold dead. Jairus and his wife knew it too. This was a resurrection. No words, no theories, no medical explanation. Death had been cheated and defeated here this day, but how? Only God can give life… what does it mean? What power has Jesus just demonstrated and what would it mean now if He even has power over life and death?

I suspect Jesus may have asked that He, Peter, James and John be permitted to leave the room first, and even leave the house and get well down the street before Jairus and his wife bring his daughter out for all to see! Otherwise at the site of Jairus’ daughter alive and well, there might be a riot in the street! And so I ask you my friends, I know your minds are full of questions. Would you like to go interview the woman healed of 12 years of bleeding, or would you like to stay here with Jairus and his wife and alive daughter to hear more of their story, or would you rather rush down the street to walk with Jesus, Peter, James and John listening to their questions and Jesus’ answers? What questions would you like to ask?

And what about you my friends, all over the world? What are your deepest needs today? How desperate are you for the powerful help that can only come from Jesus? Is anything holding you back from reaching to Jesus today, right now, right where you are?

Here’s a special song that fits with this remarkable experience we’ve just had today. . .

Today’s Scripture is Luke 8:40-56.

Choose below to read or listen.

Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.

Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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