MARK 5:21-43
When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "
But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"
Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."
He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.
When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in 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!" ). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Get Going!Believing is never enough.
Talitha believed she sang better than most American Idol contestants. But she never bothered to try out. Dillon knew he could manage his department at work. But when the position became available, he didn’t apply.
Jairus figured Jesus could heal his dying daughter. So he traveled to Jesus and begged him to heal her. When the news arrived that she’d died, he choose to go ahead and bring Jesus to his home, even though everyone else laughed.
And the unnamed woman? Women in that culture were not supposed to interact with unrelated men in public. And, more, Jesus was an important man with a crowd of men around him. Besides, she was considered unclean because of her bleeding. Those she touched would be contaminated. She believed he could heal her, and might even choose to. But she had to overcome serious social and emotional obstacles. And she did.
Believing something might be true is never enough to receive the benefits of that belief.
To experience Jesus, and all the amazing dimensions of his character and message, I must act. Like Jairus or this woman, I must find a way to encounter Jesus; touch him, listen to him, know him. More, to fully experience him, I must devote my life to following him. Believing he is amazing and can create amazing realities in my life is never enough. Faith must be exercised. I must get going.
Jesus, again today, I will come to you by reflecting on the Bible that reveals you, conversation (prayer) with you in my routine, and solitude coupled with silence in order to hear you. I believe. And I am heading in your direction. -Mike Leamon
Annonymous Delays
Occasionally life puts us in the position to interact with someone of prominence and prestige. These occurrences are great ego boosters and we often refer to them to validate our ministry and self worth. Even as a pastor I feel important when someone of significance in the community calls on me to minister to them. I know it is pride that drives this, but honestly, don’t we all feel special when we are needed by someone in power.
Jesus was constantly in demand, but this day he is in demand by the synagogue leader. It might be the equivalent of the mayor for us today. Unlike so many superstars who call upon clergy today for publicity, this man actually believes Jesus can do what he cannot. He requests Jesus to come not for show, but out of pure need for the master’s touch.
On the way Jesus is delayed. Not by something unavoidable but by an unclean woman. Mark never gives us the woman’s name, but her interruption delays the healing of the synagogue ruler’s daughter. One woman is healed, the other dies. The no-name is placed in the center, the one whose name everyone knew died.
God operates this way. A woman who’s vaginal hemorrhaging had isolated her from society healed by the one who would be cut off from the land of the living by shedding his blood. A politically important person told to wait while the “nobody” is looked for. The healing was accomplished; Jesus did not have to stop. But Jesus wants to recognize faith wherever it is found. Even at the expense of his reputation. God operates this way but do I?
God of mercy and grace, who acknowledges the worth of every individual no matter how that reflects on your reputation by stopping to honor their faith, help me to live in your love to the extent where I am willing to stop doing important things to minister to broken nobodies. -Dan Jones
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