April 11 - The Touch of the Healer

April 11 - The Touch of The Healer - Mark 5:21-43

Jairus was an elder in charge of the services at the synagogue. He would be quite aware of who Jesus was and probably heard all of the gossip surrounding this man's power. When it came to the needs of his daughter, he knew exactly who to turn to. He pleaded with the Lord to come to his home because his little daughter (a term of endearment) was dying.

This story is about to be interrupted, but I want to ask a question. If you approach Jesus with a request and He were to begin the journey with you to respond to your request, do you have faith that He will actually follow through with it? Let's see what happens to Jairus.

First, though, we are introduced to a woman who has been sick for twelve years! She has been subjected to the abuse of many doctors and spent every single cent trying to deal with her illness. She continued to grow worse, no matter what she did. Then, she heard about Jesus. He was in her hometown! Walking through the streets!

With everything she had left, she approached Him and her faith was so strong in His power to heal her, that she knew all she had to do was touch His clothing. She grabbed the hem of His cloak. Mark uses that word again ... immediately! Immediately she knew that she had been healed. Jesus looked for her in the pressing crowd and then called out for her.

People had been pressing against Jesus the entire time He had been walking. His disciples were astounded that He would ask about one single person touching Him. But, she had reached out to Him in faith. It was more than just a passing gesture or a simple bump on the road. She had deliberately reached for Him.

He knew that it was her faith that had drawn from power from Him. What can your faith do?

After that short interruption, men came from Jairus' home to tell him that his daughter had died. Can you imagine? He had waited too long to ask for Jesus' help. There was no longer any purpose in bringing Jesus to his home.

But, Jesus doesn't quite work the way we expect Him to, does He? he turned to Jairus and said, "Don't be afraid, just believe."

When He got to their home, He rebuked the local crowd of wailers and took Jairus and his wife, along with Peter, James and John into the room with the child. He spoke a few words to her and she immediately (there's that word again) stood up and walked around. He asked them to not reveal the miracle and in a practical way, got the poor child something to eat.

What is the moral of today's set of stories? I think it is in the words Jesus spoke to Jairus, "Don't be afraid, just believe."