What a difference a day makes.    Mark 5:21-43

Sermon by Pastor Dennis Gleason -- March 5, 2006

Left on a sinking ship were the captain and three sailors. The captain spoke first. "Men, this business about a captain going down with his ship is nonsense. There's a three-man life raft on board and I'm going to be on it. To see who will come with me, I will ask you each one question. The one who can't answer will stay behind. Here's the first question: What unsinkable ship went down when it hit an iceberg?" The first sailor answered, "The Titanic, sir." "On to the next question: How many people perished?" The second sailor said, "One thousand five hundred and seventeen, sir." "Now for the third question," and the captain turned to sailor number three. "What were their names?"  Steve Templeton in Woodmen of the World Magazine.

That Sea Captain was certain that he was going to be in that life raft.

Mark 5:21-43

In our text today we find Jesus confronted by Jairus, the leader of the synagogue whose daughter was quite ill and a woman who had been ill for a long time. We see in this the challenge of faith.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  (Heb 1:1). Bishop Caruthers put it this way:  “Faith is believing something is true even if it is not true in order that it might be true.”

Jairus came to Jesus as a large crowd had gathered around him. He fell at Jesus’ feet and pleaded earnestly with him. He told Jesus that his little daughter was dying. “Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” She is his only daughter and she is only 12 years old. And she is dying. And Jesus is her only hope. There it is. He has placed it all on the line with Jesus.

He is certain that his daughter will be healed if Jesus comes with him. He has heard about Jesus. He has heard about Jesus’ compassion for those in need and he has come for help. For 12 years this little girl has been the sunshine of his life. And now the clouds of illness and possible death have blocked out the sunshine in his life.

He pleads with Jesus to come. And Jesus leaves immediately. Why? It is because the cry of the heart of Jairus has touched Jesus. Jesus’ compassion is for this father and the mother at home. It sounds a little harsh to say it, but Jesus’ compassion is not for the little girl. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care for her, but his real compassion is for the father and mother whose little girl is dying. The broken heart of the father has touched Jesus’ heart. Jesus knows that the little girl is dead. Jesus knows that the servants of this man will soon arrive and tell Jairus that his little girl is dead. And if the girl is dead, she is in the better place. There will be no more tears or sorrow where she has gone.

As they turn to go, the crowd of people moves with them. 

In that crowd of people is a little woman. She has been ill for 12 years. The hemorrhaging she is plagued with has weakened her and is destroying her life. She has determined to reach Jesus. She is certain that all she has to do is touch the hem of his garment and she will be healed. Somehow she must reach Jesus.

But there is more to the story than meets the eye. All women suffering such an illness as this woman were suspect. By the Law of her people:

=                   She was divorced by her husband

=                   She could not live in her own home

=                   She was ostracized from all society

=                   She was not allowed contact with her old friends

=                   She was excommunicated from the synagogue

=                   She was shut out of the Court of Women in the Temple

For 12 years she has suffered this disease. For 12 years the clouds of illness and suffering have plagued her. For 12 years there has been no sunshine in her life. Her wealth is gone and she was worse now than before.

What do you suppose is her most passionate desire?

Healing is the obvious answer, but I think while she desired healing and wholeness, I am sure that she desired a restoration to all the places in her life that were her joy – home, family, friends, and her religion. For 12 years of agony, physical, mental and spiritual, she has poured out all she had to regain her health and her place in life with no success. Mark with characteristic bluntness says she: “was nothing bettered but rather grew worse.”

Jairus comes to Jesus publicly seeking his help. He is quite open about it. Through the crowd he comes for help. Jairus has a public position of honor and people will let him through to Jesus without much issue.

The woman comes to Jesus quietly, privately. Ostracized as she has been, she cannot come openly. And so she plans and is certain that healing can be had if only she can touch the hem of his garment. Through the crowd this little woman comes. I am not sure how she did it. There is no one who recognizes her. People will not move over for her. Have you ever tried working your way through a crowd of people? It is not easy is it? She did it. She reached Jesus. She reached out her hand and touched the hem of his garment.

Our English translations don’t really do justice to what happened here. Our English translations tell us that the woman reached out and touched the hem of his garment. But the Greek text tells us that she thought:  “If I can but snatch (clutch at) the hem of his garment I shall be healed.” So she came and she clutched at it and it was the clutch of the hand of despair.

Suddenly, Jesus stops and wants to know who touched him. Delay has come into the picture. That the little girl is dying is all Jairus knows. I am sure that they did not have Murphy’s Laws back in those days, but I am sure that Jairus must have agonized over the delay. Why are we stopping? Please, let’s get moving! Time is of the essence here. And he sees Jesus stop and turn around to see who might have touched him. Jesus’ disciples question how he could imagine finding out who touched him. Think of the crowd after all!

But Jesus insists that someone touched him. He tells them that He knows that healing power has gone out from him and he wants to know who it was.

The woman knew that the power had done its work. She was certain that she had been healed. And she would have certainly have preferred to have remained anonymous.  And Jesus confronts her. She must admit that she was the one who had touched Jesus. She fell at his feet and fearfully told him what had happened. The text tells us that she was trembling with fear. And she told him the whole truth of what had happened to her.

One wonders why Jesus stopped to talk with the woman. He didn’t really need to.

She knew that she had been healed. It was her faith that led her to him that day. He did not have to tell her that; even though he does say: “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

I think he stopped for Jairus. He paused there to lead Jairus into an atmosphere in which it would be possible for him to believe, even when the news came that his daughter was dead. The news was coming and it would have been quite a blow to Jairus and his belief that Jesus could heal her. The woman delays Jesus and she gets healing and peace. Jairus only gets despair and disillusionment when his servants tell him that it is too late, his daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher any more they ask.

Jesus’ response is: “Don’t be afraid, only believe.” Words of desolation are followed by words of the utmost consolation. “Don’t be afraid.”

The come to Jairus’ house. People are already in mourning, weeping and wailing as was their custom. The little girl is dead. The blessing of twelve short years has come crashing to an end. Think of the little girl, if our suggestion that she is in the better place, the place of those who die in their faith, is correct healing will take her away from the better place. It will bring her back to a place of sorrow and tears. She will bless her parents again. Their suffering will end. Their broken hearts will be mended. But she will have left the better place to return to her parents.

Jesus takes Peter, James and John and her mother and father with him as he goes into where the little girl is laid out. He comes to her and says: “Little lamb, arise” in Aramaic. He speaks in Aramaic which is the common language of the intimate circles of life in the home. He gives her back to her family because of his compassion for them in their loss.

What does all of this have to say to us today?

First of all, wherever there is a soul who reaches out to Jesus in desperation, He is there. He answers. When we bid him to come with us or come to us; he does.

Secondly, He always knows the touch of need and responds to it.

Thirdly, He invites us into fellowship with him. He invites us into a deeper relationship with him.  He told the woman, “Go into peace.” Note this important distinction. He did not say go in peace. He said go into peace. That is the peace of the deeper relationship with Jesus. When this took place in her life it would not matter any more if she was restored to her family or not, or was allowed back into the synagogue or into the Court of Women in the temple. She is in peace. She is His child in fellowship with Him and no one can change that.

Jesus is sensitive to our need. He understands. He invites us with this woman into His peace. He tells the parents of the little girls to give her something to eat. He understands that she is hungry. He understands that in their joy to have her back they do not realize that she needs something to eat. But Jesus does. He knows and He understands.

And now, what of us?

There are times when healing does not come to us. And we don’t understand why. We believe. We take our need to Christ Jesus. And nothing seems to happen.

Death sometimes takes a loved one from us and they are not given back to us.

Sometimes the suffering and anguish, which are so real, linger on.

There are times when we do not get what we desperately desire or think we need.

What then?

Well, we know His heart. We are certain that he loves us. We are certain that he cares for us. We are certain that he understands our need. When healing does not come, we are still in his love. He cares. And we can say with certainty that whatever happens is the best for us.

If he who can, does not, then it is better that way. This is the greater meaning of grace for us.

Some people have faith in their faith and not really faith in God.

Faith for my deliverance is not faith in God. Faith means, whether I am visibly delivered or not, I will stick to my belief that God is love. There are some things only learned in a fiery furnace. 

Oswald Chambers in Run Today's Race.

Jesus knows. Jesus cares. He understands us and our needs. Let me illustrate this for you in this way:

John Paton was a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands. One night hostile natives surrounded the mission station, intent on burning out the Patons and killing them. Paton and his wife prayed during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see their attackers leave. A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Christ. Remembering what had happened, Paton asked the chief what had kept him from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, "Who were all those men with you there?" Paton knew no men were present--but the chief said he was afraid to attack because he had seen hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords circling the mission station.  Today in the Word, MBI, October, 1991, p. 18.

Jesus understands us and our needs.

He loves us.

He cares about us.

And His grace is sufficient for us in every way.

Let’s go into His peace…and find a deeper fellowship and a more intimate relationship with him. He invites us to come. So, let’s go!

--Dennis Gleason