Mark 5:21–43 (ESV)

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. ²²Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet ²³and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” ²⁴And he went with him.

Image

    And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. ²⁵And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, ²⁶and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. ²⁷She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. ²⁸For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” ²⁹And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. ³⁰And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” ³¹And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” ³²And he looked around to see who had done it. ³³But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. ³⁴And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

    ³⁵While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” ³⁶But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” ³⁷And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. ³⁸They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. ³⁹And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” ⁴⁰And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. ⁴¹Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” ⁴²And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. ⁴³And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

St. Mark introduces us to a man whose “little daughter” is “at the point of death.”  Jairus gets down on his knees in front of Jesus and pleads “earnestly” to heal his daughter.  He is no longer a ruler, just a daddy who loves his girl.  The good news is that, in faith, he went to the right person for help.  As he and Jesus walked toward the house, a woman suffering with a bleeding ailment, in faith, touched Jesus’ garments and was healed “immediately.”   “Perceiving” her touch, Jesus wanted to know who touched His garments.  Jesus did not just want her to be healed physically; He wanted healing for her heart to deepen her faith.  Stepping forward, Jesus blessed her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your disease.”  While Jesus is speaking, people come and blurt out the devastating news: “Your daughter is dead.”  Overhearing, Jesus says, “Do not fear, only believe.”  Words we need to hold onto when our day of trial comes.

There is a day when some problem will pain our heart.  It may be a child who is ill or dies and is not raised back to life by Jesus just yet.  We may struggle with a chronic condition for years.  Then remember Jesus and Jairus and the woman.   Believe in the Lord of Life and love, Jesus Christ.  No, Jesus does not promise to solve every earthly problem in the time and in the way we want it solved.  Like Jairus, we may have to wait, perhaps a long while.  God’s answer to your prayer may be the gift of endurance, patience, and being a witness to others through your suffering.  In this story, the Holy Spirit gives us a glimpse of what lies in store for us on the Last Day: perfect healing and resurrection from the dead, when our Lord reaches down and take us by the hand to wake us from the slumber of death and say, “Child, I say to you, arise.”   

825 North 1^st West

Cheyenne Wells, CO, 80810-0728

Sunday Service begins at 9:00AM