READING: MARK 5:21-43

When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered round him while he was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He 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 round 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 realised that power had gone out from him. He turned round 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 people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. ‘Your daughter is dead,’ they said. ‘Why bother the teacher anymore?’

Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, ‘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 leader, 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 began to walk 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.

REFLECTION

Welcome to Friday’s Podcast. It’s been great to explore the Bible with you this week as we look to build these Godly foundations in our lives.

Let’s look at today’s passage – it’s another incredible one. Described are two truly remarkable acts by Jesus – the healing of the woman with severe bleeding and the resurrection of the 12 year old daughter of the one the Synagogue rulers, a man named Jairus.

There’s so much to talk about here but I want to focus on how both the woman and Jairus respond in their moment of need and how this relates to us.

V22 -23 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.

And then the woman..

V 27-28 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak because she thought, “If I touch his clothes, I will be healed.”

Two very different people. Two very different and difficult situations. The same response – both, in their moment of complete desperation bring themselves before Jesus. Both, Jairus – an appointed member of the religious establishment, and the woman, an ostracized member of society due to her illness, have to do exactly the same thing: put aside their pride, forget what others might think of them and then literally fall at the feet of one man.

Why do this? It appears that both Jairus and the woman acted out of a deep sense of fear. They were completely and utterly afraid. In Jairus case that he would lose his little daughter and in the woman’s case that she would never be healed and never be allowed back into society. Yet, both realise that in their moment of absolute fear and desperation they can turn to Jesus. Both know that it is only Jesus who can help them. It seems as if they must have heard of Jesus due to his growing popularity. Perhaps they had even heard him speak? Either way, they turn to Jesus in their hour of need. When they were desperate, knowingly or unknowingly – they sought the face of God.

As we read this passage, we too are challenged to do the same. All of us face challenges in our lives. We’ve faced them in the past, we may be facing some today and we’ll face them in the future. Some are short lived but also there some challenges that never seem to go away. We know this about our lives; generally others don’t. The truth is we don’t really know what’s going on in other people’s lives. Yet God does. He is Emmanuel – God with us. With us in the good, and with us when it’s really, really challenging.

This passage shows us that when we face huge challenges we need to bring them to God. We too, like Jairus and the woman, need to seek out Jesus. Because, it’s only by bringing these situations to God that we are able to move forward.

I think one of the most powerful verses in the entire Bible is this: ‘Perfect love drives out fear’. God is perfect. God is love. Both, Jairus and the ill woman, somehow knew that in their moment of fear, this man – Jesus had the answer, that he loved them. God’s perfect love drives out fear. It was only by coming to Jesus, in their most desperate moment that God’s perfect love for them and their families could be truly revealed.

In this passage we see two incredible examples of healing. We may not see that instant breakthrough in our life. There are some situations where we may never fully see that in this lifetime. But our response has to be the same as the people in this passage. We have to continue to turn to God. To bring before him those things which burden us. Because it’s in Him that we find a way forward. His perfect love casts out all fear.

PRAYER

Jesus, we come before you today. We bring to you all that we facing – our hopes, dreams, struggles and challenges. Thank you that as we give you these things, we experience your love, and that your perfect love for us casts out all fear. Jesus, may we experience your grace and healing this day, and may we see breakthrough in the challenges we face. Amen.

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