Jairus And His Sick Daughter: Don't Be Afraid; Just Believe (The God Who Heals) Series

"One night a house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee to the roof. The father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to his son, "Jump! I'll catch you." He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see, however, was flame, smoke, and blackness. As can be imagined, he was afraid to leave the roof. His father kept yelling: "Jump! I will catch you." But the boy protested, "Daddy, I can't see you." The father replied, "But I can see you and that's all that matters."

Here is a similar illustration:

During the terrible days of the Blitz, a father, holding his small son by the hand, ran from a building that had been struck by a bomb. In the front yard was a shell hole. Seeking shelter as quickly as possible, the father jumped into the hole and held up his arms for his son to follow. Terrified, yet hearing his father's voice telling him to jump, the boy replied, "I can't see you!"

The father, looking up against the sky tinted red by the burning buildings, called to the silhouette of his son, "But I can see you. Jump!" The boy jumped, because he trusted his father. The Christian faith enables us to face life or meet death, not because we can see, but with the certainty that we are seen; not that we know all the answers, but that we are known." -Donner Atwood

I think it’s very important for us to understand as Christians that our God is fundamentally a God who loves to heal. He healed people thousands of years ago, and he continues to heal people today. But the requirement on our end is faith. We must have faith in God. Even when we can’t see. Even when we don’t know the future. Even when it seems impossible. Faith.

The Lord Jesus heals people physically, mentally, spiritually, he heals our past sorrows, he heals our broken memories, he washes away our sins. Our God is a healing God. That is fundamental to his character.

As we’ll see today in the gospel of Mark, we find Jesus again healing people.

It says in Mark 5:21-24: "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 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."

We want to bring our concerns to Jesus, just like Jairus does in this moment. He has faith that God can help him. And sure enough, Jesus goes with him.

Whatever is concerning you today, bring it to God. Sometimes we get so focused on the problem we don’t bring it to God. Instead we worry about it. We stress over it. Stop a second and realize, I need to pray right now, at this very moment. Then bring it God in faith.

We’ve got a situation setup here. Jesus is going with Jairus to his daughter who is sick. But then the unexpected happens. A woman in the crowds, is searching for Jesus, and she believes that Jesus can help her.

It says in verses 25-29: "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."

It's a divine interruption. These kinds of moments happen in life all the time. We’re super busy doing what we’re doing, and God interrupts the moment with something he wants us to do. Be sure to be willing in the moment to follow God’s leading.

This woman had been sick for 12 years. That’s a long time. She had suffered. She had wasted all her money on doctors and hadn’t gotten better. I bet many people here can relate to that statement. Been to doctors for years, but it never seems to get better. Eventually you start to give up on doctors, your faith in doctors fades away in the face of the problem you’re facing. But there is a faith with this woman, if she can just touch Jesus, she will be healed. And sure enough, by her faith, it is done for her. She is healed.