Fathers Day

JESUS, AGREES TO GO WITH THE MAN, AND THEY BEGIN THE JOURNEY. THE CROWD IS ALL ABOUT THEM. THEY PRESS ON EVERY SIDE. THE FATHER, HOPING, TRUSTING, BELIEVING, AND AT THE SAME TIME, HE HAS THE REALITY OF HOW SICK HIS DAUGHTER REALLY IS. THE TRIP SEEMS TO TAKE AN ETERNITY. IT ALWAYS DOES WHEN FACED WITH THIS SITUATION.

AT THE SAME TIME, THEY ARE WALKING, A WOMAN, WHO HAS A GREAT NEED, PUSHES HER WAY INTO THE CROWD. THIS WOMAN, IS NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE CONTACT, SHE HAS A CEREMONIAL UNCLEANNESS. SCRIPTURE TELLS US THAT SHE HAS BEEN SICK FOR 12 YEARS, WITH AN ISSUE OF BLOOD. SHE HAS SPENT ALL OF HER MONEY TRYING TO GET BETTER, ALL SHE HAS GOTTEN IS POORER. AND SHE, LIKE JAIRUS, HAS ONLY ONE HOPE, AND THAT IS JESUS. SHE HAS HEARD WHAT HE CAN DO, AND SHE BELIEVES THAT HIS TOUCH CAN HEAL HER. SHE SNEAKS UP FROM BEHIND, SHE THINKS, IF I CAN JUST TOUCH HIS GARMENT, I CAN BE HEALED. SHE TOO HAS FAITH. SHE TOUCHES THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT AND IMMEDIATELY SHE IS HEALED. THE ISSUE OF BLOOD IS GONE, SHE CAN FEEL IN HER BODY THAT THE SICKNESS SHE HAS ENDURED FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS IS GONE. CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW SHE FEELS? SHE HAS BATTLED WITH THIS FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME AS IT TAKES FOR US TO COMPLETE SCHOOL. SHE HAS SPENT ALL HER MONEY, AND NOW SIMPLY AT THE TOUCH OF HIS CLOTHING SHE IS HEALED. SHE THINKS SHE CAN SIMPLY DRAW BACK INTO THE CROWD WITHOUT BEING SEEN. SHE DOESN’T WANT TO MAKE A SCENE, SHE DOESN’T WANT TO BE NOTICED. SHE JUST WANTS TO BE HEALED. NOW SHE WILL SLIP AWAY, QUIETLY.

NOT SO FAST. JESUS, STOPS THE CROWD. WHO TOUCHED ME? HE HAS FELT THE POWER GO OUT FROM HIM. THE DISCIPLES SAY, JESUS, LOOK AT ALL THESE PEOPLE, HOW CAN YOU TELL SOMEONE HAS TOUCHED YOU. EVERYONE IS TOUCHING YOU, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT US TO DO. BUT THE CROWD IS STOPPED, SILENCE. DON’T, FORGET THE FATHER, HIS DAUGHTER IS DYING, PERHAPS ALREADY DEAD, HE DOESN’T NEED THIS INTERRUPTION, FOR MOST OF US, WE WOULD BE IMPATIENT. HE DOESN’T SAY A WORD. JESUS IS LOOKING OVER THE CROWD, IT IS OBVIOUS, HE ISN’T MOVING UNTIL THE PERSON WHO TOUCHED HIM OWNS UP TO IT.

FINALLY THE WOMAN CONFESSES, SHE TELLS HIM ALL THAT HAS HAPPENED. WHY DOES JESUS DEMAND THIS ACTION? HE DEMANDS IT, B/C SHE HAS THE MISTAKEN IDEA THAT SHE CAN GET THIS HEALING W/O HAVING TO COME FACE TO FACE WITH JESUS. SHE NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIM FOR WHO HE IS. LORD AND SAVIOR. SHE DOES SO, AND HE SAYS TO HER, YOUR FAITH HAS HEALED YOU. THE WOMAN GOES AWAY REJOICING.

BUT, EVEN AS HE SPEAKS, SOME MEN, FRIENDS OF JAIRUS COME TO THEM, YOU CAN TELL BY THE LOOK ON THEIR FACES, THE LITTLE GIRL IS DEAD. THEY SAY TO HIM, ITS TOO LATE, ITS NO USE, THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE, LEAVE JESUS ALONE AND COME AND DEAL WITH THE DEATH. THE FATHER IS PROBABLY THINKING, IF WE HADN’T STOPPED, MAYBE IF I HADN’T WAITED TO FIND JESUS, MAYBE IF JESUS HAD BEEN HERE SOONER, WHO KNOWS WHAT THOUGHTS GO THRU HIS MIND. HIS ONLY CHILD IS GONE. HE IS NUMB. HE CAME LOOKING FOR HELP, AND NOW SHE IS GONE.

JESUS, WHO ALREADY KNOWS, SPEAKS TO JAIRUS, DON’T BE AFRAID, ONLY BELIEVE. TAKING ONLY PETER, JAMES, AND JOHN WITH THEM, THEY CONTINUE TO JAIRUS HOUSE. ALREADY, THE MOURNERS ARE MAKING THE SOUNDS OF DEATH.