Power Over Sickness Series

12. Who is Jesus?

November 07th, 2010

Power over Sickness

The more we look at Jesus life the better we understand how amazing He really is. Jesus has had large crowds coming to Him. He has been traveling all around Galilee, He has been teaching, healing, and performing miracles. He is so exhausted they get on a boat to sail to the other side of the lake so Jesus can get a day of. Instead of getting rest in the boat He gets caught in a hurricane. The disciples wake Him up and Jesus calms the storm. They arrive at the other side of the lake but instead of a day off Jesus gets rushed by a demon possessed man. He casts out the demons then the people of Gerasa kick Him out of town. So they get back in the boat and sail to the other side of the lake. When they arrive He gets out of the boat only to end up in front of the very crowds He was trying to get away from. Jesus has jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. His life has become like an episode of 24: filled with relentless intensity and drama.

We are in Luke 8:40. Jesus has just arrived back in Capernaum and the crowds are waiting for Him. So there is no rest for the weary and now its time for Jesus to get back to work.

Lk 8:40 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. Lk 8:41 Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house Lk 8:42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.

As these crowds of people swarm around Jesus a man named Jairus managed to make it to the front of the line. Jairus is a synagogue ruler. His job was to direct the services and affairs of the synagogue so he is like a pastor. He gets to Jesus and he falls down on his knees and begs for help. His daughter is sick and he is willing to do pretty much anything to get her well. At this point opposition against Jesus from the religious leaders is on the rise. Jairus is taking a big risk in talking to Jesus at all.

This little girl is Jairus’s only child. They almost certainly would have tried to have more kids especially a boy who could carry on the family name. Big families were the social norm at this time but for whatever reason they have been unable to have any more children. Their only daughter now is twelve years old which is the age in which a Jewish girl became a woman but she is dying.

Can you just imagine for a moment what they are going through? Their daughter and only child is about to die. They have tried anything and everything they could but nothing has helped. Parents should not outlive their children; that is not the way it is supposed to work but that is the situation this family is in.

Children are one of God’s greatest gifts to us. Parents cherish and love their children. As parents you cant help but feel what your children feel. When they hurt you hurt. This guy’s daughter is dying which means he is dying from the inside out. All his dreams and hopes for the kind of woman he will get to watch his daughter become are falling apart and he doesn’t know what else to do.

So he comes to Jesus and begs for help and Jesus agrees to go. Jairus is not the only person in the crowd who needs Jesus attention. There are plenty of other people here who have sick loved ones. The crowds are pressing in on Jesus. They become personal space invaders as they are all trying to get Jesus attention. Poor Jesus, He is tired and needs a good day off but what He gets is a crowd people all up in His business.

Life can be like this sometimes. You find yourself with more demands on your time then you know what to do with and it can be a real challenge to determine which ones should be priorities and which ones should be ignored. Jairus has a legitimate need so Jesus agrees to help Him.

Lk 8:43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. Lk 8:44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. Lk 8:45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”