Reading: Luke chapter 8 verse 40-55.
ill:
A man went to his doctor complaining about severe headaches:
• His doctor told him to stop smoking, which he did, (The headaches persisted).
• His doctor told him to stop drinking alcohol, which he did, (The headaches still persisted).
• His doctor told him to lose weight, which he did, (But nothing stopped the headaches).
• His doctor finally told him to quit his job, reluctantly he handed in his notice,
But still the headaches kept returning, everyday the pain pulsed through his head:
• Eventually the cause of the headaches was discovered:
• He was wearing a size 15 collar, on a size 16 neck.
Unlike that gentleman the two people in today’s story found no help from the doctors of their day:
• The two stories are intertwined,
• To look at one means really you have to look at the other.
(1). The two stories are full of contrasts:
(a).
• The man is named (vs 40).
• The woman is anonymous (vs 43).
(b).
• Jairus was an important synagogue officer (vs 41).
• Woman was (As far as we can tell) a "Nobody".
(c).
• Jairus came interceding for someone else (vs 42).
• The woman came hoping to get help for herself (vs 44).
(d).
• Jairus due to his occupation, Jairus was wealthy.
• The woman due to her illness she was poor ‘spent out on doctors’, (vs 43).
(e).
• Jairus asked Jesus to touch, lay hands on his daughter (Mark chapter 5 verse 23).
• The woman quietly comes and lays hands, touches Jesus (verse 44-45).
(f).
• Jairus was about to lose his daughter,
• Who had given him twelve years of happiness.
• The woman was about to lose an affliction,
• That had brought her twelve years of sorrow.
So the differences between Jairus and the woman are many:
• Yet despite their differences they both came to Jesus when everything else had failed.
• And the good news for them, is that he did not disappoint them!
(2). The people Involved:
(1st). Jairus the synagogue ruler:
• A pillar of Jewish orthodoxy.
• A respected, looked up to person (pride of his mother)
Worth noting:
• His social group and equals would have looked down,
• Upon Jesus and despised him.
• Because of his lack of schooling (right university!).
• Because of the company he kept (sinners & pros).
• But not Jairus!
His motive for approaching Jesus may well have been out of desperation:
• But so what? The important thing is he came!
• He had tried everything else, he had tried everyone else.
• His last chance, his only ray of hope, was Jesus.
• So he comes to Jesus in a hopeless situation.
(2). This woman with the issue of blood.
• This lady had had what appears to be an incurable haemorrhage.
• This haemorrhage was slowly destroying her.
• Unobserved she creeps up behind Jesus.
• And quietly touched the hem of his coat.
Note (useless information):
• That does not mean around the ankles of Jesus' garment:
• The outer garment would be similar to wearing a blanket,
• It would have been thrown over the left shoulder,
• And left to hang down the back of the wearer.
ill:
Good news Bible pictures it like this.
• This woman also comes to Jesus out of desperation
• But with a great belief in the power of Jesus.
• And as everyone in the crowd is pressing & touching Jesus, and patting him on the back.
• She quietly and gently reaches out her hand & touches his back.
(3). Their encounter with Jesus.
(A) The Woman.
• She came to Jesus and she was not disappointed,
• A simple act of faith placed in the saviour.
• Jesus honoured her faith, weak as it was,
• And healed her body.
But notice:
• The Lord then asked her to give public witness to him,
• Not to embarrass her, but for her own sake.
3 ways in which she benefited:
• (1). She had the chance to confess Jesus as the Messiah.
• Conversion may be personnel (you & God) but it is NEVER private (visible i.e. baptism).
• (2). She was able to receive not just healing BUT Jesus' words of assurance and comfort.
• Assurance of salvation comes as we honour the Lord.
• (3). People would know she had been healed:
• And she would no longer be prevented from entering a place of worship (unclean).
Note: There is one obvious and simple lesson we can learn from these verses:
• That you can be part of the crowd,
• Who are close to Jesus, and not get the blessing:
• There is a world of difference between:
• Verse 45: "Pressing him", as all the crowd were doing.
• And it is another thing to actually "Touch him".
• And experience his healing and blessing.
ill:
• Sir James Simpson, the inventor of chloroform,
• Was dying and a friend said to him, "You'll soon be resting on his bosom"
• Simpson humbly replied,
• "I don't know as I can do that, but I think I have hold of his garment".
Questions:
• Do you know that assurance in your heart?
• Have you got hold of Jesus are are you just in the crowd around him?
(B). Jairus.
• Jairus was a ruler,
• Verses 41: An official of a synagogue.
A synagogue ruler was an important person:
• He was a man elected to his post by the elders.
• He was not a teaching or preaching official.
• He was a cross between a deacon and a caretaker.
• He kept order in the Synagogue & made sure that everything was ready & up to scratch.
• The care of the synagogue was in his hands,
• The whole practical administration of the synagogue was his responsibility.
Two things to note concerning Jairus.
(1). He was a man who could pocket his pride.
• By now the synagogue doors were rapidly closing to Jesus,
• If indeed they had not already closed.
• In religious circles Jesus was an outsider, regarded as a dangerous heretic,
• He was someone that anyone in orthodox religious circles, would do well to avoid.
But Jairus was willing to:
• Humble himself and even be misunderstood by others,
• That he might receive the help of Jesus (still true for us today)
• Not only does he seek out Jesus but he throws himself down at the feet of Jesus,
• His dignity totally abandoned.
Application again is simple:
• No one ever finds Jesus when they are full our pride,
• 1 Peter chapter 5 verse 5: “God resists the proud/ opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble".
• Pride is often a stumbling block preventing folks finding Jesus,
• We care too much for our reputation, or we are not able to admit our need!
(2). He was a man of stubborn faith (Verse 49):
• While Jesus was speaking to the woman:
• He receives news that would shatter his spirit and crush his emotions.
"Some messengers came from Jairus' house and told him,
"Your daughter is dead, don’t bother the teacher any more?"
• These guys were a real lose to the diplomatic core!
• But notice his reaction in verse 50.
• Jairus was not prepared to accept the fact that this was the end.
• He took Jesus at his word!
When he arrived back at his house:
• Everything he heard and saw underlined to him the hopelessness of the situation.
• Verse 52 the presence of the mourners and the wailing woman, did not crush him.
(3). Jairus daughter:
Two things to note:
(a). She was his only child.
• Adding to their grief,
• As their one and only child is taken from them.
(b). She was about 12 years of age:
• According to Jewish custom,
• A girl became a woman at 12 years and a day.
• This girl is just on the threshold of womanhood:
• And then death comes at such a time, making it a double tragedy.
(4). Jesus and the disciples (verse 51).
51When they arrived at the house, Jesus wouldn’t let anyone go in with him except Peter, James, John, and the little girl’s father and mother.
Jesus goes with and Peter, James & John, to Jairus' house.
• Taking place the three mourning customs:
• Which characterized every Jewish household of grief.
• The scene is one of pandemonium.
• People are tearing their clothes, (39 different rules & regulations for doing this).
• There was the wailing for the dead.
• This was done by professional wailing women (still exist in the east today).
• There were the flute players. The music of the flute was especially associated with death.
• Even the very poorest had to have two flutes and one wailing woman".
So you can picture the scene in the house when Jesus arrives:
• The house contained all the noise & chaos of eastern grief
• And into that hysterical atmosphere comes Jesus.
• Calm and full of authoritatively, he takes control.
• When he explained what he was going to do (verse 52),
• They mocked him! (verse 53)
• The one chance of hope and they reject it!
4 key words to finish with.
(1). The word of faith (verse 51).
"Don't be afraid; just believe".
Jairus had a choice to make:
• To believe his friends and take there advice.
• Verse 49: "Don’t bother the teacher any more?"
• Or to trust Jesus and his advice; "Don't be afraid; just believe".
• Actually what Jesus literally says is; "Go on believing, don't quit, keep on believing".
• “You came believing I could heal your daughter.”
• “I haven't changed, so keep believing in ME.”
Note:
• In life we can guarantee that our circumstances will be constantly changing;
• But our God stays the same - so keep on trusting!
Ill:
• 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!”
• 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."
(2). The word of hope (verse 52):
"The child is not dead but asleep".
Ill:
In Greek as in English a dead person was often said to be a sleep.
• In fact our word cemetery comes from a Greek word,
• Which means, "A place where people sleep".
Let's be sure about the fact the girl was dead and not just in a coma:
• Although Jesus says in verse 52, "The girl is not dead but asleep".
• He meant she was dead!
• Doctor Luke the medical man informs us in verse 53,
• That the family and friends "Knew she was dead" that’s why they mocked
Ill: Further proof she was dead:
• James chapter 2 verse 26: "The body with out the Spirit is dead".
• Doctor Luke informs us in verse 55: "Her Spirit returned to her body".
Of course she was dead, but to Jesus death was only sleep:
• Sleep is a normal experience that we do not fear,
• And the Christian should not fear death.
Ill:
Bee sting.
(3). The word of love and power (verse 54).
"He took her by the hand and said to her”
• Mark tells us his exact words, "Talitha Koum!"
• Which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up"
Quote:
“Un-belief as demonstrated by the mourners, may laugh at God's word.
But faith as demonstrated by Jairus lays hold of it.”
Ill:
• Henry Augustus Rowland, professor of physics at Johns Hopkins University,
• Once he was once called as an expert witness at a trial.
• During cross-examination a lawyer demanded,
• "What are your qualifications as an expert witness in this case?"
• The normally modest, humble and shy professor,
• Shocked his friends with an almost boastful statement.
• He replied quietly:
• "I am the greatest living expert on the subject under discussion."
• Later his friends commented on his description of himself,
• He replied: "Well, what did you expect me to do? I was under oath."
In other words:
• He could do none other than tell the truth,
• In the same way Jesus the Son of God could do no less than demonstrate love & power!
(4). The word of consideration (verse 43).
"Give her something to eat".
• Even at the climax of a stupendous miracle ;
• Jesus does not overlook the importance of practical details.
• Divine miracles never replace,
• Common sense and human care.
Final point / application:
• If you have experienced the touch of Jesus upon your life,
• i.e. The forgiveness of sins.
• Don't end it there, that is just the start:
• Like the woman, own Christ publicly.
• Like the girl,
• Make sure you are feeding, Christianity is feeding daily on Jesus the bread of life
Ill:
A deer hunting competition:
• The participants divided into pairs and off they went for the day.
• That night one of the hunters returned alone, staggering under an eight-point buck.
• "Where's your partner Harry?" he was asked.
• "Harry had a stroke of some kind. He's a couple of miles back up the trail."
• "You left Harry laying there, and carried the deer back?"
• "Well," said the hunter, "I figured no one was going to steal Harry."
Surprised to see an empty seat at the FA Cup Final:
• A diehard fan remarked about it to a woman sitting nearby.
• "It was my husband's," the woman explained, "But he died."
• "I'm very sorry," said the man. "Yet I'm really surprised that another relative, or friend, didn't jump at the chance to take the seat reserved for him."
• "Beats me," she said.
• "But they all insisted on going to the funeral."
