Like a Rock
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman Mark 5
21 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. 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 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.” 24 So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 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. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
35 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?”
36 Overhearing[c] what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 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. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Like a Rock- Bob Seger
Like a rock. standin' arrow straight
Like a rock, chargin' from the gate
Like a rock, carryin' the weight
Like a rock
A Father’s Faith Unleashed
Jairus was a Synagogue Leader-in effect, he was the equivalent of a modern day pastor. He ran the services, arranged the schools, coordinated the activities of a local synagogue. He was a well respected man in the Jewish community. This meant that he was by definition a natural enemy of this man that the Jews by and large mistrusted and called a blasphemer.
We don’t know where he stood before, but we see where his faith led him. Jairus was drawn to the feet of Jesus.
“that he should come to him when his child was past all hope of recovery; yea, when he had reason to believe she was actually dead, as she was; that even then, he should believe in hope against hope; he affirms, that he really believed, that if Christ would but come to his house, and lay his hand upon her, an action often used in grave and serious matters, as in blessing persons, in prayer, and in healing diseases, she would certainly be restored to life again. (Gill)”
Fathers, have you ever watched your children suffer? It does something to you, deep in your soul. It is the most frustrating thing in the world to not be able to help your child. You would take their illness for them in a second if it were possible. You would give anything, do anything to see them relieved of suffering. I remember a couple of times over their lives when my kids were sick and I remember the empty, gut-wrenching pain of watching them suffer, helpless to do anything at all about it.
It’s doubtful if Jairus had come to the point of recognizing Jesus as Messiah, but he had witnessed enough to know that Jesus had the power of God upon him. He had surely seen and heard about his works both in Capernaum and in all the surrounding towns. His faith had begun to build and he realized Jesus was more than just a man.
Jairus had to balance his belief and growing faith in Jesus not just against his job and position in the community, but he risked his family being ostracized and abused if he should place faith in this “heretic” who so threatened the Jewish leaders. But you know, I’m not sure it was even much of a decision. When he looked down at his little daughter he didn’t see his job, his career, his status in the community. All he saw was pain, and he knew she was dying. The only thing he saw was the face of the Teacher, he had to get to Jesus.
Like a Rock…
A Father’s Faith Challenged
No sooner had Jairus taken that step of faith, that rock –solid commitment toward Jesus, and Jesus had responded in great love and compassion, his faith was challenged. A crowd of people began to crush in toward Jesus. The Greek wording here indicates it was a likely mob scene. People were pushing and shoving and there was probably danger of someone being injured or trampled.
Can you imagine what he must have felt? His little girl is dying, He was approached the Gentle Healer and He is on his way to his house, and now he can’t get there because of these people.
What would you be tempted to do? I’d want to start swinging. I’d think about taking as many people out as possible, and grabbing Jesus and dragging him out of that mob. Those people can wait! We have a 911 emergency here…there’s not much time…my little girl is in the grip of death!
And there’s a woman who is crawling on her knees toward Jesus. She looks sick and sallow. She reaches up and grabs his tunic right at the hem, toward his feet. Jairus saw Jesus’ expression change, and he looked down and he saw color come to this lady’s face…it’s as though a light bulb had been turned on.
Once again…the natural reaction would be NEVER MIND HER…everyone knows her she’s been sick forever…come back later and deal with her Jesus…we have to get to MY HOUSE…don’t you know my daughter is dying?
Or, another very real alternative comes to mind. Throw up the hands… “ok, OK if that’s the way it’s going to be then just forget it! I don’t need you Jesus…I’m done with this!” Walk away in a huff, embittered, disenchanted. You could keep talking to yourself and convince yourself that Jesus was nothing more than a charlatan, or that he was courting only a certain group of people. Surely he knew you were with the synagogue and he didn’t want to come to your house…he was stalling…all kinds of crazy things would come to your mind in this crisis.
We don’t see it, not in the least. Jairus stood there in the crowd, crushed with Jesus. If he was impatient, if he was frantic, we sure don’t see it. He didn’t threaten anyone and he didn’t try to break Jesus away. He stood there, stood there…and continued to stand there while the minutes ticked off…and while his little girl was at home with her breath becoming more labored by the second. I wonder what he thought when he saw that woman…he probably was watching as Jesus changed and she changed right before his eyes…it may have been that very moment when his faith leapt inside him and he said in his heart “surely this must be the Son of God, the Messiah!”
It didn’t take long for that newfound faith that caused him to be oblivious to the crowd to be given the ultimate test. Some of his friends broke through the crowd and said “don’t bother the teacher anymore Jairus…she’s dead.” Jesus heard it, and he leaned over and whispered in Jairus ear…don’t be afraid, just believe.”
Like a Rock…
A Father’s Faith Fulfilled
When they got to the house, the mourners and wailers had already turned out. They were carrying on to beat the band. Jesus sounded a little aggravated when he asked them “Why all this commotion? She’s not dead, she’s asleep!” And then they laughed at him!
I imagine that the laughter was like a knife in Jairus heart. He probably at once wanted to scream and cry, and at the same time clean house – physically eject those mourners from his house. The crush of emotion must have been overwhelming. DO I really want to believe this man? She’s DEAD…but he says she’s only asleep?
Jesus took Jairus and his wife along with Peter, James and John into the room to take a look at her cold, lifeless body. I can feel and hear the heartbreak that must’ve overwhelmed Jairus when he saw her blue lips, her pale face. She really is dead…what does Jesus mean she sleeps?
Jesus walked over to her and the words he said were so tender. He took her by the hand and said “Talitha Koum.” Translated from Aramaic it would be roughly equivalent to saying “Sweetheart, get up, it’s ok.”
Her eyes began to flutter, color returned to her cheeks and lips and her breathing came back not labored and heavy, but free and easy! She sat up in the bed. She stood up and began to walk around and talk to them! Jesus said “give her something to eat!” She was probably famished!
The twelve year old child was totally restored to life by the touch of the Master. It was a hard fight, a long road, fraught with difficulty but it happened because of a daddy who would not be deterred, who would not give up. A daddy who had a mustard seed of faith and was willing to act on it, and the Holy Spirit sprang it to life in his heart…He was a daddy
Like a Rock
Fathers, grandfathers…you are called to be, the Lord had made and continues to build you- Like a Rock. You are the spiritual heads of your households and you are solid and steadfast, you will not be broken by doubt or fear. Your faith is like granite, and your faith in Jesus Christ is the foundation of your family. You continue to bring Jesus into your household and your family to his loving hands.
I celebrate you today. I speak to men who have lived lives of faith for years. You are men who have raised, and are raising children and grandchildren in the rock-solid faith in Jesus Christ that Jairus found that day, when his little girl was so sick.
I challenge you to stand gentlemen. Do not give up, do not grow faint. Lead your families, lead your children. Let them see you worship, let them hear you pray. Speak the blessings of God over your children and your grandchildren. You have authority and a position in their lives that is unique; God has placed you in as a covering over these children and along with that position comes great responsibility.
It’s good to bless them with money at times. It’s good to help them with their education, it’s good to spend time with them, all these things are blessings. But men, fathers…the greatest responsibility and blessing for your children and family is to lead them by example, to speak the Word of the Lord over them, to pass to them the Faith of the Fathers. Living still. That will be their true inheritance, their Godly legacy that you will instill in them.
You my friends, because of your faith in the Solid Rock…you are Like a Rock for your families, the ones God has entrusted to your care.
Like a rock. standin' arrow straight
Like a rock, chargin' from the gate
Like a rock, carryin' the weight
Like a rock (Bob Seger)
I bless you today Fathers and Grandfathers.
