In Jesus Holy Name July 1, 2018
Text: Mark 5:22-24a Pentecost VI Redeemer
“God’s Power When Your World Crashes”
In last week’s gospel we saw Jesus quite a furious storm on the Sea of Galilee. The Disciples were amazed and asked: “What kind of man is this that even the wind and waves obey His voice?” It is “the question” everyone must answer.
When Mark wrote about the life history of Jesus he had one purpose in mind….to authenticate the claims of Jesus as the long awaited Messiah of Israel. Each of the miracles in Mark prove Jesus to be not only the Messiah, but Lord of all. As Lord of creation he quiets the storm. Eugene Petersen wrote: “Jesus spoke and the “wind ran out of breath” and the “sea became smooth as glass.” He is Lord over sickness and even death. The woman who simply touched his garment for healing, was healed of her medical condition. Jesus then raised from the dead the daughter of Jairus.
It is helpful to recall that in each of these cases the individuals were completely helpless and hopeless. There were no specialized hospitals like Stanford or UCSF. No insurance to help with the cost of medical care. The knowledge of Physicians in the 1st century was incapable of helping them.
The storm on the lake terrified experienced sailors. The woman had been seeing doctors for twelve years with only a worsening condition. The young girl was no longer ailing, but dead. In the most hopeless cases. When Jesus is present…, there was healing, deliverance, and salvation.
Not only does Mark demonstrate the power of our Lord Jesus, but he also reveals His person. What we see in these passages is not just that God is a God of infinite power, but that He is a God of infinite compassion and tenderness when your world crashes in on you. He is deeply touched by human needs. He is sensitive to our sufferings and trials in life.
Jairus was an official of the synagogue. He was a man of influence and prestige, but when he came to Jesus he did so as a desperate father
seeking to spare the life of his critically ill child. Jesus was not present at what
seemed to be the ideal time to deal with the illness of this child. He had crossed
over the Sea of Galilee and had not yet returned. Jarius, knowing that Jesus could have healed his daughter must have been wringing his hands and heart in worry. Jesus could help. He was not present. When is Jesus coming back? Did he drown in the storm?
Now that Jesus is back in Capernaum…. Jarius, standing on the dock. But there is another very large crowd. He must quickly find Jesus and ask for His healing touch. Time was critical. An unnamed illness struck down the apple of his eye. Time. Time. Every minute was critical and the only One who could help was just arriving.
His daughter’s fever was high. Her breathing shallow. The symptoms would not disappear. With each passing hour her health deteriorated. Doctors were called, but nothing could be done. You know life doesn’t always follow our road map. We long for level highways. Life offers hairpin turns, detours for road construction. We desire happiness but sorrow comes our way. Jairus was no different.
He finds Jesus in the crowd. “My little daughter is dying.” Please come and place your hand on her so she will be healed.”
The Gospel of Mark records: “So Jesus went with Him.” On the way they were interrupted. He is interrupted by another who needs healing. Time. Time.
Every minute was critical and the only One who could help was interrupted.
The nature of this woman’s illness fell under the stipulations of Leviticus 15. She would have to be pronounced unclean. As such she had been an outcast for twelve years. She could not take part in any religious observances, nor could she have any public contact without defiling those whom she touched. She was also forced to be separated from her husband. Last of all, this poor woman has lost all of her financial resources. Mark tells us that she had spent all of her money on doctor bills, with no relief—indeed, with added affliction. And in those days, there was no such thing as a malpractice suit.
This unnamed woman, like Jairus, had heard that Jesus was back in Capernaum and she set out to find relief through His power. Jarius, was a prominent, wealthy,
respected; while the woman lived in poverty, a virtual exile from her own family. The man came publicly with concern for his daughter, the woman slid secretly, cautiously through the crowd. . Conditioned, no doubt, by her long-term rejection and isolation she dared not approach Jesus to ask for a miracle. Her physical contact would defile all that she touched. The best she could hope for was a secret healing. “But I only need to touch the hem of His garment.” She said. (Sermon by Ken Klaas Mark 5)
Scripture records no talk of insurance policies; no scheduling of an appointment. Mark writes: “Jesus went with him”. The distance was short. The crowd was close. Progress, a snails pace. How impatient that father’s heart must have been. “Hurry, hurry, hurry”, he would have whispered to himself. The clock was ticking, every moment was important.
The disciples were there to keep the crowds from crushing Jesus, like body guards. Almost imperceptibly, a hand reached out and touched the robe of Jesus. The Savior stopped, look around and asked: “Who touched Me?” His question seemed foolish to the disciples.
Jesus was not put off. He wanted to know. He waited. He watched. Finally a lady came forward and confessed she had been the one. Jesus had been her last hope, her only hope. To be healed is why she touched Him; now she was. Jesus gave his blessing: “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your disease.”
In that moment Jarius’ world came crashing down. He saw his servants coming with tears in their eyes… He knew. “Your daughter has died” they said, “don’t bother the teacher anymore.” A teacher? Is that all Jesus is? (You see that is the very question before you to day as well.) He just hushed the raging storm. He has cast out demons in Jairus’s own synagogue. No, He is more….but is He God? Can he bring the dead back to life? Jesus ignored the words of the servants, and spoke encouragingly to Jairus, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe”
Leaving the crowd with all of His disciples but the three, Peter, James and John, Jesus continued to the home of the deceased daughter. Outside the home
the commotion of a typical near-eastern funeral had already begun (verse 38). All
of this carrying-on was unnecessary. Jesus informed the mourners, for this girl was asleep. Jesus knew that death is not a permanent state, but a temporary one. Death could not claim this girl, for the Prince of Life was present.
Thinking our Lord to be either naive or completely self-deceived the professional mourners mocked and ridiculed Him by their laughter. They knew death when they saw it. Bob Deffinbaugh sermon on Mark 5 2004 Such unbelief will never witness the power of God and so these people were put outside.
Death is always a sensitive subject. But there were those times when death was not and is not welcome, when its arrival was not wanted. My very first funeral in Merced as a new pastor was the death of a 7th grade boy accidently shot by a friend as they were examining a gun. He was the only child or his parents.
There are so many things we mortals know we should not say, can not say when death comes calling. But none of us would dare speak these words which are recorded in verse 41 of Mark 5. Two words: “Talitha cumi”. Let me say them just one more time. “Talitha cumi.”
Death has its own agenda, and timeline. It possesses both young and old, cherished and abandoned, wise and foolish, good and bad. It doesn’t pick and choose. It doesn’t care about age, race, gender, political persuasion and it can strike without warning. Death comes because we live in a broken world. The Apostle Paul wrote: “The wages of sin is death.” “but thanks be to God for the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.”
Here is the reality. The wages of sin is death for everyone….but not everyone knows that God has offered eternal life as a free gift by faith in Jesus. That’s why you and I need to tell His story.
Several years ago, maybe a decade or more now, a teacher was working in a children’s hospital. She received a call to visit a boy who was in a burn unit. His regular teacher had called her with a request. “We’re studying nouns and adverbs in class. I’d be grateful if you could help him with his homework so he doesn’t fall too far behind is classmates.” The teacher went. It was her job. She wasn’t prepared for what she found. The boy was in a clean room. Bandaged and in pain. She said softly: “I’m the hospital teacher. Mrs. Barnes your teacher at
school asked me to help you with your nouns and adverbs.
The next day a nurse asked the substitute teacher. “What did you do to that boy?” Before the teacher could offer her apologies for being uncomfortable and unprepared, the nurse continued. “We were worried about him. But ever since you saw him yesterday, his entire outlook has changed. For the first time since he came here, he’s actually fighting. He’s responding. He’s got a new lease on life.”
What happened? The boy eventually shared that he had given up. He felt hopeless and helpless. But when he thought about the teacher who had come to see him, he realized: ‘The school would not waste its money, time and concern sending a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, would they?”
You and I, like Jarius, like the unnamed woman. We are hopeless and helpless in regards to our eternal destination. We cannot clime the ladder of “good works” fast enough. “Just at the right time,” Paul writes: “when we were powerless to save ourselves” from the storms of life” Jesus came. He came to Bethlehem. He came to offer His unstained, sinless life as a perfect sacrifice, for you and me, so that God the righteous Judge of the Universes would forever see us as pure, holy, without blemish because of our faith in Jesus. (Col. 1:19-23) He died in our place. “God demonstrated His love for us in that while were still sinners Jesus died for us.” (I John)
Jesus said to Jairus: “Don’t be afraid, just believe.” With those words, Jairus had hope and they walked to his home. Upon arrival, Jesus brushed aside the professional mourners, ignored their laughter, and brought a few people to the side of the girl’s death bed. He said. “Little girl, get up.” And she did!
Whatever bad situation you find yourself today, do not doubt, believe. There are no helpless situations for Jesus who has power over death. That is the point of Easter…. Jesus rose from the grave and death. “For just as we have flesh and blood, so Jesus also shared in our humanity so that by His death he might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is the devil and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” (Heb. 2:14)
I always enjoyed the stories of Paul Harvey (for those of you old enough to remember) Do you want to know “the rest of the story”. Did the girl’s parents become Jewish Christians? What changes were made in the synagogue’s weekly worship? Did she get married? Did she have children of her own. Did they become Christians, followers of the “Way”?
What we do know is that Luke personally interviewed either Jairus, his wife, or their daughter years later. Luke begins his gospel with these words: (read Luke 1:1-4) What else do we need to know? Eventually Jairus, his wife, his daughter, their grandchildren all died. It’s true. So what’s the point of their story.
John tells us clearly…. why Mark tells these stories about Jesus. “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and by believing in Him you may have life in His name.” (John 20:30-31) What we see in these passages is not just that God is a God of infinite power, but that He is a God of infinite compassion and tenderness when your world crashes in on you. He is deeply touched by human needs. He is sensitive to our sufferings and trials in life.
Why bother? My goodness… it’s about forgiveness. It is about a God of infinite compassion…. It’s about eternity.
Jesus said, “do not let your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe in me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you….if I go away, I will come back to take you to be with me so that you may be where I am.” (John 14)
And so I return to the question the Disciples asked on a quiet lake after a storm: “What kind of man is this that even the wind and waves obey His voice?” It is “the question” everyone must answer as well.
