“Power to Heal”
Luke 8:40-56
A sermon for 9/5/21
Pastor John Bright
We live in a day of declining trust in authority. People don’t trust the government to protect us. The recent chaos abroad has made it worse. People don’t trust their denominational leaders - that’s about all I can say at this point in the UMC!
The more trust in those who are given authority in the physical realm deteriorates, it seems to me that folks reject all authority. I see plenty of folks today who say they can do a better job at running everything. We need to be careful that we do not lose sight of God being in control. God has authority over us, over the government and even our denomination.
This series of miracles in Luke 8 is a demonstration of Jesus authority and power over the storms of the sea, over the legion of demons, and now over physical illness and even death. (In some churches I would have to make all those start with the same letter - destruction, demons, disease and death.) This last passage in Luke 8 is often called “a healing on the way to a healing“. Here, we are witness to another healing in Luke’s gospel and the second instance of a person being raised from the dead. The first was back in Chapter 7 - the son of a widow in Nain. In John 11 there’s the best-known person that Jesus raised from the dead, Lazarus. In both the Old Testament and in the book of Acts, we read of a few folks raised from the dead there are also accounts from church history of the dead being raised. As I’ve told you before, it happens around the world today in places where medical care is not readily available. They turn to fervent prayer, first and foremost, in those places.
In today’s passage, we meet a man who was a leader in his local synagogue: v.40-42 “40 So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. 41 And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.”
This would have been a man of dignity and prestige but he falls down and begs for Jesus to help his only daughter - 12 years old - to be saved from death. If you have ever had a sick child, you know what Jairus was doing and what he was saying. He would have moved heaven and earth to get help for his daughter. There is urgency to get Jesus’ help before it’s too late. Luke does not record Jesus agreeing to help, but they head off to the home of Jairus which takes them through a crowd.
The woman in the crowd v. 43-48
“43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
45 And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”
When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”
46 But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” 47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.
48 And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
I find it interesting that this woman has been sick for as long as the child has been alive, 12 years. While we sense the urgency in the actions of Jairus, now we see in the actions of this woman a sense of desperation.
One of the problems I see in our world is a desperation for somebody to blame for my unhappiness. Husbands blame their wives for being unhappy. Adult children blame their parents for being unhappy. We blame the government. We blame the pastor. We blame God. We can get stuck in this blame game, unless we take ownership of our own “junk in the trunk.” Then we deal with our own junk and never let other folks junk become our junk. Yes, it’s possible. Talk to me sometime if you struggle in this area.
The woman in the crowd is desperate. I’ve known a couple of women who struggled with menstrual issues and it made them miserable. I’ve often wondered what a doctor in Jesus’ day would do for that woman, especially because the author of this gospel is a physician. There are records in Greek texts from that day describing medical practices of that day – “bloodletting, vomiting, baths, heating, cooling, and sweating were common.” They also used plants for healing. Some are exotic to us, such as frankincense and myrrh. Others are familiar in our day – garlic, fennel, pomegranate, cabbage and blackberries.
https://www.beliefnet.com/followingjesus/features/10-medicines-used-during-jesus-times.aspx
The text tells us that this woman spent all she had on doctors so she would be desperate to get to Jesus in the crowd. We still live in a day when a major illness can economically devastate a family. Medical care is very expensive for folks without insurance and even some with it struggle to pay the bills. The woman in the crowd is desperate to get to the one she believes can give her what the doctors have been unable to give her.
If you have ever seen a politician or celebrity in a crime with security creating a bubble around them then, get that image out of your head. Peter’s response in v. 45 makes it clear that there are lots of folks around Jesus, pressing in, yet He noticed this one woman who lightly touched the edge of his garment. In v. 46, we discover that out of all the people pressing in and touching Jesus, this one is different - “I perceived power going out from Me.”
Let me stop here and say, this power to heal is real and tangible. Jesus knew it flowed out from his garment. In Acts 8, Simon the sorcerer wants the power he sees in the apostles – “18 And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Then, in acts 19 we have a description of cloth used by Paul – “11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.” (Right here – you can read that as Paul’s sweat rags)
While I don’t believe we have this recorded in God’s Word so that televangelists today can get you to send $50 for a piece of healing cloth - all these scriptures point to this power to heal being real and tangible. I usually think of it like electricity. You can sit in a dark room at night while there is a light switch on the wall the let electricity flow to the light. What if that woman was the only one in the crowd that had the faith to flip the switch? I get uncomfortable when folks today start talking about “if you have enough faith.” I believe faith is a gift and every believer has that faith, we just don’t always use it to turn on the switch and let the power flow.
Bad news from home v. 49
“49 While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.”
I mentioned before there would be seem to be a sense of urgency in Jairus’ plea for Jesus to come and now we know why - his daughter was about to die. Now, Jairus gets the worst news a parent can get. This past week we have seen the parents of young marines killed in Afghanistan on the news. Their pain is evident. Some people in this congregation know their pain too well. You know how Jairus’ heart would have sunk in the moment he heard that news. Thank God this is not the end of the story. This is another one of those “Big But” stories. Right after the bad news come this phrase - “but when Jesus.”
The good news for Jairus v.50-56
“50 But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” 51 When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. 52 Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.” 53 And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.
54 But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, arise.” 55 Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. 56 And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.”
Paul, the physician, gives us plenty of evidence for the skeptic in his day and in our day. The folks at Jairus’ house know for sure the daughter is dead. Jesus simply explains to them what I have told you before - that you don’t know what you don’t know. What don’t they know? Jesus is in the house! Not trying to be flip about this, but Jesus being there changes everything! When the bad news came there was a “but Jesus.” Jesus announced that belief in His power to heal is going to chase away the fear of death.
When they get to the house, there are six folks in the room with the 12-year-old girl. Jesus takes her hand and shows His power to heal that can even conquer death. He only speaks 3 words, not a long, drawn-out prayer.
I need to point out a core concept at this point. In v. 55 we read, “then her spirit returned.” I’ve told you before to remember this little teaching - “I am a spirit being, temporarily housed in a body, attempting to control a soul (mind, emotions and desires). If I don’t control the soul, this the soul controls me.” (Dr. Dale Sides, Liberating Ministries for Christ, Intl.) Got that? Good. So, when we die, and we all will - even Jairus’ daughter died one day - our spirits will either go up or go down. Those are our only two choices, so which do you want? If you want up, trust in the blood of Jesus to forgive your sin and start living like He is Lord of your life. If you are OK with the down option, keep raising all the hell you want here on earth because you’ll feel right at home after death.
Jesus makes sure she is given something to eat because dead people don’t eat food – really, they don’t eat food. This is more evidence of being raised from the dead. I imagine the initial shock of the parents gave way to thankfulness for their daughter being returned to them.
I’ve talked to you before, when we covered the raising of the widow’s son, that not everybody who gets prayed for by us will healed but some are, so we keep on praying. In those places in the world where folks are raised from the dead, not everybody is raised, but some are, so they keep on praying. Our simple prayers for ourselves and others are a light switch that can be turned on or left off. I do not have the power to heal, but Jesus still does! We need to lift up simple prayers. Some of those prayers will be lifted up with urgency. Some of those prayers will be lifted up in desperation. We do not have the power to heal, but each one of us has the faith that can flip the switch. Amen
