Introduction
Nobody ever likes to be sick. But in this fallen world sickness is inevitable. And the thing about sickness is this: the longer it lasts the more chaos occurs. And the chaos is not just confined to the person who is sick; it also affects those who love the person that is sick.
Let’s use an example from our church family- Stacey and Toxie. Stacey discovered that she had leukemia, and it threw her life is chaos. She was just starting a job at Ochsner’s Hospital down in New Orleans when she found out that she had cancer. She was not able to keep the job. She could not get the treatment in McComb or Covington, LA, so she needed to go to the Ochsner Cancer Center in New Orleans. She could not drive there on her own, so Toxie had to drive her there. Because he loved Stacey, he wanted to stay with her while she was inpatient but the couch that he sleeps on was very uncomfortable. He had to also make very trips back and forth from McComb to New Orleans. The point is Stacey’s life went into chaos when she found out about the leukemia and Toxie’s life followed her into chaos because he loves his wife. And let me say this, I rejoice that Stacey’s recent bone marrow revealed cancer free, but she will still need to go to New Orleans for more chemo treatments and as a church we need to continue to pray for her
But Stacie’s and Toxie’s story is not uncommon. You could substitute in our story, Bro. Greg and Pepper. Both of their lives became chaotic when she had complications from surgery.
And you might think of a time in your life that there was chaos because either you were sick, or your spouse was sick, or your child was sick. And think about all the people’s lives that were thrown into chaos as result of that sickness.
God has some words of comfort for us today from the Scripture and we want to look closely at them because I know we will all be affected by illness as the one who is sick or the one who is the caregiver. And that sickness will throw both the both the one who is sick and the ones who love them into chaos.
So, if you have your Bibles, turn with me to the Gospel of Mark 5:21-36. Please stand for the reading of the Scriptures.
Scripture
Mark 5:22–36 (NKJV)
22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” 24 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.
25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”
31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”
32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”
35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
Background Information
In the passage of Scripture that we just read, there are two stories of sickness woven into one account. Jairus’ daughter was at point of death, and He pleaded with Jesus to come with him to the house to bring healing. Jairus would have been a person of some standing in the community. He was one of the rulers of the synagogue. He probably was known by many of the people.
And then there was this woman. We are not given her name. We don’t know who she is, and we don’t know if anyone in the crowd even knew her because as a woman with a blood disorder, she would have been considered unclean and had to be separated from people.
And Jesus is using these two interwoven stories to teach us several lessons.
Point #1
It matters not who you are, God sees your sickness.
We have two people here in our story in need to healing- one for his daughter and the one for herself.
The one who is need of healing for his daughter is a somebody. He is Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue. He is a person of importance in the community. He is well known by those who attend the synagogue.
The other person is a nobody. She is nameless because if her name is given most would not know who she is.
But as we read the Scripture, Jesus ministered to that one who is nameless and Jesus also ministers to daughter of Jairus, a person of some importance.
What Jesus is saying to us, it does not matter who you are God sees your sickness. Our God is a God of all the people not just a certain few.
Galatians 3:28 (NKJV)
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Point #2
We place priority on things because we want the most important things done first in case, we don’t have time to do the rest. God has no priority because everything is a priority to God.
If I was Jairus and I see Jesus stop to have a conversation with the woman who touched his garment, I would be thinking to himself: Hurry up Jesus, my priority of healing my daughter is more important than you carrying on a conversation with that woman.
We forget that God has nothing of secondary importance. Everything is of importance to God. And He can get to everything in time. He got to the woman in time. And if you read the rest of that Scripture He gets to Jairus’ daughter on time.
We place priorities on things because we cannot get everything done. God can get everything done.
Point #3
God invites you to reach out to Him.
We finally come to a place in our story where the ruler of the synagogue and the woman with the blood issue had something in common.
Jairus reached out to Jesus in his daughter’s illness. The woman with the blood issue reached out to Jesus by touching his garment as He was walking by.
They both did the same thing: they reached out to Jesus. Here is the point: don’t be afraid to reach out to Jesus when you are sick or a loved one is sick. We something think to ourselves that God is too busy to deal with my case of the flu or whatever. Remember there are no priorities with God because everything is a priority for God.
Point #4
God invites you to reach out to Him because God wants your witness about what He has done in your life.
Let’s go back to the woman with the blood issue. When she touched the garment of Jesus, she was made well. The Scripture tells us that. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.
The Scripture says sensing that power had gone out of Him ask who touched my clothes. Let me tell you something, Jesus knew who touched His garments. He asked, “Who touched my clothes, not to identify the person but to call her out from the crowd to give testimony of what He had done for her.
Make no mistake: God delights in His people giving praise for what He has done in your life.
Conclusion
Sickness, in this world, is inevitable. But God tell us, “Let me assure you. I am there for you. And when I do work in your life testify of my greatness.”
