Great Lessons from the Life of Christ #8
Desperate People Need Jesus
(Mark 5:21-43)
In Mark 5:21-43 you have two stories of two desperate people. One had lost a child. The other had suffered with a disease from which she could find no relief. They have tried everything and now turn to Jesus for relief.
In the verses just before this, Jesus had just shown his power over demons and having crossed back over the Sea of Galilee, they find themselves in the same situation they always seem to be in. The crowds are pressing to see Jesus.
Vs. 21 says “a large crowd gathered around Him.” – it literally says that “multitudes thronged Him.” This is a picture of hundreds, probably thousands of people, crowding into the streets to see Jesus. This is a scene we have all seen as crowds of people press as close as they can to see or touch a celebrity.
Vs. 22-23 – somehow a man by the name of Jarius makes it through the crowd and bows before Jesus, and in desperation makes a request – that Jesus heal his daughter. Maybe it wasn’t that hard for Jarius to find his way to the front of the line, because of who he is. Jarius is the ruler of the synagogue. Well known. Well respected. One with a lot of influence and clout in the community. He oversaw the synagogue services. He was one of the most well-known and influential Jewish leaders in the community.
But here is a fact of life we all know. No power, no position, no amount of possessions shield us from problems. This prominent religious leader has a problem to which he has no answer except maybe Jesus. He is very much aware of what Jesus can do.
We know that because if you go back to chapter 3 – Jesus was in the synagogue and Jesus healed a man with a shriveled hand. That was the occasion when the religious leaders were watching Jesus to see if He would heal on the Sabbath. Jesus had the man stand up and challenged the religious leaders with the question. “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” They didn’t have an answer to that one.
The text says that Jesus looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And when he did, his hand was completely restored. At that point, the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
Wonder if Jairus was there? Had he been among this group who challenged Jesus and then witnessed the power of Jesus in healing this man? Had he been involved in the discussion of how to kill Jesus?
If so, think of what he is now having to swallow…
• His prejudices – both he and the synagogue crowd had judged Jesus as a dangerous man and worthy of death – but now he needs Jesus.
• His dignity – here is the ruler of the synagogue, a religious leader, a man of position, and now he is throwing himself at the feet of an untrained itinerate preacher.
• His pride – Thought of Naaman (II Kings 5) who was told by the servant of Elisha to go and dip seven times in the Jordan river. That was not way you expect the Prime Minister of Syria to be treated, but he swallowed his pride and lost his leprosy. Jarius’ position, his power, his pride, is not going to heal his daughter, but Jesus can.
• He is going to lose some friends – no one else in his circle of friends would dare do what he is doing, because they are not where he is.
Just a couple of observations: –
• Then or now, the very people that reject Christ will during times of crisis wonder if they are making a mistake. When we do not have an answer to life’s problems, and we turn from the One who claims to have those answers, there will be a struggle that takes place. Have I rejected the only hope I have? There is just no way around that.
• My second thought is that it is during those times of crisis that we, the followers of Christ show that He does make a difference in our lives.
I appreciate the fact that Jarius does not send someone. That would have been easy.
• Luke tells us his daughter was 12 years old. Twelve years of sunshine, joy, watching his daughter grow up.
• But she is dying and the only answer he can come up with, his only hope is Jesus – and his prejudice, and pride, and potential loss of friendships are not going to keep him away. Those things will not keep him from bowing before Jesus and asking for help.
What keeps people today from acknowledging Jesus for who and what His is? The same things that could have kept this man away.
Vs. 24 – Having been told of the death of Jarius’ daughter, Jesus goes with him. Vs. 25-34 tells of an incident that takes place as they travel to Jarius’ house…
There is a women, who according to vs. 25 – has had a “flow of blood for twelve years.” This woman was hemorrhaging, either from her bowels or from her womb. The details of the disease are not important, but its duration and consequences are.
• As long as Jairus’ daughter had been alive, this woman has suffered. This constant blood loss would have caused her to be weak, frail, drained of energy.
• It is one thing to have a bad day, a bad week, or a bad month. This woman has had a bad 12 years.
vs. 26 – she has suffered much at the hands of many physicians.
• We cannot imagine what this lady has been through
• By O.T. law she was unclean. One in this condition would have been divorced if ever married. Forbidden to live in her home. Ostracized from society, unable to have any physical contact with those she knew and loved. Unable to enter the marketplace or be around others. She could not enter either the temple or synagogue – she was a social outcast, shunned, neglected, ignored.
The text says that she had spent all that she had trying to find a cure. The Talmud (which are early Jewish writings) give 11 different cures for this disease, ranging from medical concoctions to superstitious chants. Here are some of my favorites. Remember these are so-called cures for this disease.
• Take Persian onions, boil them, and drink the mixture at certain intervals. This was supposed to stop the bleeding.
• Find two intersecting paths, stand and shout “blood flow, go away”
• Find the dung of a white female donkey and in that manure pick out an undigested kernel of corn. Roast it and eat it.
• Carry an ostrich egg in a linen rag in the Summer and in a cotton rag in the Winter.
• One scholar listed eating grasshopper eggs, carrying around the tooth of a fox, and carrying around the fingernail of a person that that been hanged.
My guess is, this poor lady has tried all of these. None have worked. And rather than getting better, she has just gotten worse.
• This lady, like Jarius, is desperate and her only hope is Jesus. She like everyone else had heard about Jesus. Maybe from a distance she had seen Him perform miracles or heard others speak of Him. We don’t know anything else about her, but like Jarius, in her desperation she turns to Jesus. Unlike Jarius, she comes up behind him and touches His garment. She has no intention of making a scene. She is content with remaining anonymous.
The text says - “immediately she was healed.” Isn’t it amazing what faith in Jesus will do? Please hear this – there is not one single time in Scripture where Jesus fails to reward faith. Faith is simply confidence in the power and promises of Jesus. And there is never a time, then or now, when Jesus will fail to reward faith.
You have to admire this lady’s confidence. I was reminded of a story by David Campbell regarding his friend Eric. Eric was in a horrible accident at work suffering a broken neck and numerous other injuries. When he was able to speak he asked the doctor what were his chances of surviving and walking again. His doctor told him that only 3% of those with such injuries ever recover enough to walk again. Becoming somber for a moment, Eric smiled and said “3% eh? I’ll take it!” He then asked if he would be able to play the violin if he recovered. The doctor replied “If you can walk out of here you will be able to play the violin.” “Great” replied Eric, “I’ve always wanted to play the violin.” Long story short, today Eric is walking and raising a family. I do not know about playing the violin.
It is amazing what faith in yourself can do for you. It is beyond amazing what faith in Jesus can do.
Having felt power go from Him, Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” Fearful of what Jesus might do or say. Fearful of public ridicule and the possibility of being made a public spectacle, she would prefer to remain anonymous.
Jesus was never content with just dealing with diseased body. He always wants to deal with the more important issues – the heart issues. He looks at her and calls her “daughter” (a term of endearment). This is the only time we have a record of Jesus calling one “daughter.” From an unclean outcast to a daughter, Jesus then puts the focus on her faith. He is not going to let this go –
vs. 32 tells us that “He looked around to see who had done this.”
At this point we are told that the woman trembling with fear, came, fell at His feet and “told Him the whole truth.” Here is who I am, here is why I did what I did. Jesus’ response – “Your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free from your suffering.”
Jesus could have allowed her to be healed and never have a face to face encounter with her. But Jesus does not want her just to be healed, he wants her to be whole. He wants her to understand who has done this and why. I read that and wonder how many of us would like to have the benefits of what Jesus offers, but we really do not want a personal encounter with Jesus. Do we want a faith that only saves, or one that is a daily encounter with a risen Lord whose desire is to transform us and have an intimate relationship with us? Just a thought. We are no different from this lady. The Christian life is about who has healed us, what we have and what we will become as a result.
What a day in the life of this lady. But what about Jairus – what is going on with him? Can you imagine what he is feeling as his daughter is dying and Jesus, rather than rushing to his house to save his daughter, is dealing with this social outcast…
He is desperate, but the truth is, desperate is not always a bad thing…
• Feeling desperate is often what drives us to Jesus.
• Feeling desperate humbles our hearts and makes it easier to submit.
• Feeling desperate keeps you from caring what others think of you.
• Feeling desperate forces you to no longer be content with just being near Jesus.
Vs. 35 – Here comes the words Jarius fears the most – “Your daughter is dead. Don’t trouble the teacher any longer.”
Jairus had to feel like Martha felt (John 11). Having delayed his coming though Lazarus is sick, when Jesus finally comes Lazarus is dead. When Martha goes out to meet him here comment was “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died.”
That had to be how Jairus felt. “Why? This was my daughter, my only daughter.
Have you ever asked “Why?” I never knew my dad because he was killed in a car wreck when I was three weeks old. I grew up asking why. We have all asked that question. Jarius is asking that question.
Here is a hard reality. I can spend the rest of my life asking why, or I can use this experience to grow and be a blessing. We do not grow at parties. We grow in the crucibles of life if we will but allow God to be a part of our lives.
Vs. 36 – Jesus responds – “Don’t be afraid, just believe.” These voices of desperation are followed by a voice of consolation.
Here is a truth, one we discussed last lesson: the greatest enemy of faith is fear and the great conqueror of fear is faith.
Vs. 37 – Jesus takes Peter, James and John with Him and they witness the pain of family and friends. The text says there was crying and wailing. Their hope is gone. Then or now, here is a truth – every situation in life is hopeless without Jesus. Last lesson we saw Jesus’ disciples in a boat who thought they were going to die, and they would have without Jesus. Here you have one who has dies, and she will remain dead, without Jesus. But, whether the storms of life or death, Jesus has a different perspective.
In this case -
vs. 39 – Jesus’s response is - “she is asleep.”
Can you imagine what those present thought. This family does not need to go through any more heartbreak. You piddle around, take your time getting here and when you finally do you say she is sleeping. She is dead.
We are told in vs. 40 that Jesus puts them all out. These faithless people are not going to see the power of Jesus.
I could not help but wonder how many wonderful experiences I have missed out on because of my lack of faith.
Two people. Two stories. What brought these two people to Jesus was sheer desperation as they sought out an answer to their problem. What blessed them was faith in the One who could help. Now each has a choice to make: What do I do with what I have been given.
I hope you realize that is our story.
We have a problem; it is called sin. And the wages of sin is far greater than physical illness or death. The wages of sin according to Romans 6:23 is eternal separation from God.
Which should drive us in desperation to seek out the only One who has an answer to that problem – His name is Jesus.
And having turned to Him, we like this woman and Jarius have a choice to make: What will I do with what I have been given?
