Have you ever watched the surfing contests in Hawaii? From what I read, surfing is all about the timing. The environment for surfing is dynamic with the waves, wind, and conditions constantly changing. It doesn't matter how long you spend in the water if you don't have the right timing. The best surfers make riding the waves seemed effortless.
Surfing is a lot like trusting God. You might remember a couple of weeks ago when I talked to the children about faith being the key to the power of God. Faith is maintaining trust in God's power and His timing. We may have the right theology but we might struggle to trust God because His plan doesn't line up with ours. Faith means maintaining our trust in God, even when He makes us wait. Have you ever had to wait on God?
This morning we are going to look at a couple of stories that have to do with waiting on Jesus. Our text will come from Luke 8:40-56. But first, let's pray.
Prayer
Luke 8:40-48 – “When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Just then, a man named Jairus came. He was a leader of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus’s feet and pleaded with him to come to his house, 42 because he had an only daughter about twelve years old, and she was dying.
********While he was going, the crowds were nearly crushing him. 43 A woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years, who had spent all she had on doctors and yet could not be healed by any, 44 approached from behind and touched the end of his robe. Instantly her bleeding stopped.
********45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are hemming you in and pressing against you.” 46 “Someone did touch me,” said Jesus. “I know that power has gone out from me.”
******** 47 When the woman saw that she was discovered, she came trembling and fell down before him. In the presence of all the people, she declared the reason she had touched him and how she was instantly healed. 48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
This story reminds me a little bit of some of the Sunday mornings I have experienced. I start to take care of something, and then something else comes up and then something else and I end up with a list to do before I know it. That’s what was happening in this scene with Jesus. Jesus hears the plea of Jairus to come to his house and heal his daughter because she is dying. Jesus agrees to go but immediately is interrupted by another incident.
Jairus was a leader in the synagogue and more than likely considered Jesus to be a blasphemer or a heretic. As a ruler of the synagogue, he was chosen by his peers, so we can assume that he enjoyed being popular in his town. But suddenly all of these accomplishments faded into the background.
His daughter was on the brink of death and it gave Jairus a completely different mindset. His theology seemed irrelevant now as he tried to make it fit into his current situation. So, he did want any good father would do. He threw out all of his prejudice and his pride, and his principles for the hope that Jesus is who He says He is.
In the middle of this happening, we find the story of the woman with the bleeding issue that touched the hem of Jesus's garment. We might think, wait a minute! One story at a time please. But the story of Jesus healing Jairus' daughter can't fully be understood without reading about the woman that Jesus healed on the way to Jairus's house.
We probably look at this as an interruption in what Jesus was about to do. But Jesus isn't inconvenienced by anything, and that includes us. He wants us to approach Him with our needs. No matter what the situation. Jesus wasn't too busy for this woman or for Jairus. That's because God is a Good Father who wants to meet our needs, and He's willing and able to meet them. So, what does God do? He invites us to ask Him for help without thinking that we are interrupting Him.
It's important to realize this woman's condition had disrupted every part of her life. The Bible tells us she had been suffering for 12 years, but as we read the story we may not understand the level of her struggle.
-she was ritually unclean and couldn't enter the temple.
-she was unable to marry because of her condition.
-she likely hadn't been hugged or touched for 12 years.
-she spent all her money on medical bills and was likely destitute.
As Jesus was walking through the crowd, the woman reached out to touch the edge of His garment. Immediately Jesus felt power leave Him and He stopped. The woman was terrified, expecting that Jesus would punish her or reverse her healing. But Jesus responded in the most tender way. He called her His daughter. And take note that it was her faith that unleashed God's healing in her life. Faith was the key to her healing.
Do you have a faith like that? We may think that we do, but do we really? When we accept Christ as our very own, we are given that element of faith. And Jesus said it only takes the faith of the size of a mustard seed to move mountains. Is there something that you need Jesus to rescue you from? If so, have faith in Him. Let faith be the key to unleashing the power of God. Reach out to Jesus in prayer and then have faith that it will be answered. Expect it to be answered.
Luke 8:49-53 – “While he was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”
50 When Jesus heard it, he answered him, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe, and she will be saved.”
********51 After he came to the house, he let no one enter with him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Everyone was crying and mourning for her. But he said, “Stop crying, because she is not dead but asleep.”
53 They laughed at him, because they knew she was dead.”
When the little girl died, it seems like Jesus made a mistake. We think that He should have hurried to the house, but instead He stopped to help someone else. Jairus must have been angry or hurt or, at least, disappointed. He had an expectant faith that Jesus would heal his daughter. There's nothing more challenging to expectant faith than being delayed.
When Jesus arrived at Jairus's house, the entire household was morning and crying. Jesus had arrived too late. Didn't He care? Jesus tells them, “Stop crying. She's not dead. She's only asleep.” They all laughed at him. Didn’t Jesus know how death worked? There was no returning from death. Death, the ultimate enemy, it came knocking at their door. So, it was over, or was it?
Luke 8: 54-56 – “So he took her by the hand and called out, (Talitha kum) “Child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he gave orders that she be given something to eat. 56 Her parents were astounded, but he instructed them to tell no one what had happened.”
Jesus went to the little girl’s bedside. He took her hand and spoke to her. In Mark's gospel account of this incident, he records Jesus saying in his native Aramaic language, talitha cum. Talitha is a term of endearment that a father would use when speaking to his daughter. It literally means little lamb, arise.
This shows us how compassionate and gentle Jesus was. He didn't treat this moment as a task that had to be accomplished. He was emotionally invested in it. He loved this child like a father loves his own beloved daughter. And that's how God sees us. We are His treasure. Even when He delays or is interrupted, we can trust Him.
This story is a living prophecy of another child who would die. If we think deeply about it, we're given a glimpse of what would happen to Jesus. He would die on that dreadful cross. All His closest friends would mourn and cry, but death would be defeated. God would call out to His Son, and He would rise. Jesus would conquer death forever. If Jesus can overcome death, the most terrifying enemy of all, we should be able to trust Him with whatever we are experiencing.
This story should be an eye-opening event for us as to how powerful God is. But do we have the faith that is required to believe this? I have seen, firsthand, God bring someone back to life who was pronounced dead. I have experienced the power of God's healing. And I can tell you that God loves us that much. This is just one story of what God can do for us as well.
1 John 3:1 – “See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him.”
This verse makes up the lyrics to a familiar song that we sing. Behold what manner of love the father has given unto us. That we shall be called the sons of God. As we read and study these stories of Jesus's healing, our faith should be strengthened by knowing that we too can experience the power of God through our faith in Him.
Now let's sidetrack for a moment. In the purity system of the Levitical law there were restrictions that made you unclean. You could become unclean if you touched a dead body, had a skin disease, or ate something unclean. When someone became unclean, they had to go through a process of becoming ritually cleansed. If someone was ceremonially unclean, they were to be separated from the people of God.
But Jesus overcame all of this and He shows us that He makes unclean things clean. The body of Jairus' daughter and the woman suffering from a bleeding disorder were ritually unclean. Touching either of them would designate Jesus as unclean. He would have been cast out of the camp because of His defilement. But Jesus makes unclean things clean.
The law created a system to limit sinful behavior so that God could live among the people. Jesus, being God on earth, fully God and fully man, came to earth and lived among people. He didn't limit sinful behavior by sending sinners outside of the community. Instead, He transformed sinners by coming close to them. He touched the untouchable and brought them back into fellowship.
Jesus redeemed Jairus's daughter, as well as the woman who suffered from a bleeding disorder. He changed their identities. No longer were they unclean and untouchable. He called them His daughters.
I wonder how many people feel within their heart that they cannot ask Jesus to be their Savior because they feel they are too bad of a person. They feel that they have done so much bad in their life that there would be no way Jesus would accept them.
This story reminds us that Jesus makes unclean things clean. He can turn your life around in a moment by you simply asking Him to forgive you of those sins and becoming your personal Savior. God wants us to have an expectant faith, expecting Him to forgive us when we repent of our sins. He wants us to keep our eyes on Him and keep our trust in Him.
Do you remember the story we talked about a few weeks ago when Peter walked on the water? Peter was doing just fine until he lost his focus and was unable to keep his footing in the water. The Bible tells us that he took his eyes off Jesus and started looking at the wind and the waves and he began to sink and be afraid. But just as he started to sink, Peter cried out to Jesus to save him. Peter was unable to maintain his trust in Jesus for a moment.
We can feel like failures when we lose our trust in Jesus like Peter did. We see the storm in our life instead of the Savior. But Jesus doesn't shame us when we're afraid. He didn't mock Peter or let him drown. Jesus gently calls us to a greater faith and catches us when we fall.
Is there something in your life that's causing you to look at the storm instead of the Savior? This is a good lesson to remind us to spend time focusing on who Jesus is and what He can do for us. You can go to Him and have that expectant faith, expecting Him to be there for you with arms wide open saying, “Have courage! Don't be afraid.”
As we look back over our story today, we see Jesus on His way to fulfill an urgent need of raising a little girl from the dead. But along the way He stops to help another woman who had another need that we may think wasn't so urgent.
What I learned from this story is that God is never late. His timing is perfect. Whether we wait an extra 15 minutes or 12 years, God will accomplish His purposes on His timetable.
You may be a moment in God's timetable right now. God arranged things this week for you to be here to hear His message and to open your heart to accept Him.
The Bible is a story of God providing for His people. One of the most beautiful names of God is Jehovah Jireh - the Lord will provide. God provides relief from our enemies. He provides for our daily needs. But most importantly, God provides salvation for our sins.
I hope that everyone came here today expecting something from God. If you did, I can tell you that God will deliver. And He will deliver you from your sins if you turn it all over to Him.
He's not too busy to hear your cry for help. God gives you that opportunity now to accept His Son Jesus Christ and start living your life anew in Him.
Won’t you come, as we pray.
