GOSPEL OF MARK: GOD’S SERVANT IN ACTION
JESUS CARES FOR THE HURTING
A. Mark 5:34- “Jesus said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from
your suffering.’”
ILLUSTRATION:
Driving through Texas, a New Yorker COLLIDED with a truck carrying a HORSE. A few weeks later he CONTACTED the truck driver’s INSURANCE and tried to collect damages for his INJURIES.
“How can you now claim to have all these injuries?” asked the insurance company’s lawyer. “According to the POLICE REPORT, at the time you said you were not HURT.”
“Look,” replied the New Yorker. “I was lying on the road in a lot of PAIN, and I heard someone say the HORSE had a broken leg. The next thing I know this Texas Highway Patrolman pulls out his gun and shoots the horse in the head. Then he turns to me and asks, ‘Are you okay?’”
B. How many of you have ever SUFFERED with PAIN? How many of you are SUFFERING with PAIN
this very moment?
1. The truth is, everyone experiences PAIN either PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, SPIRITUALLY,
or all the above.
a. There are DAYS when there seems to be more PAIN than RELIEF, more HARDSHIP than HELP,
and more SUFFERING than SUPPORT.
ILLUSTRATION:
My older brother Alvin (yes, the same brother who tried to leave me and our younger brother in the CEMETERY one night that I talked about last Sunday) used to share a bit of WISDOM with me: “Freddie, if it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger.” Then he would PUNCH me in the SHOULDER and tell me that he was
making me STRONGER. (RUB SHOULDER, “IT DIDN’T WORK!)
b. PAIN doesn’t WORK that way. PAIN has a tendency to EBB AWAY our STRENGTH. It slowly
eats away at our PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL and SPIRITUAL defenses until it breaks through.
2. During times of PAIN and SUFFERING, we sometimes wonder where is God in all of this. Does He
even CARE when we HURT?
a. Please understand that PAIN and SUFFERING were never PART of God’s PLAN. (The perfect
tranquility of the Garden of Eden is what God had planned for MANKIND.)
b. However, when Adam and Eve SINNED, it changed everything. SUFFERING, SORROW and
DEATH entered the WORLD.
3. God WARNED Adam and Eve it would happen if they DISOBEYED.
a. But even in the midst of their DISOBEDIENCE, “God introduced HOPE in the coming of His Son
Jesus”- Genesis 3:15.
b. Yes, we still LIVE in a FALLEN WORLD.
COMMENT:
Jesus reminds us of that truth when He said in John 16:33, just right before He went to the cross, “In this world you will have trouble.” We know that painfully well, don’t we? (PRAYER LIST)
But then Jesus reminds us that we are not ALONE in this world to deal with its PAIN and SUFFERING. He adds: “But take heart! I have overcome the World.”
MESSAGE:
COMMENT:
Throughout the Gospel of Mark the disciples had witnessed the compassion of Jesus, GOD’S SERVANT, caring for HURTING people. “He has CAST-OUT DEMONS, HEALED the SICK, CLEANSED a LEPER, ENABLED a CRIPPLED man to WALK, and RESTORED another
man’s SHRIVELED HAND.”
But now they are about to WITNESS something that they had never SEEN before as Jesus comes upon three more HURTING people.
I. A DESPERATE FATHER- Mark 5:21-24a
A. After casting out 6,000 demons from a man living among the TOMBS in the region of the Gerasenes, Jesus and his disciples cross the Sea of Galilee to the other side where, once again, they are met by
CROWD of people.
1. Among the crowd is a RULER of the Synagogue who, as soon as he sees Jesus, falls to His feet.
a. I believe the reason Mark reveals this man’s POSITION is because, although he is an
IMPORTANT man among the Jews, he HUMBLES himself before Jesus.
COMMENT:
A SYNAGOGUE RULER was an ELECTED position by the Jewish ELDERS. He often served with at least one other RULER, and his responsibilities were to oversee the MATTERS of
the SYNAGOGUE and officiate over WORSHIP conducted during the SABBATH.
b. “It was a SYNAGOGUE RULER who was OUTRAGED with Jesus when He healed a crippled woman on the Sabbath”- Luke 13:10ff.
2. The ruler’s name is Jairus, which means: “Jehovah Enlightens”.
a. This man is in CRISIS who desperately TURNS to the only One whom he believes can help.
b. On his knees he PLEADS with Jesus, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your
hands on her so that she will be healed and live!”- v. 23.
COMMENT:
“Jairus’ daughter was only 12-years-old”- v. 42. From Mark’s description we can tell that this is a Dad who deeply loves his little girl. Undoubtedly, he and his wife have tried everything to make their daughter well, but nothing has worked.
Jairus had heard about what Jesus can do, or may have even witnessed His miracles. It’s highly possible that Jairus could have been in the same SYNAGOGUE where “Jesus cast out a DEMON” in Mark 1:21ff or where “Jesus healed the man with the shriveled hand, at the chagrin of the Pharisees” in Mark 3:1ff.
B. As a Synagogue Ruler, Jairus is setting himself up to be REPRIMANDED by the Pharisees and the
Teachers of the Law by even coming to Jesus for HELP.
1. Have you noticed how CRISIS has a way of causing people to SEEK Jesus?
a. Psalm 77:2- “When I was in distress, I sought the Lord…”
b. In fact, God wants us to turn to Him in our times of trouble- Psalm 50:15- “Call upon Me in the
day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
COMMENT:
Whatever Jairus may have thought about Jesus before, is no longer an ISSUE. He has heard and seen enough to know that Jesus is the ONLY One who can SAVE his little girl.
2. But what about Jesus? Thus far His dealings with Jewish Religious Leaders hasn’t been POSITIVE.
a. They have tried everything to ENTRAP Jesus so that they could have something of which to
ACCUSE Him.
COMMENT:
Multiple times they have ACCUSED Him of violating the Sabbath Day Law and breaking the TRADITIONS of the elders. In fact, they even “ACCUSED Him of CASTING OUT demons by the POWER of Satan instead of the Power of the Holy Spirit”- Mark 3:20ff.
b. And now here comes a Synagogue Ruler asking Jesus for HELP.
COMMENT:
Could this be another TRAP? Even if it’s LEGIT, does Jesus really want to DEAL with
these RELIGIOUS LEADERS anymore? They certainly haven’t shown Him any RESPECT.
c. Being the LOVING, COMPASSIONATE Savior that He is, Mark writes, “So, Jesus went with Him”- v. 24.
II. A SUFFERING WOMAN- Mark 5:24b-34
A. As Jesus is making His way to Jairus’s house, the CROWDS are so large that they are PRESSING
against Jesus and His apostles as they are trying to get through.
1. In the CROWD is a woman who had been SUFFERING with BLEEDING for 12 long years.
a. She had been to DOCTOR after DOCTOR trying to get RELIEF, but instead of getting BETTER
she’s gotten WORSE.
COMMENT:
You can imagine after 12-years of HEMORRHAGING, this woman is WEAK and FRAIL. And not only is she dealing with the PHYSICAL aspects of her CHRONIC CONDITION, but also
he EMOTIONAL and SOCIAL aspects.
b. According to the Law of Moses, “this woman would be deemed spiritually UNCLEAN, and
anyone she TOUCHES would be UNCLEAN”- Lev. 15:25-27.
COMMENT:
This meant that she could NOT gather for corporate WORSHIP. She could not be around her FRIENDS or FAMILY. Whoever or whatever she TOUCHED also became UNCLEAN. For 12 long years her life was relegated to a sickly, lonely EXISTENCE.
2. Under normal circumstances this WOMAN would not be among this CROWD of people, but she
HEARD that Jesus is there.
a. Steadily moving through the CROWD she finally sees Jesus- Mark 5:27-28 (READ)
b. After she touches the hem of Jesus’ cloak, Mark records: “Immediately her bleeding stopped
and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering”- v. 29.
COMMENT:
HOW DO YOU SPELL RELIEF? J-E-S-U-S! After all the DOCTORS she had seen and all the MONEY she had SPENT, she finally had been FREED from her years of SUFFERING just
by touching the CLOTHES of Jesus.
B. But then feeling the POWER go out of Him, Jesus turns and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”- v. 30.
1. The disciples say to Jesus, “Look at this crowd of people! Everybody’s touching you.”
COMMENT:
I find it interesting that no one else in that CROWD who, undoubtedly, touched Jesus as well experienced a MIRACLE. It was the FAITH of this woman who BELIEVED that just by touching the GARMENT of Jesus she would be HEALED, that led to her MIRACLE.
2. As Jesus continues to look over the CROWD to see who TOUCHED Him, the WOMAN finally
comes forward trembling with FEAR and FALLS at the feet of Jesus confessing that she’s the one.
COMMENT:
Did you notice that our LESSON began with a man, a Synagogue Ruler, with some FAME who FELL down before Jesus, and now this woman with SHAME falls down, as well? It doesn’t matter who we are or what POSITION we hold, our POSTURE before Christ must be one of
BROKEN HUMILITY and deep REVERENCE.
a. The woman was probably trying to SLIP AWAY and get LOST in the CROWD when she heard
Jesus asked, “Who touched me?”
COMMENT:
At one moment she was ELATED with indescribable JOY at having been HEALED from an AILMENT that she had suffered with for 12 years. And now her JOY has turned into FEAR of not
knowing what Jesus might do to her.
b. As she prostrates herself before Jesus the Lord says to her, “Daughter, your faith as healed you.
Go in peace and be freed from your suffering”- v. 34.
COMMENT:
HOW DO YOU SPELL RELIEF? J-E-S-U-S!
III. A DYING DAUGHTER- Mark 5:35-43
A. Although stopping to find out who TOUCHED Jesus was certainly an unwanted DISTRACTION to a
FATHER anxious to get Jesus to his dying daughter, it was good for Jairus to WITNESS.
1. The Synagogue Ruler just witnessed a powerful example of HEALING from Jesus that he couldn’t
have even DREAMED was possible. (Even Jesus’ disciples had never seen anything like that.)
a. Undoubtedly his HOPE that Jesus can actually HEAL his LITTLE GIRL is at its PEAK.
b. His only concern now is to get Jesus to his HOUSE in TIME before his daughter DIES.
2. But then this LOVING Father hears NEWS that he DREADED most of all- Mark 5:35 (READ)
a. No one likes to hear BAD NEWS.
COMMENT:
Over the years I’ve had my SHARE of BAD NEWS about I love one DYING. First my Mom, then a few years later my Dad, then my nieces and my brother Alvin. Even when they are ILL, you
are never quite PREPARED to HEAR that NEWS.
And as a MINISTER, I can’t even tell you how many times that I had to be a BEARER of
such BAD NEWS. That was the WORST part of being an ER CHAPLAIN for two-years.
b. These men just callously told Jairus, “You’re daughter’s dead.”
3. I like what Jesus did—He just IGNORED them- v. 36 (READ)
a. Whatever HOPE that Jairus had in Jesus’ ability to HEAL, is now completely GONE.
b. I know that Jairus must have been amazed at how a WOMAN was HEALED just by touching the CLOAK of Jesus, but we’re talking about DEATH here.
4. Notice again what Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
a. FAITH is clearly the issue here for Jesus.
COMMENT:
What does he say to the WOMAN? “Your faith has saved you.” What does he say to the
FATHER? “Just believe.” Believe in what? Faith in what? FAITH IN JESUS.
b. Jesus is not telling the WOMAN or the FATHER that if you just WISH really hard for what you
want and BELIEVE it will come true, then it will HAPPEN.
COMMENT:
To the WOMAN he is saying, “It is your faith in ME that has healed you, not in some magical garment.” To the FATHER, “Forget what those men are saying. Look to me to SAVE your daughter. Believe in me.”
B. As Jesus entered Jairus’ house, people are CRYING and WAILING loudly.
1. Jesus asks, “Why all the commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep”- v. 39.
a. The people LAUGHED at Jesus. Have you ever had anyone to LAUGH at your FAITH?
ILLUSTRATION:
When I was part of a temporary mission team to Czechoslovakia in 1991, just a year-and-half after the IRON CURTAIN fell, a young man came to a CLASS that I was teaching. When I read about the DEATH and RESURRECTION of Christ from Luke’s gospel, he LAUGHED and called
everyone in the class “children who believe in fairy tales.”
b. UNBELIEF laughs at God’s Word, but FAITH lays hold of it and experiences the power of God.
-1 Corinthians 1:18- “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
2. “Jesus kicks all the UNBELIEVERS out of the house”- v. 40.
a. Then He takes three of His disciples, Peter, James and John, and the Father and Mother to where
their daughter was lying.
b. “Jesus takes the girl’s hand and says, ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up!’ And she gets up and
starts walking around. And Jesus said, “Give her something to eat”- vv. 41-43.
COMMENT:
Mark records that after Jesus raised this girl from the dead, “everyone was completely astonished.” But for these parents, it had to be much more than that. They’ve got their LITTLE
GIRL back, completely WELL . . . and HUNGRY.
CONCLUSION:
A. Does God CARE when we HURT?
1. I know when we are in the midst of PAIN and SUFFERING, it doesn’t always seem like He CARES.
COMMENT:
God didn’t promise that once we put our FAITH in Him that all of our TROUBLES will be OVER and all of our SUFFERING will subside. God never promised that LIFE would be EASY, that we
would never experience LOSS, or FAILURE, or DEATH, or PAIN.
But He did promise that He would be forever STANDING by our side, forever CARRYING us through the TOUGH TIMES. He promised that in every season of BROKENNESS, He would bring
us HOPE, STRENGTH, and LOVE.
HOW HAS GOD SHOWN YOU THAT HE CARES?
