"A Living Testimony"
Mark 5:21-43
Jairus a first century man whose name means "whom God enlightens."
There are many fatherly examples contained within the pages of our Bibles. Men like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Philip. Some of their examples of fatherliness teach us what not to do in relation to our families and at other times we are given great examples to follow and emulate. Quite often both examples can be seen in the same person, for none of us can claim to do the right thing at the right time, every time. However, hopefully we will do the right thing enough of the time.
This story about Jairus and his family is recorded in each of the synoptic gospels. It is recorded in the same order in each of them. In the beginning verses of Mark chapter 5 we have the story of the demoniac who lived among the tombs. Jesus restores this man to a sound mind by the casting out of the demons into a herd of pigs.
After rescuing this man, his neighbors asked Jesus to leave because they feared his power, or they were angry at the economic trouble that his being there would cause their village. Whatever the reason was, the man was restored and Jesus was exiled. Sailing back across the Sea of Galilee he landed somewhere around Capernium I would suppose.
There can be something special between a father and a daughter. I imagine that Jairus and his daughter had something very special between them, so special that her father set out to find Jesus. We are not told for how long that this young lady was ill, but I suspect that it was quite some time. If you have ever sat up with your children when they had a high fever or when they were very ill, then you have some frame of reference with which to enter this story, some empathy that you can share with Jairus.
Jairus was an elite, being ruler of the synagogue. He kept watch over the building and saw to it that worship was done in an orderly fashion, he was responsible for the services and participants, such as who would be the reader of the Scripture. He held a high position of honor and authority and in that society honor was everything. The elites had little dealings with those who existed beneath their own level. Jesus as the son of a carpenter, and as such he was a peasant and the honor that Jesus hand been ascribed was that of a peasant. However, Jesus did not follow in the steps of his earthly father, he became an itinerant preacher and healer of sorts. His reputation was spreading around the region as possibly being a candidate for the Messiah.
Jairus watched his daughter continue to grow toward death. An event that many first century parents had to do. The mortality rate among children was very high in first century Israel. Jairus decided to do something dramatic. I am sure that he had tried everything that he knew to do and everything that the doctors knew to do. Jairus set out to find Jesus, it was his only chance to save his daughter’s life, if he wasn’t to late already.
We don’t know where Jairus lived, but it was probably in or around the city of Capernium. He set out toward the Sea of Galilee, he had heard reports that Jesus had fishermen among his band of disciples. Up ahead Jairus could see and hear a great crowd. He went closer and began to elbow his way through. He was an elite among the peasants, and when he finally reached the front of the crowd there was Jesus. Jairus fell at his feet. In falling at Jesus’ feet he recognized Jesus to be worthy of his homage. While kneeling at Jesus’ feet Jairus would do one or more of the following, kiss Jesus’ feet, kiss the tassels or the hem of his robe, or kiss the ground in front of him.
Jairus then asked Jesus to do something that is impossible for a human being to do, to touch his little girl, and by his touch make her live. "Come with me to my home and please heal my little girl." Jairus cried. Jairus abandoned his honor, his pride, his station in life, his friends, his associates, everything that he held dear, he sacrificed them all at the feet of Jesus for his daughter. "Please come."
Jesus did not verbally respond to Jairus, he simply began to walk with him toward his home. The crowd continued to press in on Jesus and we read of an unclean woman making her way to Jesus. She said over and over to herself, "If I just touch the hem of his garment I will be healed." She pressed in until she was able to touch Jesus’ robe and just as she believed she became well. Twelve years of loneliness would soon be coming to an end. She would be unclean no more, Healed, Restored, Saved.
Jesus sensed that power had left him and stopped to ask who it was that touched him. The disciples got a little testy with Jesus. But Jesus continued to ask the question. Finally the woman came forward, and like Jairus, fell at his feet. Jesus was kind and loving to this woman, but just think what Jairus is feeling. "What is going on?" "My baby is lying dear death, let’s go! come on!" But to his credit he did not say anything. He seamanly trusted Jesus to do the bidding of God. If he could depend on Jesus to heal his daughter he would also need to trust Jesus with the timing of the thing.
About this time someone, who had been staying with Jairus’ family, came running up to the crowd and told them the terrible news. "Your daughter is gone, she has passed away, and the mourning has begun. There is no need for you to bring Jesus to your home, it too late."
Jesus let this person share their news but death loses its power in the presence of Jesus. Jesus turned to Jairus and lovingly said, "Don’t be afraid, you came to me believing, continue to believe." Jesus then, for reasons known only to him, thinned out the crowd. Jesus said, "You can come, and you, and you," he was talking to Peter, James and John. It would be just the five of them who would continue on this journey.
As they approached Jairus’ home, one crowd had been exchanged for another. The professional mourners had come out in force, no doubt due to Jairus’ wealth and position in the village. There was wailing, and singing and people clapping their hands, commotion and frenzy were everywhere. Jesus entered the chaos of death and said simply, "Why all of this mourning, the little one is not dead but only sleeping!"
The crowd stopped their mounding and began to laugh at Jesus and to mock him. They had seen death before and this child was dead. Their mourning was no more than ritual, they turned it on and off at will. Jesus once again thinned out the crowd and sent every one away except the original five and Jairus’ wife, the girl’s mother.
Notice the silence of Jairus. Jesus comes into his home, into his world, and Jesus willingly takes control, and Jairus willingly allows Jesus to take control. This little band walks into the presence of death, with Jesus leading the way. Jesus moves toward the little girl and takes her by the hand, which by the way he did not need to do. Jesus was always willing to take the risk of becoming unclean to restore those who were labeled by society as untouchable and unclean. Those who were dead, those who were diseased, those who did not fit the mold of ritual righteousness.
While holding her hand Jesus gently said, "Little girl, get up!" The gospel of Luke says that her spirit returned and entered into her and she got up. She got up well, healed, saved from death and disease, for the moment. And Jesus said, "Get her something to eat."
Raising someone from the dead was as much a spectacle in that day as it would be in our own day. Jesus said, "Don’t tell anyone about what you have seen here." He probably said this more for the family’s sake than for His own. If this word was to travel unchecked this little girl would become like someone in a circus show. It was not a secret, the mourners knew, the villagers would know, others would find out.
Jairus was included in the witnesses of this miracle. The father who was not ashamed to go and look for Jesus, who was not ashamed to fall at his feet, who was not ashamed to bring him into his home and into his world, who was not ashamed to allow Jesus to be the Master of his house, this father became one of the persons who was allowed to witness the secret things of God. Father’s take a lesson from this ancient father. Risk your all for your children’s wholeness. Be the one who brings Jesus into your home. Become a man who knows the secret things of God. Today those secret things come as gifts to those who are willing to ask, to seek, and to find. To bring Jesus into home you must first allow him into your heart.
Our children need to hear about the love of God, about the truth of the gospel, about the reality of Jesus’ suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension. They need to hear these things from their father. Take Jesus into your home, read the Bible to your family, pray with your family, become the spiritual leader that God intends for you to be.
Jairus’ daughter became a living testimony of the Power of Jesus over death. Our children too, can become living testimonies of the power of God. Father’s love your children more than your stuff. Give them your time, and your love. Live like Jesus and they will see God through your life. Ultimately it is up to you. It is your children who are at risk today.
