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There was a man who got lost in the desert. After wandering around for a long time his throat became very dry, about that time he saw a little shack in the distance.
He made his way over to the shack and found a water pump with a small jug of water and a note.
The note read: "pour all the water into the top of the pump to prime it, if you do this you will get all the water you need". Now the man had a choice to make, if he trusted the note and poured the water in and it worked he would have all the water he needed. If it didn’t work he would still be thirsty and he might die. Or he could choose to drink the water in the jug and get immediate satisfaction, but it might not be enough and he still might die. After thinking about it the man decided to risk it. He poured the entire jug into the pump and began to work the handle, at first nothing happened and he got a little scared but he kept going and water started coming out. So much water came out he drank all he wanted, took a shower, and filled all the containers he could find. Because he was willing to give up momentary satisfaction, he got all the water he needed. Now the note also said: after you have finished, please refill the jug for the next traveler.” The man refilled the jug and added to the note: “ Please prime the pump, believe me it works”! (source: SermonCentral.com)
Today we talk about trust. Jesus calls on two people to trust Him in different ways – but both are offered the chance to “prime the pump” of faith by forcing reliance on Jesus Christ. First we have a public figure who must choose trusting Jesus over the jeers and doubts of his loved ones. Then we have an anonymous figure who has faith in Jesus but hasn’t taken a public stand, acknowledging Him before the crowds.
Jesus has just left the scene of the man possessed by a legion of demons.
21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." 24 So Jesus went with him.
Jairus was probably there the day in Mark 3 when Jesus did the healing on the Sabbath at the synagogue in Capernaum. He may have even been one of those who argued with Jesus about whether it was legal to heal on the Sabbath. Now, through desperation he comes to Jesus. It’s amazing how true need breaks through prejudice. People will mock Jesus and you for belonging to Him, but when a true crisis happens in their lives they know that Jesus is the only real source of help.
As a synagogue ruler – Jairus was more like an administrator – not a theologian. But he was a public figure – a well known and respected name in the community. Coming to Jesus like this carried with it huge risks. I find it interesting that when it comes to theories we can find all kinds of arguments against believing in Jesus. But imagine – Luke tells us that the girl was 12 years old – and was Jairus’ only daughter.
Put yourself in his shoes – I know what its like to have a little girl – they are the sparkle in your eye and you protect them with ferocity. At the end of his rope – about to lose this precious gift – theories and arguments fall by the way side. Position becomes secondary.
Jairus asks Jesus to come and lay hands on the daughter – and He goes – but on the way something else amazing happens:
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
According to Jewish law this woman’s husband could not touch her and everything she touched became unclean. What a terrible life that was to lead. She had sought the best of what the medical care of the day had to offer and spent every dime she had – but to know avail. For every year that Jairus’ little girl lived – this woman was in torment.
In Jesus’ time medical knowledge was scant. Often times the Pharisees went around claiming to be physicians. They would offer all kinds of strange superstitious methods of healing. One method called for seven pits to be dug, with vine branches not yet four years old burned in them, and then the woman was to sit down by each pit and to say “Be free from thy sickness.” What ever the method – and I’m sure they had stranger ones than this – it didn’t work.
One of the reasons Pharisees got involved in healing is that many people believed that demons were a major cause of disease. Pagans would often go to temples where they would wait for a dream to tell them about the course of a disease. Or they would go to a hot springs like at Mishnah and bathe, hoping to be cured.
Now look at this – Jesus does not know what’s going to happen in advance – He senses it after the fact.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
No one told this woman to “touch Jesus garment”. There was no prescribed healing ritual here. All that mattered was that she reach out to Jesus in faith – and that’s all that matter for us as well.
Apparently, Jesus would have a sense when supernatural power for healing had gone out of Him. I find it fascinating because there is not direct action taken on Jesus’ part – the woman reaching out to Him in faith obtained the power. Jesus didn’t just channel the power of God like some high guru – He wasn’t using the power of God, He IS the power of God – in fact He IS God.
It doesn’t show up in the English – but Jesus uses the feminine pronoun for “who”. He knew it was a woman who touched Him, and perhaps at that moment the Holy Spirit told Him who it was – but Jesus doesn’t turn to the woman and say “you there – you touched Me.” He wants her to do something. Watch how the disciples react.
31 "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, ’Who touched me?’"
So apparently people were jostling back and forth – probably lots of people were touching Jesus – coming into contact with Him – but only the one who reached out in faith got the healing. You can hang around Jesus all you want – but unless you reach out to Him and ask Him to heal you from the sickness of sin through faith in His sacrifice – you won’t get anything.
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.
It’s possible that Jesus didn’t know – or possible that He was trying to get the woman to respond- which she finally does.
33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
It was important for some reason for her to not be an invisible healing – Jesus wanted her to acknowledge the source of the healing.
Paul in Romans says “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved.” She believed that Jesus was the source of healing, but she needed to confess it with her mouth.
What I like about this story is that Jesus always makes time for a legitimate need. This woman was nobody – especially compared to the synagogue ruler – yet Jesus stopped from an important mission because a nobody reached out in faith to Him.
He will also stop what He’s doing to listen to you if you cry out to Him in faith – putting your trust in Him.
1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
So Jesus’ delay has an important implication for Jairus, who I’m sure was chomping at the bit to get Jesus to hurry along to his house.
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"
36 Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don’t be afraid; just believe."
Wow – how would you react? “Your daughter is dead” they tell Jairus. Its too late – nothing can help her now – don’t bother God anymore – He didn’t answer in time so just give up.
And yet – Jesus turns to Jairus and says two very important things. 1. “Don’t be afraid.” Jesus heard what the men said – and actually interrupted them. It’s like He was saying “What you are hearing and sensing is likely to bring great fear into your heart – but I want you to disregard it.”
Then 2. He said “Only believe.” This is a command. In essence Jesus is saying to Jairus – “Do you trust Me, no matter what?” Jairus had a choice to make – believe the environmental information around Him, or believe the Word spoken to Him by Jesus. We don’t get his response – but its obvious that Jairus does indeed trust Jesus.
So now watch what happens:
37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." 40 But they laughed at him.
Jairus and Jesus were surrounded with unbelief and ridicule. In those days there were professional mourners who came around to each family. They didn’t have any real stake in the situation – and so when hope arrived they expressed hard hearts. They’d seen it all – no one comes back from the dead – this situation is hopeless. Well, not for Jesus.
After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
The result was no one got to see the miracle except for the mom and dad and Jesus’ disciples. That’s what happens when we refuse to trust Jesus – we miss out on the miracle. We miss out seeing God move in the situation. Now I must emphasize that its up to God how He answers the prayer – our job is to trust that He is answering.
Seeing Him move doesn’t mean you get exactly what you asked for – He might do that – but know that the answer is what you need.
• Will He move?
Maybe you have prayed forever to be released from something – but God never seems to answer. Maybe its just that the right time hasn’t come. I’m sure that woman prayed and prayed and prayed. But for her, she needed to reach out to Jesus to find release.
Maybe for you – everything’s gone pretty well. And all this “relying on Jesus” stuff doesn’t affect you much because your life is in pretty good shape. You, like Jairus, will never know what day will bring calamity to your house. Isn’t it a good idea to start relying on Him for small things now, so when the really big things happen you can be ready?
• Jesus responds to faith
What Jairus asked for – Jesus granted. Later, a Centurion would ask for healing from a distance – and Jesus would grant that request too. He responds to what we ask for and whether we are trusting Him – add to the mix the Father’s will and you get the complete picture.
So – trust in Jesus, don’t limit your prayers, and also trust that how the Father responds is in our best interest – even if the child dies!
• Human efforts do little in the long run
The woman had availed herself of all the world could offer – and it only made matters worse. That’s what we do sometimes too. We will do anything before trusting in the Lord for our situation. We think by working harder and making more money we will have satisfaction. We think that by giving in to sinful pleasure we will find love. We think that through secular psychology will heal the real hurts in our soul. We think by studying and espousing every philosophy created by man that we will find peace in our hearts – but it won’t do any good in the long run.
Only Jesus brings real healing and joy and satisfaction and peace. If you’ve run all your life trying to get ahead and find yourself further behind than ever – come to Jesus.
I heard a celebrity say the other day – it was Meg Ryan. She said all the fame and fortune accorded to her as a “star” was empty. All the world’s stuff is really like cotton candy – it gives you a quick rush, but then leaves you flat and worse off than before – fat and low blood-sugared.
• Do you trust Jesus no matter what?
How many times do you find yourself in a situation where what you see around you screams out for panic or despair or anger? You pray out of your need and God seems to ignore you and you run out of money or that loved one dies or some really important deadline passes and nothing happens.
Do you ever stop to consider that Jesus might have tarried just so the deadline would pass – and then ask the question: “despite what you see, do you trust Me – no matter what?”
2 Peter 3:8-9 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Let His Word, not your senses be the guide. And don’t panic – Jesus never let time determine His moves – and He isn’t bound by time to answer yours.
