MUB
FATHER’S DAY 2005, JUNE 19
MARK 5;2-24 NCV
21When Jesus went in the boat back to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him there. 22A leader of the synagogue, named Jairus, came there, saw Jesus, and fell at his feet. 23He begged Jesus, saying again and again, "My daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so she will be healed and will live." 24So Jesus went with him.
TODAY IS FATHERS DAY. IT SEEMS THAT THIS DAY DOESN’T CARRY THE SAME IMPORTANCE AS MOTHERS DAY. SOMEONE WAS TELLING ME THE OTHER DAY, THAT MORE PHONE CALLS ARE MADE ON MOTHERS DAY THAN ANY OTHER HOLIDAY, BUT, MORE COLLECT PHONE CALLS ARE MADE ON FATHERS DAY THAN ANY OTHER HOLIDAY. ONE YOUNGSTER WHEN ASKED ABOUT FATHERS DAY, SAID, IT’S JUST LIKE MOTHERS DAY, ONLY YOU DON’T SPEND AS MUCH ON GIFTS.
FATHERS DAY FOR MANY IS NOT A GOOD DAY. THEIR MEMORIES OF FATHER ARE NOT GOOD MEMORIES. FOR TOO MANY, ESPECIALLY IN THIS TIME, THE MEMORY OF DAD IS AN ABSENT TEE. I WAS READING SOMETHING THE OTHER DAY WRITTEN BY A MAN WHO IS JUST A FEW YEARS OLDER THAN ME, SO IN HIS 50’S, AND HE WROTE, MY DAD WAS GONE A LOT, AT WORK. HE PROVIDED FOR HIS FAMILY, AND AT THAT TIME, THAT WAS WHAT WAS EXPECTED OF DAD. MY OWN FATHER WAS MUCH LIKE THAT. HE WORKED AT TWO JOBS AND PROVIDED FOR HIS FAMILY. BUT, AND THIS IS HUGE, MY DAD ALSO MODELED THE CHRIST CENTERED LIFE FOR HIS CHILDREN. I HAVE OFTEN TOLD YOU, MY PARENTS, BOTH MY MOM AND DAD TOOK ME TO CHURCH. LISTEN TO THESE STATS THAT SOMEONE HAS TAKEN THE TIME TO FIND.
68 million of our nation’s 94 million men don’t attend any church. This, in spite of the fact, that 86% of them grew up with some sort of church background. . Research has revealed that if a child is the first person in a household to become a Christian, there is a 3.5 percent probability that everyone else in the household will become Christians. Not very high at all. If the mother is the first to accept Christ, the percent goes up and 17 percent of the homes will see the remainder of its members trust Christ. But if the father is first, there is a 93 percent probability that everyone else in the household will follow.
When father goes first spiritually, good things happen at home. Let’s all pray together that God will call even more men to spiritual revival and renewal. Never has there been a generation in our nation, where this has been more important than now.
A FATHER AND HIS SON WENT ON A FISHING TRIP. WHEN THEY RETURNED HOME, THE FATHER WAS TALKING TO A FRIEND AND AT THE SAME TIME THE SON WAS TALKING TO A FRIEND OF HIS. THE FRIEND ASKED THE FATHER HOW THE TRIP WENT, THE FATHERS RESPONSE, ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE, WORSE DAY OF MY LIFE. WE STRUGGLED GETTING THE BOAT READY TO GO, GOT TO THE LAKE AND HAD TO GO AND GET GAS, GOT OUT ON THE WATER LATE, AND ALL THE GOOD FISHING SPOTS WERE ALREADY TAKEN, FINALLY FOUND A PLACE AND THE LINES WERE ALL TANGLED TOGETHER, NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF BAIT I WAS USING, THE FISH WERE BITING ON SOMETHING DIFFERENT. THE SON WAS HOT, AND THE MOSQUITOES WERE BITING, AND WE DIDN’T CATCH A THING. THE SONS FRIEND ASKED HOW THE TRIP WENT, AND THE SON REPLIED, BEST DAY OF MY LIFE. DIDN’T CATCH A THING, BUT I GOT TO SPEND THE DAY ALONE WITH MY DAD.
TODAY, AS WE OPEN THE SCRIPTURE TOGETHER, WE ARE GOING TO SEE THE STORY OF A FATHER AND HIS LOVE FOR HIS CHILD. THIS IS ANOTHER ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS FRO M THE GOSPELS. AS A REMINDER, JESUS HAS GONE ACROSS THE LAKE AND ENCOUNTERED THE DEMON POSSESSED MAN OF THE GADARENES. JESUS WAS INVITED TO LEAVE TOWN RIGHT AFTER THE MIRACLE.
NOW JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES HAVE MADE THEIR WAY BACK ACROSS THE LAKE TO THE CITY OF CAPERNAUM. RECALL, THAT WHEN JESUS ARRIVED AT THE GADARENES, HE WAS MET BY A SINGLE MAN, WHO WAS DEMON POSSESSED, NOT A GREAT WELCOMING COMMITTEE. NOW, BACK IN FAMILIAR TERRITORY, BEFORE HE IS EVEN ON SHORE THE CROWD BEGINS TO GATHER. JESUS IS WELL KNOWN HERE, BUT, THIS IS ALSO THE PLACE WHERE HE HAS HAD SOME RUN INS WITH THE SYNAGOGUE LEADERS. THE COMMON PEOPLE LOVE HIM, THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS HOLD HIM AT ARMS LENGTH.
NOW, ONE OF THOSE SAME RELIGIOUS LEADERS COMES TO HIM. HE IS IN GREAT NEED. HIS NAME IS JAIRUS, AND HE IS A FATHER, HE HAS ONE CHILD, A DAUGHTER ABOUT 12 YEARS OLD. WE DON’T KNOW HOW HE PERSONALLY HAS RESPONDED TO JESUS. BUT ON THIS OCCASION, HE COMES. HIS DAUGHTER IS SICK UNTO DEATH. HE TELLS JESUS, SHE MAY ALREADY BE DEAD. I HAVE NEVER FACED THIS SITUATION, AND HOPE THAT I NEVER HAVE TO GO THRU IT. BUT, I HAVE HAD SICK CHILDREN, AND FOR ME, I WOULD RATHER GO THRU IT THAN HAVE THEM GO THRU IT. THIS FATHER FALLS AT THE FEET OF JESUS, MUCH LIKE THE DEMON POSSESSED MAN, BUT JAIRUS FALLS BELIEVING. HE EARNESTLY PLEADS WITH JESUS, HE WONT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER. IF YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MEDICINE WORKED IN THOSE DAYS, THIS MAN DOESN’T HAVE ANY OTHER OPTIONS. JESUS, IF YOU WILL COME AND LAY YOUR HAND ON MY DAUGHTER SHE WILL LIVE. THIS IS FAITH. THIS IS A FATHER WHO LOVES HIS CHILD. HE WILL DO WHAT EVER IT TAKES. IF ONLY OUR HEART WAS LIKE THAT FOR OUR COMMUNITY, FOR OUR KIDS, IMAGINE WHAT GOD WOULD DO.
JESUS, AGREES TO GO WITH THE MAN, AND THEY BEGIN THE JOURNEY. THE CROWD IS ALL ABOUT THEM. THEY PRESS ON EVERY SIDE. THE FATHER, HOPING, TRUSTING, BELIEVING, AND AT THE SAME TIME, HE HAS THE REALITY OF HOW SICK HIS DAUGHTER REALLY IS. THE TRIP SEEMS TO TAKE AN ETERNITY. IT ALWAYS DOES WHEN FACED WITH THIS SITUATION.
AT THE SAME TIME, THEY ARE WALKING, A WOMAN, WHO HAS A GREAT NEED, PUSHES HER WAY INTO THE CROWD. THIS WOMAN, IS NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE CONTACT, SHE HAS A CEREMONIAL UNCLEANNESS. SCRIPTURE TELLS US THAT SHE HAS BEEN SICK FOR 12 YEARS, WITH AN ISSUE OF BLOOD. SHE HAS SPENT ALL OF HER MONEY TRYING TO GET BETTER, ALL SHE HAS GOTTEN IS POORER. AND SHE, LIKE JAIRUS, HAS ONLY ONE HOPE, AND THAT IS JESUS. SHE HAS HEARD WHAT HE CAN DO, AND SHE BELIEVES THAT HIS TOUCH CAN HEAL HER. SHE SNEAKS UP FROM BEHIND, SHE THINKS, IF I CAN JUST TOUCH HIS GARMENT, I CAN BE HEALED. SHE TOO HAS FAITH. SHE TOUCHES THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT AND IMMEDIATELY SHE IS HEALED. THE ISSUE OF BLOOD IS GONE, SHE CAN FEEL IN HER BODY THAT THE SICKNESS SHE HAS ENDURED FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS IS GONE. CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW SHE FEELS? SHE HAS BATTLED WITH THIS FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME AS IT TAKES FOR US TO COMPLETE SCHOOL. SHE HAS SPENT ALL HER MONEY, AND NOW SIMPLY AT THE TOUCH OF HIS CLOTHING SHE IS HEALED. SHE THINKS SHE CAN SIMPLY DRAW BACK INTO THE CROWD WITHOUT BEING SEEN. SHE DOESN’T WANT TO MAKE A SCENE, SHE DOESN’T WANT TO BE NOTICED. SHE JUST WANTS TO BE HEALED. NOW SHE WILL SLIP AWAY, QUIETLY.
NOT SO FAST. JESUS, STOPS THE CROWD. WHO TOUCHED ME? HE HAS FELT THE POWER GO OUT FROM HIM. THE DISCIPLES SAY, JESUS, LOOK AT ALL THESE PEOPLE, HOW CAN YOU TELL SOMEONE HAS TOUCHED YOU. EVERYONE IS TOUCHING YOU, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT US TO DO. BUT THE CROWD IS STOPPED, SILENCE. DON’T, FORGET THE FATHER, HIS DAUGHTER IS DYING, PERHAPS ALREADY DEAD, HE DOESN’T NEED THIS INTERRUPTION, FOR MOST OF US, WE WOULD BE IMPATIENT. HE DOESN’T SAY A WORD. JESUS IS LOOKING OVER THE CROWD, IT IS OBVIOUS, HE ISN’T MOVING UNTIL THE PERSON WHO TOUCHED HIM OWNS UP TO IT.
FINALLY THE WOMAN CONFESSES, SHE TELLS HIM ALL THAT HAS HAPPENED. WHY DOES JESUS DEMAND THIS ACTION? HE DEMANDS IT, B/C SHE HAS THE MISTAKEN IDEA THAT SHE CAN GET THIS HEALING W/O HAVING TO COME FACE TO FACE WITH JESUS. SHE NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIM FOR WHO HE IS. LORD AND SAVIOR. SHE DOES SO, AND HE SAYS TO HER, YOUR FAITH HAS HEALED YOU. THE WOMAN GOES AWAY REJOICING.
BUT, EVEN AS HE SPEAKS, SOME MEN, FRIENDS OF JAIRUS COME TO THEM, YOU CAN TELL BY THE LOOK ON THEIR FACES, THE LITTLE GIRL IS DEAD. THEY SAY TO HIM, ITS TOO LATE, ITS NO USE, THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE, LEAVE JESUS ALONE AND COME AND DEAL WITH THE DEATH. THE FATHER IS PROBABLY THINKING, IF WE HADN’T STOPPED, MAYBE IF I HADN’T WAITED TO FIND JESUS, MAYBE IF JESUS HAD BEEN HERE SOONER, WHO KNOWS WHAT THOUGHTS GO THRU HIS MIND. HIS ONLY CHILD IS GONE. HE IS NUMB. HE CAME LOOKING FOR HELP, AND NOW SHE IS GONE.
JESUS, WHO ALREADY KNOWS, SPEAKS TO JAIRUS, DON’T BE AFRAID, ONLY BELIEVE. TAKING ONLY PETER, JAMES, AND JOHN WITH THEM, THEY CONTINUE TO JAIRUS HOUSE. ALREADY, THE MOURNERS ARE MAKING THE SOUNDS OF DEATH.
JESUS STOPS THEM, WHY ALL THIS COMMOTION, THE GIRL IS NOT DEAD, SHE IS ONLY ASLEEP. THEY LAUGH AT HIM. JESUS TELLS THEM TO LEAVE, ALL THAT IS LEFT IS THE FATHER, MOTHER, THE DISCIPLES AND JESUS. HE SPEAKS TO THE GIRL IN A SOFT VOICE, LITTLE GIRL GET UP. SHE IMMEDIATELY GETS UP.
