Thursday, April 22, 2010

Mark 5:21-43 Jesus heals a desperate womans and saves a mans only daughter

21 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. 22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” 24 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him. 25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” 29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” 31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” 32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” 35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” 37 And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38 Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. 39 When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.” 40 And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. 41 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. 43 But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

Devotional
In this section of Mark Jesus encounters two people in great desperation. The first is a man named Jairus, one of the rulers of a synagogue, whose only little daughter was near death. The other a desperate women plagued by a flow of blood for twelve years, that made her under the Law perpetually unclean (See Lev. 15:25-27). Unable to marry and bear children (Lev. 18:19) or have fellowship in a synagogue, or within the community to any real extant (Lev. 15:19-24), she was bound to live a life of isolation and shame because of her ongoing aliment. Now this woman had not only the horrible social stigma of that flow of blood, she had as Mark declares: “…suffered many things from many physicians”, also “She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.” Vs. 26

Two desperate people then with nowhere else to turn, turn to Jesus. One a community leader, the other a social outcast, two desperate people, one common faith. Now when Jairus came to Jesus and he saw Him the Scripture says “…he fell at His feet 23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” 24 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him. Vs. 22-24

So it will be as Jesus’ is going with Jairus and the crowds are gathering around them as the news spreads that Jesus is going to heal his daughter, that the woman with the flow of blood will also hear about Jesus. And the Scripture says: “When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Vs. 27-28 In Matthew we are told that she did this suddenly as Jesus and disciples made their way with Jairus (Matt. 9:20-22). In other words when she heard about Jesus, she moved quickly towards Him, likely with a heightened sense of urgency as the people started to close in around Jesus, and when she got close enough to Him she reached out and was able to touch just the hem or the outer edge of His garment.

And with that reach of desperation the Scripture says: 29 immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” 31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ vs. 29-31

Notice a couple of things. When this happened Jesus immediately sensed that power went out from Him. Now the cause of the power going out from Him was not that the women merely touched Jesus which made her immediately well. It was that she believed in her heart that if she could only touched Him she would be made well. For it was her faith in Jesus’ ability to heal her that caused the release of power going out from Him. And that is the essence of Jesus Christ’s power of salvation that goes out to everyone who believes in Him. There is immediate life transforming power from God, that goes out through Him by the Holy Spirit to every soul who reaches out in faith to Him, will find life everlasting (Rom. 1:16-17).

Notice also the disciple’s response to Jesus’ question about “Who touched My clothes?” vs. 30 was interpreted by them as Jesus saying: ‘Who touched Me?’vs. 31 The significance being that Jesus was asking a very specific question about who intentionally touched His clothes so as to cause power to go out from Him. While the disciples being unaware of what had just happened were bewildered by Jesus’ question, given the throng of people pressing all about Him. So it was with their response that Jesus “…looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” Vs. 32-34

Now it’s not that Jesus did not know that power went out from Him and to whom it went to. It’s that Jesus wanted the women to come forth and declare what had just happened. Therefore Jesus’ response to her, as it is to all who confess to Him in faith, was not judgment as she feared, but mercy. For “…He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” Vs. 34 And that is the Good News from God when anyone sees there need for Jesus Christ and confesses to Him in faith there is immediate forgiveness of all our sins. Now it will be in the light of that Good News that bad news will come. For the passage then say’s: 35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” vs. 35-37 

Jesus Words here to Jairus are not only theologically significant in that within them contains the way of salvation but they are given to alleviate Jairus fear of the unknown. For as with the woman with the flow of blood who had a fear of judgment before Jesus in a gentle spirit of grace took it away with His Words, so here Jesus is reassuring Jairus to maintain his faith and not fold (vs. 37).

These three men being leaders amongst the twelve would later bear witness to what was about to take place. And by so doing they would become catalysts for building faith in others. Now as they came upon Jairus’ home there was a tumult of people who wept and wailed loudly (vs. 38) which must have been devastating to him, but that is the traditional mourning practices for Jewish people to publicly and often dramatically express grief over loss of life. Now it will be as Jesus’ enters the house (vs. 39) that He will say to those present: “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.” Vs. 40 Jesus’ Words here are not a denial of the child’s death but are likely for Jairus’ sake to keep His faith alive so that Jesus might raise his little girl from the dead. However with Jesus’ declaration that the child was not dead, but sleeping, those present ridiculed Him. Literally they derided Him (Strongs). Indicating without a question that the child was indeed dead. Though with Jesus’ Word’s His raising the child from the dead would not be spread about as if He had not spoken them, for it appears He did not intend at this time for people to be made fully aware of whom He was (vs. 43).

Therefore Jesus’ paid no attention to their deriding Him, instead after He had put them all outside of the house; He took the father and mother of the child and those with Him and went into where the child was laying (vs. 40). Then He took the little girl by the hand and said to her: … “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” Vs. 41
Now the Scripture says “Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement.” Vs. 42

Notice the immediacy of the little girls being brought to life, just as the woman with the flow of blood was immediately healed, and the two demoniac’s were immediately set free (Previous devotional). So here the girl being raised from the dead was immediate at the command of Christ. For Jesus Christ is more than just a Physician who miraculously heals people, more than just a Prophet who casts out demons, Jesus Christ is Lord of both the living and the dead. 21 “For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. 22 “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 “that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." John 5:21-24
Therefore the little girl was not only brought back to life she was made fully well again. So she got up and walked, which caused those there to be overcome with great amazement. And with that Jesus strictly commanded that no one should know it, also He said that she should be given something to eat (vs. 43).

Now the reason for Jesus' not wanting His raising the little girl from the dead to become widely known is likely that He Himself had not yet been crucified and raised from the dead. Which is the forerunner to the Holy Spirit's outpouring and the power of God which transforms people from being spiritually dead to being Spiritually alive and prepared for the resurrection of dead. For if Jesus' doing miraculous healings brought people from far and wide so that He and His disciples at times could barely have time to eat, or escape being thronged by needy people, how much more if word got out that Jesus raised a man's deceased only child from the dead. He would be swamped by people and their requests for the same. And throughout the Gospel if you search it carefully you will not find a single instance where Jesus refused someone’s request for help. Jesus' healing than of Jairus only child was clearly an act of mercy on a man who came seeking Jesus to heal his than alive child, who died while he was still seeking Jesus. Therefore I believe Jesus having all knowledge of all things already knew what He was going to do even before the news reached Jesus.
Therefore Jesus did not and would not turn His back on someone who sought Him, just as He won’t turn His back on you, if you in faith seek Him. As the Scripture declares:

6 Seek the LORD while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the LORD,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:6-7

Therefore news of our problems is not news to the Lord Jesus. In fact it was because of each of us and God's love for us, that Jesus Christ came into the world to not only pave the way for our restoration to a right relationship with God the Father and thus give to us new and everlasting life, but also to teach us the way of life as He said: … “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

Have you then come to know God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son? God already knows you and loves you, but do you know Him? For that is what the gospel is, an invitation to life. Life that begins when one simply believes in Jesus Christ crucified on the cross for their sins forgiveness, then raised from the dead for their justification to new life. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Eph. 2:8-9

Begin new life today by inviting the Lord Jesus Christ into your life. For He has already accomplished everything that needs to be done to restore you to a personal relationship with God the Father, all that is now required is your receiving Him. To receive the Lord Jesus simply pray something like this: Dear Lord Jesus Christ thank you for suffering and dying in my place that I might be restored to God the Father through You. I now invite You into my heart and life to be my only Lord and Savior, amen.


All Scripture Quotations
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.

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