No Matter What It May Seem Jesus is here to Heal
Text: Mark 5:21-43 Speaker: Pastor Matthew Ude Festival: Trinity Passages: Mark 5:21-43
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Mark 5:21-43
Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus’s Daughter (Listen)
21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24 And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling 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 disease.”
35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing1 what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus2 saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
(ESV)
Things aren’t always as they seem, actually things are rarely as they seem. A boy pulls a girls pony tail, it seems to the girl like he hates her. A girl tells a boy he is a pig, it seems to the boy like she hates him.
Despite thinking we are grown up, we aren’t much better than those kid. We see one thing we think we know what if going on. Jesus has his own reason for doing things but we usually judge him based on what it seems to us.
No Matter What It May Seem Jesus is here to Heal
It Seems as if Jesus isn’t listening
So often we when pray it seems as if Jesus isn’t listening, so we think we need to pray harder, or pray more often. We think maybe if we pray kneeling in the church that will be better also. Notice that Jairus does this too. Jesus is too busy. Jesus is surrounded by the crowds. I need to fall at his feet. I need to cry out with a loud voice.
Compare that to the petition of the woman, silent, saying nothing, the barest prayer. She just comes up from behind and touches his garment. That is the sum total of her prayer.
Which one does Jesus answer? Both. He immediately comes with Jairus. He immediately heals the woman.
Its not the loudness of our prayers. It’s not how often we repeat them.
What makes Jesus answer prayers? It’s the need of those who believe in Him. They need Him He answers. It’s not the size of the need either. When one of his children need Him, he’s there.
It often doesn’t look to us like Jesus is listening to our prayers, but the reality is that Jesus comes when we ask, and immediately.
It may seem as if we are not worthy but Jesus heals anyway
Here we see another difference between the woman and Jairus. Jairus comes boldly. He’s the ruler of the synagogue. The woman is afraid to even approach Jesus.
The truth is we are unworthy. There is no problem there. There is no wondering. We are unworthy sinners. Jesus loves us and listens anyway.
There have certainly been times in my life when I thought, “the Lord isn’t going to listen to me after I just did that.”
But Jesus doesn’t allow our sin to keep us apart. He died for our sins. He wiped them away. Now he encourages us to come to Him.
Notice how Jesus immediately calls the woman out. He doesn’t want her to go away thinking she can’t approach him. He calls her to come forward and confront Him, so that she might know that she can always approach Him.
It may seem as if we are unworthy and actually this one is true, we are unworthy but Christ makes it clear we are welcome in His presence anyway.
It may seem as Jesus is really slow
Meanwhile, Jairus must be pulling his hair out. Why are you stopping to talk to this woman? My daughter is almost dead.
I can certainly sympathize with Jairus here. I didn’t get married till I was 32, 10 or 12 years later than most of my friends. There were certainly times when I thought, why won’t you listen to me Lord? But of course the Lord knew what He was doing the whole time.
The Lord has his own time table that isn’t the same as ours.
Jesus goes with Jairus in the first place for Jairus sake. He didn’t need to go to His house. He didn’t need to hurry. Jesus has everything under control. But Jairus asks and Jesus goes with Him.
This is what Jesus tells Jairus, “Do not be afraid, only believe.”
Some are going to read this statement as though the amount of Jairus’ faith is somehow affecting the answer.
Jesus’ ability to heal is not dependent on our faith. He is going to heal his daughter. What Jesus is telling Jairus is, “I’ve got this, just trust me.”
It often seems like Jesus isn’t listening but actually he’s got it all under control, If we just trust Him we can sleep at night, even sleep in a boat in a storm, no problem.
Sometimes even seems as if Jesus fails
Jairus, his servant, all the people gathered in the house are all convinced the girl is dead. There is nothing Jesus can do. He is too late.
Jesus knows better, “She is not dead but only sleeping.” Of course Jesus knows that yes physically she is dead, but it doesn’t matter to Jesus, death or life, He has power over both. Death is nothing to Jesus. He knows that it doesn’t matter.
Many times we pray for healing and the person dies and we think why didn’t Jesus listen. We forget that Jesus did listen. He did heal that person. He took them out of pain and suffering forever.
In this case Jesus did heal even death. Look at his love for Jairus and His daughter.
He brings her back to life.
He makes everyone leave the room for her sake.
He even makes sure she gets something to eat.
In this case Jesus heals at other times He takes people home to heaven. Whether He gives life or death the one thing that we can be certain of is that He cares. He is our good shepherd who watches over the sheep, who takes care of us in all things.
From our angle, it often looks as if Jesus is not listening, is not hurrying, has failed to be there when we need Him, but this is never true, no matter what it seems He is always at our side.
AMEN
The peace of God that surpasses all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.