Doctor Luke authored an amazing account of the life of Jesus.  With all four gospel writers, the reader feels like a part of the story…just like being there in person.  That certainly was the goal of the Holy Spirit Who inspired each gospel writer to record these events of Jesus and His earthly ministry.

We have already seen the power of Jesus displayed over nature, disease, demons and death.  He tells the winds to be still and in their obedience to His voice, the waves are immediately arrested.  He tells the blind to see and the lame to walk and the lepers to be clean and deaf to hear.  He told demons to depart from the body of the man living in the tombs.  He told the dead young man in the funeral procession in the town of Nain to get up and to the great delight of his widowed mother, he did! 

Today’s lesson brings us to see Jesus in the middle of a multitude once again in the city of Capernaum, His home base for ministry on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee.  As soon as the bow of His boat hits the shore, a crowd gathers around Him.  Verse 40 tells us that they have all been waiting for His return.  Then and now, you can see all the way across the Sea of Galilee…they probably watched His boat sail back west from the east side visit to heal the man of the tombs (see verse 26).

His first contact was a man named Jairus.  This man was an official of the local Jewish synagogue.  He was respected in that position.  His name came from “OHR” the Hebrew word for light.  However, he was in the darkness of despair.  His 12 year old daughter was dying at that very moment.  He needed Jesus desperately to come to his home.  Immediately, Jesus began to TRY to walk in that direction. 

Crowds were pressing into Jesus, jostling Him from side to side, I imagine.  The story within the story happened at that moment.  A woman who had been sick for 12 years with a blood disease reached out in faith and touched the hem (tassels) of His garment.  Her faith made her whole.  Jesus said so.  This was a beautiful moment.  I’m certain that Jairus was anxious for this little interruption to end so that they could continue to his house. 

This “story within the story” of the woman sick 12 years and the 12 year old daughter hits home personally with my family every time I read it.  Right after my baby sister was born, our mother was diagnosed with leukemia, a disease of the blood.  She was given six months to live.  Mom was 28.  Our young preacher man daddy was 30.  I was 5.  In the great grace of the Great Physician, mom lived 12 more years.  When she died, my sister was 12. The images in this passage are personal to us. 

Jairus fully believed Jesus could heal his daughter.  The unnamed woman who touched the edge of the garment of Jesus also believed her healing would be accomplished.  The “expectancy” in the lives of these two displays trusting faith and confident belief that freedom from their current situations was imminent.  Jesus was their answer.  

Jairus fell at the feet of Jesus on behalf of his only begotten daughter.  The woman in the crowd was certainly on her knees in the street, reaching out to simply touch the hem of the garment of Jesus.  They both came to the right Person!  Faith is reaching out and toward the Source of healing and wholeness, whether spiritual or physical. Jesus had already established that He taught the scriptures with authority, and He healed the sicknesses in totality. 

As the healed woman was declaring HER testimony, someone came to Jairus to inform him that his little girl had died.  Seeing the certain shock and grief of this father, Jesus immediately declared HIS testimony to Jairus:  “Do not fear, only believe!  Your daughter will be made whole.”  The Greek word here is “sodzo” which means salvation.  The word also means rescued, cured, restored, preserved.  This is the testimony of Jesus to all who are dead in sin or damaged by disease. Those who believe in Jesus might not be physically healed on earth, but will be made completely whole at His feet in heaven.  Those who believe in Him for salvation are made whole spiritually at that very moment on earth.  No waiting in line!

At the home of Jairus, mourners were weeping and wailing.  In those days, some were even hired to do such a task.  They mocked Jesus with laughter when He said she was not dead but only asleep.  They had literally seen her die.  This reaction to the words of Jesus gives us proof that this little girl had indeed perished. 

Jesus went into the room with the little girl.  He allowed only her mother and father along with His “inner three” disciples Peter, James and John.  It was ritually unclean for anyone to touch a corpse.  Jesus didn’t care about Jewish law at that moment of need.  He took the little girl’s hand and said the same word He had spoken over the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:124):  “Get up!”  The word “egeiro” in Greek means to awaken and arise and stand.  Her spirit returned and she arose.  Jesus told them to get her some food to eat.  Taking on food would prove that she was alive needing sustenance.  Mama would have said, “Get that baby girl some food!”

These examples of expectant faith should compel us to raise the level of our own faith.  Jesus is still in charge of healing and Victor over death.  Our faith does not force Jesus to accomplish His will in our lives, but it does release Him to respond in a way that will bless us and touch on-lookers.  Jesus takes the “U” out of mourning and makes it morning!