Jump Start # 1390
Mark 5:22 “One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, fell at His feet and implored Him earnestly, saying, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.’”
Our thoughts today center around the powerful Mark five—the chapter that is packed with action, emotion and miracles. The chapter begins with the encounter with the demon possessed man. Naked, screaming and running at Jesus, it’s enough to frightened most of us. The demons are cast into a herd of hogs that rush off a cliff and 2,000 are drowned in the sea. The townspeople ask Jesus to leave and the former possessed man asks to join Jesus. The Lord tells him to go report to your people what great things the Lord has done. Back into the boat and now on the other side, another intense event. This is a 911 moment. A little girl is dying. Before all the things unfold, there will be yet another miracle, a woman with the issue of blood, touches Jesus. As that layer of lessons unfolds, the little girl dies. All hope it seems is lost. The word is don’t bother Jesus any more, she’s gone. Even they believe that there is a ceiling and a limit to what Jesus can do. The Lord would go and resurrect the girl.
These stories are loaded with emotion, urgency, compassion, power and eventually all point toward Jesus, being the Son of God. If I was given only one chapter in the Bible to preach for the rest of my life, this would be my choice. The lessons are mighty. Today, I want to share yet another great lesson. It’s found at the front end of things, just as the story unfolds and begins.
Jairus is the name of the synagogue official who comes to Jesus. More importantly than being that important official, Jairus is dad to a twelve year old girl. His name is given in contrast to the unknown and unnamed woman with the issue of blood who touches Jesus. His name is given as a form of Biblical footnote. Jairus may well have still been alive when Mark wrote this gospel. Readers may have known Jairus. He may well have become a follower and a believer. His name, this story, helps those early readers to verify the truthfulness. The readers could ask Jairus and maybe even his daughter about these things.
I expect there were many events that led up to our verse today. Most twelve year olds are not out playing and then become literally deathly ill instantly. What usually happens is that one day a person doesn’t feel well. This is when moms do their thing. Moms shine at these moments. Dads often don’t think too much of these things but moms notice. Our daughter, years ago, playing softball for the company team, was catching when a guy tried to score from second base. He ran right through her. She was done. We took her home, battered, beat up and in tears. We went to the emergency room and they couldn’t find anything. Home to bed and there she stayed. She continued to stay there. My words of wisdom? “Walk it off, it’ll get better.” I actually said that. The kids won’t let me forget that I said that. Mom took her back to the hospital and more tests found that she had injured her spine. Moms know.
Common medicines would have been used on this girl. Nothing. She was getting worse. Doctors would have been called in. Back then, doctors came to the home. More advice. More medicines. Dad, being a synagogue official, would have been praying, both at home and in services for his daughter. Those prayers were not answered as he thought they should have been. She got worse. Now panic sets in. Do something. Do anything. Those would have been the words of mom. Jairus seems to know something about Jesus. In his approach, he comes and fell at the feet of Jesus. He recognized Jesus from the twelve apostles. Thirteen men and he knew which one was Jesus. It wasn’t because of halos, Jesus didn’t have that. It wasn’t because His face glowed. That didn’t happen. In his plea, Jairus says, ‘Come and lay your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.’ Interesting. Why come? Why lay hands on her? Jairus didn’t take the Naaman approach who thought the man of God would come and wave his arms and say all kinds of things. Jairus seemed to know what Jesus would do. He has heard of Jesus. He has heard of the healings. Word spreads from village to village.
And now the powerful lesson. Being a Jewish leader, a synagogue official, Jairus comes face to face with what he knows and what he doesn’t want to admit. When Jesus healed the man with the withered hand, it took place in a synagogue. That official blasted Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. When the bent over woman was healed in the synagogue, that official was very upset with what Jesus had done. Most synagogue officials were not happy with Jesus. He was healing on the Sabbath, turning tables over in the Temple and had an answer for every hypothetical thrown at Him. The upper crest of the Jewish system was buzzing about what to do with Jesus. Jairus would have been right in all of that. He had heard. He knew what others were saying. But now, his little girl was so ill, it looked like she wasn’t going to make it. Now, the situation made dad rise up and overcome what he may have thought and felt and what others would say and he goes to Jesus. Before a large crowd, where others would be shocked to see him approaching and bowing to Jesus, and then inviting Jesus to his home, all of this is thrown out, because his daughter was dying. Desperation, fear and the urgency to do something, will cause a person to overcome prejudice, pride and the fear of what others might think to do what is right and necessary.
In this, we find our lesson. Many dads have walked in Jairus’ shoes. No, their daughters may not have been dying from some illness, but maybe their daughters were dying from discouragement, or, from hanging with the wrong crowd, or, a lack of spiritual peers that could help them. Dads see this. It becomes a battle to get them to come to services each week. Their dress becomes more immodest. Their attitudes more sour. Things are getting worse. Mom was the first to notice. They do. Maybe we need to switch congregations. That thought is discussed. For some, that’s hard, but not too hard. They may live in an area where there are several options. But what will we tell people? Fear. Pride. What will others think? We have friends here. Dad, put yourself in the shoes of Jairus. For others, this is a huge decision. It may mean having to travel miles and miles to find a congregation where love reigns, shepherds actually shepherd and deacons dec and preachers preach. A place where classes are challenging, encouraging and helpful. A place where Christ is making a difference in their lives. Gossip is frowned upon. A place where support, fellowship and faith are the norm. I have talked to so many modern Jairus’ today. Their families are dying spiritually. Nothing is being done. Nothing is being done at home and nothing is being done in the congregation. Instead of stepping it up and having some home devotions. Instead of packing the family up and finding a better option to worship, they each go to their own rooms and watch TV or get their electronic gadgets and nothing is done. As the kids grow and move out, they do not worship any more. They date and marry people who do not believe. A new generation comes and they are not told anything about the Lord. A death has taken place and too often, it was not even noticed until it was too late.
Not in Jairus’ home. The day came, he went looking for Jesus. He found Jesus. He bowed before a large crowd. He pleaded for the Lord to come. He did what he had to in order to save his daughter. Dads, are you willing to do that to save your family? Maybe it’s time you got to services dad. Maybe it’s time we ate a meal without a phone being present. Maybe it’s time we opened the Book and really talked. Maybe it’s time we looked into the eyes of our dear children and realized what their spiritual health really is.
There is no price too great to pay for Heaven. If it means quitting your job, which is tough in this economy, a person would do that to save their soul. If it meant moving, as hard as that may be financially, a person would do that for Heaven. If it meant switching congregations, inviting some folks over to help have a Bible study, there is no price, there is no cost, that is too great for Heaven. A few weeks ago I was in Houston, taking part in some amazing lectures. I met a family, mom, dad and kids. They had taken a week vacation to come to the lectures. Two sermons in the morning and two sermons in the evening. Lots and lots of singing. Tons of fellow believers. It is an amazing event. It ought to be on everyone’s spiritual bucket list. But a family took their vacation time to do that. Instead of doing Disney. Instead of going to the beach, they came to a church building twice a day for a week. That dad understood Jairus. That dad knew the value of doing what you have to do to save your family. I talked to some of the kids. Kind, respectful and loving the week. They weren’t bored. They didn’t hate it. They were benefitting from it. What a great dad!
It’s time to be Jairus. Do whatever you have to do to save your soul and your family. Forget miles. Forget costs. Forget what others think. Forget pride. Find Jesus and invite Him home with you. I, for way too long, have heard folks complaining and complaining about sorry worship services, dead sermons, lifeless classes and having no plans at home to help them spiritually. Yet, these same folks that complain, do nothing. They are not the Jairus I read about. When bothered, I do things. I have walked out of movies before. I have looked at menus in a restaurant and left. We’ll send our kids across the country if a college will give them a scholarship, but we will do nothing at home while the family dies spiritually. The solutions are not in the church. That plays a role, but the real solution lies in what is done at home. I expect Mrs. Jairus had some say in her husband finding Jesus.
Don’t you think it’s time for you to go find Jesus? Don’t you think it’s time to save your children? Do you recognize that they may be dying spiritually? Are you just going to sit back and let them die? What can I do, you might think. Do what Jairus did. Find Jesus. Invite Him home with you.
Roger