[Intermission – sound of Jairus’ heart beating louder]On the other side of the lake the crowds welcomed Jesus, because they had been waiting for Him. Then a man named Jairus, a leader of the local synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with Him to come home with him. His only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying. As Jesus went with him, He was surrounded by the crowds.
Luke 8:40-42
While He was still speaking to her, a messenger arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. He told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”
But when Jesus heard what had happened, He said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed.” When they arrived at the house, Jesus wouldn’t let anyone go in with Him except Peter, John, James, and the little girl’s father and mother. The house was filled with people weeping and wailing, but He said, “Stop the weeping! She isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at Him because they all knew she had died. Then Jesus took her by the hand and said in a loud voice, “My child, get up!” And at that moment her life returned, and she immediately stood up! Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were overwhelmed, but Jesus insisted that they not tell anyone what had happened.
Luke 8:49-56
The interruption caused by the woman touching Jesus robe and being healed I don’t consider was very long. With tongue in cheek I suggested maybe 12 minutes only because it fitted with the 12 : 12 pattern. But it may well have been closer to 12 seconds than 12 minutes. All she did was make her way to Jesus through the crowd and touch his robe. Then the time needed for the conversation between them. Whatever the time lost to Jairus and more importantly his daughter I don’t seriously think it altered the outcome too much. We have to take into account how far away Jairus’ house was from the place where the woman touched Jesus robe. Even if she hadn’t delayed things a little, it is quite likely Jesus would still not have got there in time. While He was still talking with the woman, Jairus gets the news his daughter has died. It’s over Jairus, there is no hope now. Your chance has been lost. Dead is dead. There is no use troubling the teacher now. The moment has been lost.
Upon receiving the news of his daughter death, notice what Jesus says to Jairus. “Just have faith, and she will be healed.” Pardon me. She was close to death, now she is dead. She can be healed from sickness but she can’t be healed from death Jesus. Jairus didn’t have a clue of the power of the One who was standing in front of him. This was like a pre-cursor to the Lazarus story.
Don’t be afraid; only believe. Fear and faith don’t mix. To the degree that you fear that is conversely proportional to the degree that you don’t have faith. It is interesting that this statement is recorded in the aorist tense. It is an Aorist imperative. It has two possible senses.
- to start to believe. Begin at this point and let your faith and trust take over.
- believe at this very moment. This is the moment to curb your fears and let faith reign. Choose to believe rather than doubt or have fear.
So often we let our phobias (the word used for fear) take over then we start to go from one phobia to another. Phobias hang together in clusters. If Jesus has told you something calling for faith to rise, give it all to Him. Choose to place your faith and trust in Him. Even when it seems crazy as it sure must have seemed to Jairus at this point.
When Jesus went into the house He wouldn’t let the others go in with Him. But there was already a house full of people. There is debate as to what Luke means here. Either He forbids the ones with Him from entering the house because it is already full and only goes in with Jairus himself and His three selected disciples. One would assume mainly because the house is so filled with people. Or is this a reference to the actual room where the girl is and the others are not to enter that. Why? Does it matter that more see what happens? Or is it an issue of having those in the room believing in what Jesus has said and not doubting in their hearts? Let the doubter stay outside the room. You decide.
I am sure you noticed the inner circle of the disciples mentioned here. Peter, John and James are selected or chosen to enter with Jesus. I am sure this thought is not new to you. Peter, John and James are always the ones selected. They constitute the inner circle of disciples. Those to whom greater trust was given, or those who were being groomed for greater things. These three follow Jesus on numerous occasions. eg. On the mount of transfiguration, on the Mt of Olives. seemingly when something significant is about to happen Jesus makes sure these three are there. Why these three? Take time to thing about it. We will look at it more when we look at the Mount of Transfiguration incident in Luke 9.
The scene Luke depicts here is typical of the mourning process in the Middle Eastern culture. All the friends and family gather around and begin wailing to express their grief. Most times there are professional wailers who come too in order to lead the wailing. To create the atmosphere in which grief can be expressed. This process was under way. He came and was confronted with the wailing. He says, “Stop wailing: she is not dead, she is only asleep.” Imagine the affront to the professional wailers and to the friends of the family when Jesus, who had not seen the body said, “She is not dead.” “How does He know? We have seen the body. We know she’s dead.” The verb [katheudo] has two meanings. It means literally to sleep, but it is often used as a euphemism for death. Luke could well have used other Greek words to make the meaning clearer but he deliberately uses this word with double meaning. It’s like the story is hanging on this moment. The statement of Jesus is called into question. Well, is she or isn’t she dead? Death is final. She is either dead or she isn’t. Everything about this tells us she is dead. They laugh at Him because the whole notion is ridiculous. No one comes back from the dead.
There a great deal of difference between the doubt in the house and the faith in these three disciples. The three disciples are representative of the disciples who saw the last time Jesus did something like this. Remember Nain? Bible Gem 853 – Luke 7:11-17. This had happened before. The disciples have seen this before. The three who accompany Jesus have experience in this eventuality. Only in this case it is before the third day since death when the spirit is still believed to be in the body. Note Jesus doesn’t address death at all. He doesn’t rebuke the death angel or the spirit of death. He simply speaks to the girl as though she was asleep. In the fact that words that are used are what might be used by the girl’s mother to wake her in the morning. Mark uses the exact words in Aramaic for waking up a sleeping child. Luke translates the Aramaic into Greek as he always does and uses the same word he uses for the situation in Nain again here. Εγείρω [egeirō] – Time to get up little one. Rise, Arise, or even Be Resurrected. Stand Erect.
There has been conjecture about this story on the part of the Jesus Seminar people – doubters who look for any reason not to believe and challenge any historicity in the stories of Jesus miracles. Mainly because men don’t perform miracles. It is not normal so the story must be myth. The classic challenge is that she must have appeared dead but was just swooning, unconscious. No this girl was dead, the mourning had started. The words used are careful constructed to challenge death. Jesus has power over death. Luke the physician reassures us of that. “At that moment life returned to her” signifies more than she started breathing again. The word used is that her spirit came back to her body. Jesus rejoined the spirit with the physical body. Body soul and spirit were again united. That is what life is. When the Maker breathed breath or spirit into man he became a living being. Now the One present at creation gave life back to this little girl.
12 seconds, 12 minutes, 12 hours or 12 days; it wouldn’t have made any difference at all. This moment was always going to be reality. The woman with the issue of blood could have waylaid Jesus for 12 months. Still the outcome of it all would have been the same. Don’t worry Jairus!
Next Gem, why did Jesus tell them not to tell anyone? Again note the contrast both sides of the lake. The demoniac is told to tell everyone; the family here are told not to tell. It seems strange.
Don’t let your mind become cluttered with worry, it leaves less room for the good stuff.
Patrick Wisely
Worry is worthless. It’s stewing without doing. It changes neither your past nor your future, Just wastes today.
Rick Warren
Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.
Corrie Ten Boom
You get grace for what happens, not for what you worry might happen.
Rick Warren
If you worry about what might be, and wonder what might have been, you will ignore what is.
Anon
Want to worry less? Then pray more. Rather than look forward in fear, look upward in faith.
Max Lucado
If you’re worrying, you’re praying to the wrong God.
Anon
Are you getting the message? Don’t worry. He is the resurrection and hold the keys to life everlasting.
Ian Vail
I deliberately chose 8 worry sayings – because 8 symbolises new beginnings.