Jesus Is With Us To Call Things What They Are
[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 overhearing 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 Jesus 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.”
Mark 5:35–39 ESV Read More
A woman that was unclean and sick for 12 years, with no hope, has just been healed. She testified to the crowd of onlookers about how she believed that Jesus was the Messiah and how she was instantly healed and Malachi 2 was fulfilled.
And then these guys show up to tell Jairus to give up hope and leave Jesus alone because his daughter is dead. He probably would have given up if Jesus hadn’t overheard them. In the face of despair and with all reasonable hope gone, Jesus looks right into that situation and tells the disciples, “Follow me.”
When Jesus came, He emptied Himself of His glory and became a servant. From living in perfection and infinite holiness, He became a man and lived in our world as a man. He didn’t just walk into this situation with a different perspective, He walked into every situation with a different perspective. He was not afraid in the boat during a storm while everyone else thought they were going to drown and die. He was not judgmental when sinful people invited Him to dinner. He did not stutter or hesitate when a man, possessed by thousands of demons, came toward Him asking questions.
Not only was Jesus’ view bigger than everyone else around Him, but He didn’t stop. Healing that woman of her bleeding would have been more than enough for one day of bringing God glory. Jesus could have let Jairus go off sad and all of the other people would have celebrated that woman’s healing. No, instead Jesus continued to go on the trip He originally planned.
Many people pray like God only has so much time or will only do so many things. Other’s pray like somebody has to have cancer, so they pray that God would transfer it from the kid that has it to themselves. That’s not how Jesus did things. Jesus looks into our awful situations and calls them something different. He is the Son of God…
…who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. (Romans 4:17)
Sure, Jesus won’t be bossed around to do what we want like some cosmic Santa Claus, but He isn’t absent either. That broken marriage might not be over, it might just be on vacation. That depression isn’t how you’re going to live the rest of your life, just the next few months. That eye strain you feel when you see bright light won’t always bother you because you won’t wince when you see the full glory of God.
Jesus loves to be near us and work among us, even when the messengers tell us to give up because all hope is lost. Jesus could have healed Jairus’ daughter from right where He was in the street, but He wanted to be there with Jairus and with Jairus family. He wanted to be in their home with them, not just to heal the daughter, but to be with the whole family. The healing was just the excuse He used for the invitation. The presence in their house and in their lives was His goal all along.
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