Tag Archives: Jairus

LUKE’S GOSPEL…TWELVE YEARS – 18a

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“Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭40‬-‭42‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus was on His way to respond to Jairus’s urgent request when  He was interrupted by another person in need. In the interim, something happened that is vital to the story. 

Let’s start at the beginning. Twelve years previously, two events happened. Jairus’s daughter was born and the woman began to bleed. The baby girl began to grow but the woman’s health began to deteriorate. 

Twelve years later, the stories of these two people connected in the presence of Jesus. Jairus’s child was deathly sick and the woman’s condition had brought her to despair. Perhaps she, too, was on her way out. 

Jairus called on Jesus for help but the woman, in the crowd, interrupted Jesus’ urgent mission. 

“And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭43‬-‭48‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What was this woman’s intention? Perhaps she was aware of Malachi’s prophetic word…

“But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭4‬:‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I have deliberately chosen a version that more accurately translates “kanaph” than the NIV. A common translation is “wings” referring to the corners of the garment to which the tassels were attached. 

“Tzitzit (pronounced “tsi-tsit”) are specially knotted ritual fringes or tassels worn by observant Jews on the four corners of a rectangular garment, symbolizing a reminder to keep God’s commandments, as commanded in the Torah. They are found on the large prayer shawl (tallit gadol) for prayer and on a smaller, poncho-like undershirt (tallit katan or arba kanfot) worn daily. Each tzitzit has specific strings and knots, with the number of strings and windings relating to the 613 commandments (mitzvot) of the Torah.” (Source: Google AI)

Symbolically, the tassels, with their five knots and four spaces, represented the five books of the Torah and the four letters in God’s name…YHWH. The tallith  (garment) with its tsitsit (tassels) on the four kanaph (corners or wings) reminded the wearer that he was to remember the Lord because he was living under the protection of God’s word and His name. 

Knowing this, the ailing woman wanted to touch the kanaph on Jesus’ tallith because it was the promise of healing. Did she recognise that Jesus was the promised Messiah who wore the tallith?

The outcome of this incident, although unmentioned, was confirmation that the woman’s faith was not misplaced. She was healed by touching the tsitsit on the kanaph of Jesus’ tallith, indicating that Jesus was, in fact, the Messiah. 

To be continued…

THE GOSPEL OF MARK – DESPERATE SITUATION…DESPERATE MEASURES

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DESPERATE SITUATION…DESPERATE MEASURES

21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him. Mark 5:21-24

35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”

36 Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat. Mark 5:35-43

Once again, the impact of the details of this story jumps out at us. Jesus, ever-popular because He was meeting people’s needs, was back on the Jewish side of the lake. He was thronged by the crowds as He disembarked. One man pushed through the crowd with an urgent plea, Jairus, a man of some importance and influence in the religious community.

Would he have been one of those who opposed Jesus, either because He did not live up to his religious scruples or, because He did not match his expectation of Messiah? Whatever Jairus’ religious stance was, it crumbled in the face of a looming domestic disaster. His twelve-year-old daughter lay dying and he was helpless to do anything about it.

Whatever he believed at that moment meant nothing in the face of this impending loss. He knew what Jesus had been doing in his region and he had seen the effects of His presence among his people. And, miraculously, Jesus was right there then. Flinging every caution to the wind, he pushed through the crowd to Jesus and begged for help.

It’s funny how our own scrupulous belief system falls apart in the face of desperate need. When the chips are down, our carefully constructed doctrinal, protective castle collapses and we run, screaming, to Jesus. Even those who have argued or reasoned their way into atheism, cry out to God in a crisis. Why is that? Is it because fear or despair melts all our antagonism towards God and we stand naked before Him with our broken hearts, knowing instinctively that He is the only one who can help us?

Jairus was no longer the synagogue ruler, but a desperate father, crying out to the only one who had the power to help him. His need immediately connected him with Jesus’ compassion and He set out with him to his home where his child was slipping away from him beyond his voice and his touch.

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE- DON’T PANIC

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DON’T PANIC

“On His return, Jesus was welcomed by a crowd. They were all there expecting Him. A man came up, Jairus by name. He was president of the meeting place. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his home because his twelve-year-old daughter, his only child, was dying. Jesus went with him, making His way through the pushing, jostling crowd.” Luke 8:40-42.

This is part one of a twofold story.

The first person introduced was a man with a name and a pedigree. He was Jairus, an important person in the community. He had a title and a function – he was in charge of the local synagogue where the townspeople met every Sabbath for worship and the reading of the Word of God. It was also probably the venue for the local school where the boys were taught to read and write and study the Torah.

Was Jairus part of the group of religious leaders who rejected Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah? Was he one of those who were quick to jump on Him for breaking the Sabbath? We don’t know. Luke not only identifies him as a religious ruler but also as a desperate father. Whatever religious scruples he had fell away when his circumstances spun out of control.

His only child was dying. He knew that there was no doctor who could do anything for her. There was only one man who could help him, who had the reputation for having authority over demons, disease and death and who had healed many sick people in his own town. When Jesus, to his great relief, put in an appearance just when he needed Him, he wasted no time in hurrying to get help.

At the very moment when Jairus was putting his urgent request before Jesus, there was another needy person in the crowd, pushing her way towards Him.

“In the crowd that day there was a woman who, for twelve years, had been afflicted with haemorrhages. She had spent every penny she had on doctors but no one had been able to help her. She slipped in from behind and touched the edge of Jesus’ robe.” Luke 8:43-44.

The contrast between these two people could not have been greater. Jairus was an important man; the woman was not even named. Jairus was a religious man; she was a despised and unclean woman. His little daughter was the child of probably the most important man in the town; the woman was nobody. Strangely enough, for every day that the little girl was growing up in her parents’ home, healthy, cherished and no doubt pampered, the woman was living a lonely life of suffering, an outcast and unclean; twelve years of living lives that were worlds apart.

Now the little girl was on the brink of death while the woman was dying slowly. Both she and Jairus needed Jesus. Which one needed Him the most? Which situation was the most critical? Which one would get His attention first? Had it been one of us who had to make the choice, we would probably have told the woman to wait while we attended to Jairus’ child because her need was the more urgent. The woman was alive and walking; the child was dying.

This story is a masterpiece of revelation. Although Luke may have borrowed the record from Mark, the story itself is a mirror of the heart of Jesus. He did not have to make a choice. As we read on, Jesus took the events in His stride. He did not stop and weigh up whose need was greater. He dealt with each situation as it arose. To Jesus, neither need was a crisis, not even the child’s imminent death.

In our lives, situations arise which we view as crises and which throw us into a panic. We rush off to Jesus and breathlessly beg Him to come immediately, forgetting that He is already there and that He is fully aware of every detail, even more than we are. What should be our attitude when we call on Him in desperate moments like these?

Jesus Himself gives us the answer: ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe…'”

Dead And Alive

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DEAD AND ALIVE

When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around Him while He was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue leaders named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet. He pleaded earnestly with Him, ‘My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her and she will be healed and live.’ (Mark 5: 21-23).

Jairus – who was he? One of the synagogue rulers, according to Mark. He was an important man in the community, one of the religious ones. What was his attitude towards Jesus? Was he like the other religious leaders – knew all the answers and had no room in his thinking for what Jesus brought? He, no doubt, taught the children who came to school at the synagogue. He drilled them in the ABC of the Torah. Was he as arrogant as the rest, rejecting Jesus and His compassion in favour of obeying rules?

Something happened to change everything. His only child, a twelve-year-old girl became deathly sick. All his religion and his scruples went out the window. He had no answer for this crisis, but he had seen and heard the effects of Jesus’ presence in the village. People he knew who had chronic conditions and were not permitted in the synagogue, arrived on the Sabbath, healed, whole and beaming with joy.

Jesus! His name rippled around the community and He happened to be in town! Jairus just had to get to Him before his daughter died. He rushed after the crowd, pushed his way through the jostling mob and fell at Jesus’ feet, breathless, sobbing and pleading for a hearing. In spite of the noise and the turmoil around Him, Jesus bent down to listen.

Then something happened – an interruption that sent Jairus into an agony of impatience . . .

While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. ‘Your daughter is dead,’ they said. ‘Why bother the teacher any more?’ overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’ He did not let anyone follow Him except Peter, James and John, the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly (Mark 5: 35-38).

The interruption delayed Jesus. Jairus was in an agony of impatience. If He didn’t get to his house immediately it would be too late. “Come on, Jesus. Hurry up! Don’t you realise this is urgent?” Then he saw the contingent from his home and he knew. She was dead. His heart broke. He was shattered. Too late!

Jesus heard the news but seemed unperturbed. With a quiet word of encouragement, “Don’t be afraid, Jairus. Just trust me,” He followed the people to Jairus’ home. What a carry-on met Him there. Wailing and crying enough to wake the dead!

He went in and said to them, ‘Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.’ But they laughed at Him. (Mark, 5: 39).

That was a sudden change of mood. Crying because the child was dead and then laughing at Jesus because they thought He didn’t know what He was talking about. Professional mourners – that’s what they were – hired to weep and wail when someone died. Jesus was irritated with them. What was the point of all the noise? It would not bring the dead back to life. Perhaps it was their way of “sitting shiva” – mourning with the bereaved parents.

After He put them all out, He took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with Him, and went to where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha koum!’ (which means, ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up).

Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave them strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat (Mark 5: 40b-43).

Why the secrecy? How were they to keep quiet about what happened when their dead child appeared at the door? Everyone would demand to know how this miracle happened. What were they supposed to say/ “No, she wasn’t dead, only asleep or in a come!” Who would believe them?

There are some interesting intricacies to this story which I shall explain tomorrow.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

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Don’t Panic

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DON’T PANIC

“On His return, Jesus was welcomed by a crowd. They were all there expecting Him. A man came up, Jairus by name. He was president of the meeting place. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his home because his twelve-year-old daughter, his only child, was dying. Jesus went with him, making His way through the pushing, jostling crowd.” Luke 8:40-42 (The Message).

This is part one of a twofold story.

The first person introduced was a man with a name and a pedigree. He was Jairus, an important person in the community. He had a title and a function – he was in charge of the local synagogue where the townspeople met every Sabbath for worship and the reading of the Word of God. It was also probably the venue for the local school where the boys were taught to read and write and study the Torah.

Was Jairus part of the group of religious leaders who rejected Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah? Was he one of those who were quick to jump on Him for breaking the Sabbath? We don’t know. Luke not only identifies him as a religious ruler but also as a desperate father. Whatever religious scruples he had, fell away when his circumstances spun out of control.

His only child was dying. He knew that there was no doctor who could do anything for her. There was only one man who could help him, who had the reputation for having authority over demons, disease and death and who had healed many sick people in his own town. When Jesus, to his great relief, put in an appearance just when he needed Him, he wasted no time in hurrying to get help.

At the very moment when Jairus was putting his urgent request before Jesus, there was another needy person in the crowd, pushing her way towards Him.

“In the crowd that day there was a woman who, for twelve years, had been afflicted with haemorrhages. She had spent every penny she had on doctors but no one had been able to help her. She slipped in from behind and touched the edge of Jesus’ robe.” Luke 8:43-44 (The Message).

The contrast between these two people could not have been greater. Jairus was an important man; the woman was not even named. Jairus was a religious man; she was a despised and unclean woman. His little daughter was the child of probably the most important man in the town; the woman was nobody. Strangely enough, for every day that the little girl was growing up in her parents’ home, healthy, cherished and no doubt pampered, the woman was living a lonely life of suffering, an outcast and unclean; twelve years of living lives that were worlds apart.

Now the little girl was on the brink of death while the woman was dying slowly. Both she and Jairus needed Jesus. Which one needed Him the most? Which situation was the most critical? Which one would get His attention first? Had it been one of us who had to make the choice, we would probably have told the woman to wait while we attended to Jairus’ child because her need was the most urgent. The woman was alive and walking; the child was dying.

This story is a masterpiece of revelation. Although Luke may have borrowed the record from Mark, the story itself is a mirror of the heart of Jesus. He did not have to make a choice. As we read on, Jesus took the events in His stride. He did not stop and weigh up whose need was greater. He dealt with each situation as it arose. To Jesus, neither need was a crisis, not even the child’s imminent death.

In our lives, situations arise which we view as crises and which throw us into a panic. We rush off to Jesus and breathlessly beg Him to come immediately, forgetting that He is already there and that He is fully aware of every detail, even more than we are. What should be our attitude when we call on Him in desperate moments like these?

Jesus Himself gives us the answer: ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe…'”