Tag Archives: synagogue ruler

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 – NEVER TOO LATE

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NEVER TOO LATE

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.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’”

32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

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 5:21-43

And what of Jairus, the synagogue ruler? What a jumble of emotions must have surged through him in one day! His was such an urgent mission and yet Jesus was in no hurry. Jesus was willing to be interrupted to meet a woman’s chronic need. Impatience, frustration, indignation, annoyance, anguish, anxiety, fears; all these emotions together created a knot in Jairus’ stomach. He was terrified of hearing the news that his little girl was gone. When it came, he must have felt anger, despair, hopelessness, blaming the wretched woman for the delay that cost the child’s life.

Once again Jesus was gentle, reassuring, calm, unfazed by the crisis, applying His yoke of compassion and hope in a desperate situation. Always in control, He moved purposefully towards Jairus’ home, knowing exactly what He would do. He wore the talith, the symbol of the presence of God; the same talith that the sick woman had touched and received her healing.

It was always Jesus in the centre of the need and source of the supply. And today it is no different. It is the same Jesus and the same Holy Spirit who is the source of all the grace and mercy we cry for in our need.

Jairus learned that day that Jesus is never too late. He always has time for everyone. He gives His personal attention to everyone who calls out to Him. He is the talith – God’s name, God’s nature, God’s word, God’s power and God’s presence, and we are honoured to “wear” Him. We are clothed with Christ and enveloped in everything that He is. No situation is out of the reach of His power and goodness.

Did Jairus learn his lesson well? Did he ever forget what Jesus did that day? Scripture does not record the outcome of his encounter with Jesus but, like the restored woman, perhaps he finally came to realise who this miracle worker really was. Every time he looked at his child, growing up to womanhood instead of decaying in a grave, because of Jesus, he believed, he rejoiced and he worshipped with gratitude and love.

These events are the culmination of a story that began twelve years before, bringing together two unconnected people in a drama that was designed to reveal the glory of God’s Messiah.