Feb 2, 2022
We have witnessed Jesus’ sovereignty over nature and evil, and now, as He heals two women, we see His sovereignty over illness and death. (Matthew 9:18-26 Mark 5:21-43, Luke 8:40-56)
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Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders’ podcast. I’m your host Julie Jenkins.
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Today we continue our systematic walk through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John as we together, delve into God’s Word and ask Him to show us what He wants us to learn. Today’s teaching comes from Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:21-43, and Luke 8:40-56.
Before we begin, let’s pray…
Dear Heavenly Father…thank you for meeting each of us where we are today. It never ceases to amaze me that you are ALWAYS there for us…waiting expectantly for us to decide to spend time with you. Thank you for your patience, your diligence, and your love! Guide us today as we study your Word. Help us understand more of you and to become more like you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
In the last couple of weeks, we saw Jesus cross the Sea of Galilee where He encountered a storm through which He proved His sovereignty over nature, then He exorcised a multitude of demons from a Gentile man, proving His sovereignty over evil, and then Jesus and the disciples boarded the boat once again and sailed back across the Sea of Galilee after the townspeople ran Him off. As continue the scripture reading today, Jesus is again stepping off the boat, this time back in Jewish territory, when He is met with a crowd and is about to showcase His sovereignty over disease and death.
I want to pause here to recognize that God’s plan is ALWAYS perfect! Jesus and the disciples had a LOT going on…and yet God gave them a solid opportunity to refresh themselves and reflect as they sailed across the water. How quick are you and I to dismiss all that God is giving us as we are on our way to somewhere WE have deemed important? Some of the best conversations I have had have been when I was in the car driving a long distance. And some of the most valuable lessons I have learned have happened when I was in a season of waiting and processing. Don’t ever begrudge those moments of silence. Always remember that God’s plan is PERFECT, He is ALWAYS working, and every moment is filled with His grace – we simply need to trust Him and open our eyes, expectantly asking to be receptive to all He has for us.
Let’s begin reading today in Mark 5:21 from the New Living Translation where we meet two important characters – Jairus and an unnamed ill woman. These two people are as polar opposite as we can imagine. One is a high-powered Jewish synagogue leader, the other is an unknown woman who hadn’t been able to worship in the synagogue for 12 years. But they are both in desperate need of Jesus – and they are both waiting on Him – with humility and faith. Mark 5:21…
21 Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. 22 Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, (JAI rus) arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, 23 pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.”
As a synagogue leader, Jairus would have been well respected, and as many Jewish leaders were turning their backs on Jesus, Jairus may have felt peer pressure to do the same. But Jairus had faith and humility. He was desperate. His only daughter was dying. And yet he had faith that this JESUS could save her. He reacted in pure humility, in the midst of a large crowd, claiming his own dependence on this not-well-esteemed Jesus, he threw himself at Jesus’ feet. And Jesus responded – because that’s who Jesus is…verse 24…
24 Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him.
But meanwhile, we see yet another soul reacting in pure faith and humility. A woman who had been sick for 12 years. For 12 years, while Jairus enjoyed the companionship of his now dying twelve-year-old daughter, this woman struggled with an illness that kept her continuously ceremonially unclean, therefore unable to worship in the synagogue. She saw Jesus’ respond to Jairus, the distinguished leader, and she could have turned away, but she pressed on in faith, knowing that Jesus alone could cure her. Verse 25…
25 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”
This weary woman, who perhaps did not have the energy or confidence or strength to actually speak to Jesus, believed with her whole heart that if she could just touch the hem of His robe, she would be healed. And her faith was well-placed, verse 29 continues…
29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.
Can you imagine her joy? Her elation?
Have you ever had an encounter with Jesus where you just know that things were different from that moment on? I pray that you have – and if you can’t recollect one right now, I pray that you will give yourself FULLY and COMPLETELY over to Jesus right now. There have been times in my life when God’s presence has just been so palpable that it could not be denied, and I’m telling you, there is NOTHING like it!
At one point I had been going through a season where I wanted to serve God SO BADLY, but no offer to serve Him was working out. I kept being denied the opportunity to serve God. I was dumbfounded. I wasn’t doing this for me after all, I was doing it for God! But as I searched my soul, I realized that maybe I WAS doing it for me…somewhere deep within I wanted to be important, to gain the notoriety that a position of service would bring. I will never forget the moment of my conviction, confession, and release. I was sitting at a red light of all places. And I released my service to God…saying “if you want me to clean toilets for you, that is what I will do. No job is too menial.” The light turned green, and I literally and figuratively put my foot on the gas as my trajectory changed and I drove into my future. Later that VERY day…in fact within an hour, I was offered a serving opportunity of a lifetime.
I know what I felt like then – having my life completely changed by Jesus. So I can KIND of imagine how this woman felt – knowing that she had been healed by the power and grace of Jesus Christ. And as her trajectory changed, she was immediately asked to boldly come forward…verse 30…
30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
No one understood this question, no one except Jesus and the woman, that is. Sometimes in life you WILL have encounters with Jesus that only you and He will fully understand. I encourage you to open your ears to hear what Jesus has to say to YOU! And open your heart to respond to Him. It won’t always be easy…but it will always be worth it! Verse 31…
31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
Jesus…busy Jesus…who had calmed the storm, driven out demons, and now was on His way to help the esteemed Jairus…was not too busy for this woman…and He will NEVER be too busy for you either…
But things were probably not feeling as perfectly timed on Jairus end…who was likely fighting frustration at Jesus’ delay. And, in fact, verse 35 continues…
35 While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”
36 But Jesus overheard[a] them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”
Jesus always is intentional with every minute. He has a purpose and a plan that is often far beyond our understanding, but we need never worry. Our job is to continue to come to Him in faith and humility, trusting His goodness. Verse 37…
37 Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of James). 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. 39 He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.”
40 The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. 41 Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,”(TAHlly tah KUUM) which means “Little girl, get up!” 42 And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed. 43 Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat.
Faith and humility. Trusting in God’s perfect timing. Jairus and the woman certainly didn’t have a lot in common, but they did have faith and humility in common. They both exercised faith and humility in the face of what the world would deem as hopeless and despairing situations. They both exercised faith and humility and did the one thing they knew to do…and that was to seek out Jesus. And Jesus was all they needed. Jesus had demonstrated His sovereignty over nature, demons, and now He demonstrated His sovereignty over illness and even death. We don’t have to know what to say or what to do…we only have to know who to trust. Step with humility and put your faith in Jesus, the true Sovereign King. He will never let you down.
Dear Most Holy God – we DO come to you with faith and humility. We confess that you are all we need, that your plan is perfect, and we vow to trust your perfect timing. Help us to allow YOU to plan the trajectory of our life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.