(Mark 5:21-43)
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing.” After Jesus delivered the demon-possessed man in the land of Gad, He got back into the boat with His disciples and crossed back over the lake. He left a large crowd behind when He took off for Gad and sure enough, a large crowd awaited His return. When the boat arrived at the shore and Jesus started heading toward the people, someone broke through the crowd. This was no ordinary man, his name was Jairus and he was a ruler of the synagogue, part of the religious leadership. This man knew the local priests, Pharisees, and Sadducees, and no doubt he knew they were not happy with Jesus’ methods. The way Jesus went around interacting with known sinners and routinely breaking laws they considered sacred (all in the name of helping people), did not sit well with them. Jairus now, for some reason, was approaching the man his friends hated.
Jairus positioned himself before Jesus and fell at his feet. He stripped himself of his position, his reputation, and his affiliation; and humbled himself before Jesus before He said anything. When he finally spoke, his issue was exposed. His little daughter was dying and he could do nothing about it. His religious friends (Priests, Pharisees, Sadducees), with all their rules, could not help Jairus. So right there, in front on everyone, on his knees, after admitting that his little girl was dying, Jairus said, “I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.” Jesus accepted and they all took off for Jairus’ house. The crowd followed and before they got far Jesus stopped, claiming that someone had touched Him. I could just imagine Jairus looking back at Jesus, with anxious anticipation, with his patience running out, as Jesus held a lengthy conversation with a woman who was ceremonially unclean. Once the woman touched Jesus, the law required Him to go home and wash himself. If Jesus did that, then surely Jairus would be in trouble. His little daughter was dying and time was of the essence.
So what would Jesus do? Would He observe the law and let the little girl die or would He place the life of the girl above the law? I am sure that Jairus (a strict observer of the law to that point in his life) hoped for the latter, but before Jesus could make the decision Jairus received the news that his little girl was dead. While he was crushed and his hope fleeted, Jesus told Jairus to continue to believe. Jesus was not disturbed by the news. The bigger the problem, the bigger the testimony. But there was one major problem, at least where the religious minded were concerned, and that is that no Jew could touch a corpse without becoming unclean. But once again, that did not bother Jesus. Jesus arrived at the house, asked everyone to leave, and then, right in front of Jairus and his religious background, He did what Jairus originally asked Him to do. Jesus touched the cadaver of the little girl and she came back to life. Jairus no doubt grabbed his little girl and praised God, not for a second thinking about the rules of the law. Grace and love had visited his home; his little girl who was dead, was now alive again!
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Don’t become so legalistic that you fail to hear from God or reach people.
2. Jesus never allowed the rules of religion to keep Him from ministering to the people the religion was designed for.
3. Law-minded believers look for reasons to say “No” and to point out how others have missed the mark. Grace-minded believers look for ways to say “Yes” and point out how we all have missed the mark!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for helping me to see the heart of Jesus. He did not come to abolish the Law, but He did fulfill it. I am thankful that I don’t live under the Law, because there is no way I could ever abide by it. The Law would condemn me, but Your grace has set me free. I walk in the liberty wherewith Christ Jesus died to make me free. I am free today. I am free to love. I am free to share Your grace with the world. I am free to see others the way You see them. I am free, not because of what I have done, but because of what Jesus did. I could never earn Your best. You freely give it to me by grace and I now freely share it with others as I become a conduit of Your grace in a seemingly graceless world. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
