When the Messiah met the Messenger

"Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus' feet, he implored him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

As Jesus went, there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, 'Who was it that touched me?' When all denied it, Peter said, 'Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!' But Jesus said, 'Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.' And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, 'Daughter your faith has made you well; go in peace.'

While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler's house came and said, 'Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.' But Jesus on hearing this answered him, 'Do not fear; only believe, and she will be made well.'

And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and the mother of the child. And all were weeping and mourning for her but he said, 'Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.' And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, 'Child, arise.' And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened." -Luke 8:40-56

The passage above has quickly become one of my favorite in the entire Bible. Admittedly... there is A LOT going on. It's the story of two different miracles for two different people, but in fact- their stories are inseparable, much like how our stories with God are interwoven with the stories of the saints around us. We are separate, but of the same family.

Remember, this was already a busy day for Jesus. So far, Jesus had calmed a raging storm: He told the rain to stop coming down, he made the winds stop blowing and he forced the waves to stop crashing. I get tired when I go up the steps too fast. I feel like Jesus was a bit worn out after that exercise. (Maybe that's why He was taking a nap beforehand! Lk. 8:23.) After reaching the shore, Jesus cast out a legion of demons from a man and allowed them to enter a herd of pigs (Lk. 8:30-33). In return, the good people of Gerasenes proceeded to kick Jesus out of town before they lost anymore livestock! So, worn out and rejected, Jesus and the disciples went back across and docked at a new shoreline where he was immediately met by a large crowd begging for his attention:

"Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him."

Among those at the front of the crowd is Jairus and his need is critical. He didn't tell Jesus that his daughter was sick or stricken with an abnormality... he told Jesus that his daughter was dying. The need was critical and it was urgent. She didn't have much time left so if Jesus was going to help her, they had to get moving. Jesus responds and immediately they went that direction.

For the first time in ages, Jairus has hope. Hope that the healer can make his daughter well. Hope that maybe God has heard his prayers after all.

But on the way, they experience a delay. Jesus has stopped to care for someone else. A woman. An unclean woman. Remember that Jairus is a synagogue ruler, and a man. Each of which would essentially put Jairus "ahead" in the order of needs met, especially in regard to the needs of an unclean woman. Jairus can't be pleased. After all, Jairus is as "clean" as they come. He handles administrative duties in the local synagogue, he is probably wealthy and is a committed, devout jew. On all counts, Jairus checks the box for an important, respected, hard working member of society who follows the laws to the best of his ability. And now his needs, his very critical, very urgent needs are being put on hold for the need of an unclean woman, an outcast from the shadows of society. With every moment that Jesus spends looking for her, talking to her, listening to her- with every single moment that passes- Jairus' daughter inches closer to death. If I could be so bold, I feel like Jairus' anxiety was getting the best of him at this moment:

"Surely Jesus is almost ready to get moving! The woman is already healed, why are we still waiting! Jesus, this woman's need is not even critical- she's not dying. But my daughter is!"

And with every moment that passes, the sinking reality of death creeps closer... and closer... until the messenger arrives. There on the dusty road, while Jairus was waiting on the Messiah to consider his needs important, a messenger arrived with the news:

While he (Jesus) was still speaking, someone from the ruler's house came and said, 'Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.'

It's over. Everything was lost. Jairus and his wife had hoped and prayed for one thing for so long and now, it was over. Jairus' hopes quickly fell to the ground at the feet of a delayed Messiah and an unclean woman. God had not heard his prayer. Jesus had considered other things more important... and now his little girl was dead.

The messenger said it all: "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any more."

There is no need for a healer or a teacher any longer. "It's OK Jesus, we can handle it from here. Funeral arrangements don't require supernatural power." All hope had been lost.

Have you been there?

Maybe you prayed for someone who was sick. Maybe they had an illness that grew stronger and stronger over time, making them weaker and weaker until just holding on had become a struggle. Maybe it happened in an instant, an accident or a diagnosis that changed everything. So you prayed. And you prayed. Surely God would hear you prayer.

And then the message came. "It's too late. No need to bother God any longer."

Maybe it was your family. Your marriage was falling apart or your child had went down the wrong path. So you prayed, "God, surely you will help my family. You love family! Don't let this fall apart."

And then the message came. "It's too late, too much damage has been done. No need to bother God any longer."

Maybe it was a job: "Lord, don't let the job cuts come, let them see how valuable I am."

Maybe it was your finances: "Lord, don't let them take the house. Lord, we need the car. Lord, I just need another month."

Maybe it was a relationship: "Lord, please let this be the one that I've waited on."

And then the message came. "It's too late." The pink slips were handed out, the bank note arrived, the relationship didn't work out. "No need to bother God any longer."

We prayed. We lived a good life. So we were left with the conclusion that either God didn't hear us or He didn't care. And we move on with life, a shell of who we once were- no longer believing that God is a God who answers prayer... or that He just doesn't care.

If this is where you've been or where you are, pay close attention to what happens next. If you haven't been there yet, stand fast- it may not be long.

In that moment on the dusty road where the Messiah met the messenger, Jairus would have been tempted to give up... to stop talking to God. But just like his interaction with the unclean woman, Jesus refused to leave Jairus alone on the dusty road. Take careful note of what Jesus told the broken father: "Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well."

Believe. Essentially, "Jairus, believe in me!"

Jesus knew things that Jairus could never know.

Remember that Jairus couldn't see the rest of the story. Jairus didn't know that Jesus was The Son of God or that Jesus was the fulfillment of every Old Testament prophecy- heck, Jairus didn't know that the New Testament was! He only knew that Jesus was calling him to walk.

Jesus knew how this was going to turn out. Jesus knew that Jairus' little girl would be up and holding her mom and dad's hands around the dinner table that night. Jesus knew that death would one day be defeated for good. Jairus didn't know, but Jesus did.

Jesus knew, but He didn't explain the plan to Jairus, He just said, "Believe." It's important to note that Jesus did not tell Jairus what He was about to do. He didn't go over the plan in detail. He just said believe.

So they began to walk. Jesus began walking Jairus home. They soon arrived home where Jesus would take only three disciples and Jairus and his wife into the little girls' room. Jesus took her hand and said, "Child, arise." Instantly she was healed and alive.

Jairus had his little girl back. It certainly didn't happen the way that Jairus would have chosen. Not the timing, not the process, not the pain. But in the pain, Jairus found out about Jesus. In the pain, Jairus began to believe.

Sometimes our needs, our prayers, are met with God's glory in an instant and sometimes, we find God's glory in the last place that we expected... Often times, it's the last place that we wanted to go. I certainly won't pretend to know why some prayers seem to be answered in a moment and why some do not. God does not always share the plan with us, but He does walk with us down the dark and dusty roads. He cares for us. And He knows things that we will never know. And I know that one day, He will take us all by the hand and say, "Child, arise."

If you stopped "bothering God"... BOTHER HIM! Come to Him with your heart and lay it out before Him. He loves you. He hears you. He knows what you need and He knows when you need it. Believe.