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Fathers of the Bible — Jairus

08 Mar

Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, 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.” Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. 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.” But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of James). When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” 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. Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed. Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat.
Mark 5:22-24,35-43

Dear God, so much happens in this story. That’s the pretty incredible thing about the Bible overall. It has some of the tightest, best editing ever. In this case, it takes just 12 verses to say so much. It paints quite a picture.

Here are the key phrases that communicate so much:

  • “Leader of the local synagogue”– This wasn’t just anyone. This was someone with some community standing and pride. He should be able to handle something like this on his own. Why would he need to go to a traveling rabbi and get his help?
  • “My little girl is dying”– When one becomes a parent…well, there’s just a mystery there that you and I have discussed before. Imprinting. Bonding. Call it whatever you want, but there is something powerful about your child.
  • “Heal her so she can live”– It’s not like healing was common in those days. Jairus wasn’t making a common request. He was making a desperate request. He wanted his daughter to live. He wanted it for his own sake. I’m sure he wanted it for his wife as well.
  • “There’s no use troubling the Teacher now”–It’s one thing to heal. It’s another thing to resurrect. We were now beyond healing, and resurrection was too much to expect.
  • “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith”– Faith in what? That you’re going to raise her from the dead? Really? There’s no way.
  • “The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep”– What? Was Jesus being intentionally deceptive here in order to prevent a furor after the resurrection about to take place? Did he try to protect the little girl from being the one who was raised from the dead as opposed to simply being someone who was healed? Was he protecting Jairus and his wife from that kind of attention as well? I’ve always seen this as being…well, I’ll call it a misleading. I’ve always seen this as a misleading that would protect Jesus from unwanted acclaim, but maybe it was for Jairus’s family’s benefit as well.
  • “They were overwhelmed and totally amazed”– Yeah, I would imagine so. Despair to elation. Hope. I wonder where Jairus was the week of Jesus’s crucifixion. It’s too bad we don’t have any further information about him or his family. I’d like to know if he became like Nicodemus. It’d be nice if we had that follow up.
  • “Jesus game them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened”– Back to the…misleading. Obfuscation? This is the part that must have struck Don Francisco in the song I liked to above: “I’ve Got to Tell Somebody“
  • “Give her something to eat”– She’s been sick a while. It’s probably been days since she has eaten, but she isn’t only alive. She isn’t sick anymore. Give that girl something to eat.

Father, I wish I knew more about Jairus. What I do know is pretty great. And I’m about to go through some stories about more fathers like him. I don’t have too many parents left really, but there are several who bring their children to Jesus for healing. I was going to bunch them together, but my wife encouraged me to break them out separately to see if there is anything unique about this. In this case, I would say that Jairus being the local synagogue leader is significant. The implications of what this would mean to his position in the community is significant. And that fact that he had to keep it quiet and participate in the obfuscation is unique as well. Thank you for his example of a father who really loved his daughter beyond what it would cost him personally and professionally.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 8, 2020 in Fathers of the Bible, Mark

 

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Mark 5:22-43

24 Sep

One of the synagogue officials named Jairus *came up, and on seeing Him, *fell at His feet and *implored Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.” And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him. A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse— after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.” While He was still speaking, they *came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?” But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, *said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.” And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They *came to the house of the synagogue official; and He *saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing. And entering in, He *said to them, “Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep.” They began laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He *took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and *entered the room where the child was. Taking the child by the hand, He *said to her, “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” ). Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded. And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that something should be given her to eat.

Mark 5:22-43

Dear God, according to this telling of the story, he didn’t even let anyone else go to Jairus’ house with him besides Peter, James and John. I’ve never had this thought before, but I wonder if he left the other nine disciples behind to keep everyone else from following him. Why did he take three of them? Why these three? I suppose he needed witnesses and maybe even a little bit of physical presence beyond being alone against mourners who were about to get angry with him.

Of course, I’m completely guessing on all of this. What I do know is that Peter, James and John had front row seats to this miracle. I wonder how they reacted internally when this happened. I suppose witnessing something like this would either inspire me and completely affirm my decision to follow Jesus or it would scare me and I would take off. Why do I get the feeling that it would have scared me?

Father, these three men were put into a unique situation. I cannot imagine seeing what they saw and then being asked to do what the were asked to do. I’m grateful for all of them. These events shaped who they became in the early church. You are shaping me too. Please shape me into the man you need me to be.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 24, 2018 in Mark, Peter and John

 

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