Only Believe

"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, the people pressed around him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had 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 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 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 vs 40 - 56 (ESV)

There are two stories mentioned here namely Jairus and the healing of his twelve year old daughter and the healing of the woman who suffered with the issue of blood.

 I would like to focus on Jairus and his daughter and maybe in the coming weeks we can focus on the lady with the issue of blood. I want to share a few thoughts with you about this man Jairus.

So Jairus was a leader of the local synagogue, a man with much power. He was also a man with knowledge of the scriptures(for him it was the Old Testament). His contemporaries, the Pharisees were men who hated Jesus and probably Jairus had the same views of Jesus too until this very moment.

Tragedy struck. Jairus had no other option but go to Jesus. He would have had to go against his own beliefs, if he had any negative thoughts of Jesus, that is.

Going to Jesus would have been hard for a man of Jairus' stature in within the community. He would go up against his peers who hated Jesus to their rotted cores. But even in this, God was working and we would do well to learn a few good lessons of life from this particular incident.

One of the first things that Jairus had to learn was a matter of putting his pride away. I want you to think with me for a moment. Imagine Jairus or yourself for that matter. Your child lays sick and the only option you have is to come to Jesus. I know I would. And how would you have come to the eternal Lord regarding your child's health knowing they're at the point of death ? I would certainly be on my knees, tears flowing and trying to catch my breath to even just get one word out of my mouth as my heart pounds away as if its about to come out or else  I might have a heart-attack. I don't know about you but I certainly would feel that way. I'd be begging and pleading to the Lord for just one touch or even like the centurion in Matthew 8 vs 5 - 13, who would ask Jesus to say the word and his servant would have been healed. And guess what, that did happen. 

Back to Jairus. So, by now, you would have an idea of how this man would have laid himself prostrate before the master. No parent would come calmly before God. We will surely plead with our own lives in exchange for theirs. No one else matters besides us and the Lord and for whatever we're asking of him. At that moment it was just Jairus and Jesus, he could care less about the consequences he could face from the other Pharisees. His daughter's life lay in the balance and he did learn the lesson: Pride would lead him nowhere except for more hurt.

Verse 49 is quite important, as mentioned earlier we will not deal with the matter of the lady with the issue of blood right away. But while Jesus was busy with her someone from Jairus' house comes to him and gives him the news his daughter is dead but in hindsight that news isn't as bad as what follows. It is terrifying as to what came next. That person had the audacity to say to Jairus, "Don't trouble the teacher anymore." 

They understood that Jesus could heal the sick, make the blind see and the lame walk. But they left his supenatural power to the land of the living. He could only deal with the living and couldn't go beyond that. They thought he couldn't go beyond death. Oh, they couldn't have been more wrong and further from the truth than they already were. May we never doubt the Lord in this manner. To doubt him like this would be utterly sinful.

Jesus' response was simple and calm, "Do not fear, only believe and she will be well."  Jairus had no other gaurantee except for the words of Jesus. The thoughts that went across his mind could have been something like this, "My daughter is dead, what could Jesus do now?" He was heart broken and what else could he have done except to go along with Jesus.

It was certainly a long walk home for Jairus with many thoughts going across his mind. Maybe like Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus who said to the Lord that maybe if he came sooner their brother would have been alive. Jairus could have thought in the same way. If only he could have made it to Jesus sooner, maybe his baby girl would have seen another sunset, maybe he would have grown old and seen his daughter marry and he would have been a grandfather someday. Numerous thoughts went through his mind. He probably started his mourning already and the only thing standing in his way was the words of Jesus to him, "Only Believe."

How could he believe when his daughter was dead?. What was his family going through at that moment? We all know the thoughts that have crossed our minds when we're faced with the loss of a loved one. All he had was, "Only Believe." Sometimes that is all we may have too. But the one question that needs to be asked is, 'How do you push through the most difficult of circumstances and still believe?" The answer may surprise you but its quite simple. It's found in Isaiah 26 vs 3 - 4,

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock." (ESV)

It's all about focus. Wherever or on whomever you put your focus on will show you the outcome of your circumstances. To keep our focus means we must wait on the Lord,

"But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." - Isaiah 40 vs 31 (ESV)

But understand this: To wait on the Lord doesn't mean we become inactive, all it means is that we simply continue to work on the last assignment God gave until we hear him speak again to us. Unlike man, God accomplishes things through to the end. Man is limited in strength and resources, he can only go to certain extent or may not even help at all. God makes many promises in scripture and because of his holiness he will never go back on his word. For he isn't a God who lies.

Coming back to Jairus. When Jesus asked him to believe, Jairus had to keep his focus on Jesus. So I ask you the simple question today, 'Where is your focus?' Is it on the Lord or on someone or something else?

I encourage you today, please don't lose your focus. Keep waiting on the Lord. Continue working with the last assignment he gave you. Don't be complacent in your walk with Him. Pursue Him with all that is in you.

God will show you amazing things along your walk with him till he grants you that which you've been seeking of him provided that you ask in accordance with his will for your life.

Remmber Jairus on his way home with Jesus, his spirit was cast down because of the news he had recieved of his daughter's death. And Jesus said to Him, "Only believe." It was surely tough for him but Jesus definitely spiked his belief again along the way. He healed the lady with the issue of blood. This was also for Jairus' benefit. He will find his faith strengthened in the Lord just before recieving the breakthrough he so much desired.

The same can be true for you too. The Lord will show you his might before you recieve that which you have persistently been asking of him. So, in essence, dont lose your faith but allow it to be strengthened through all the things God will show you along the way. Rest in the knowledge that he will do exactly as he says he will, he will not hold back to those who remain faithful to him.

These are just some of the lessons we learn from Jairus. You have only to believe.

Blessings,

Shane

  

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