Don't Be Afraid, Just Believe
In Mark 5:22-42 we see one of the most bizarre encounters in Jesus’ life. We meet Jairus, a religious leader in Capernaum whose daughter was dying. Since he was a leader of the community and rich, he likely had hired the best doctors money could buy; but to no avail. As a general rule, the religious leaders of that day were not excited about Jesus. In fact, at every turn, they were plotting to end the Lord’s life so it is interesting to see Jairus “falling at Jesus’ feet and imploring him earnestly” to save his daughter’s life.
In this passage we are also introduced to a woman who has had a discharge of blood for 12 years. She had a disease that gave her menstrual irregularity. Under Jewish law she was considered unclean, which meant that she couldn’t go into the Temple and other people wouldn’t touch her. Here was a woman who for 12 years has not been able to go before God or even be touched by anyone, and she thought if she could just grab a portion of Jesus’ robe, he could heal her, and she crawled her way through the crowd just to touch the hem of the Lord’s garment.
Both people in this story came to Jesus for one thing and ended up receiving so much more. But Jesus required a lot more of both of them than they were expecting. Jairus came to Jesus in need of a healing; what he got was a resurrection (a miracle upgrade). But Jesus required Jairus to trust him in the midst of completely bewildering circumstances. The woman wanted a hit and run with Jesus (to get her healing and get home). She not only received healing, but was also called “precious daughter” by the Son of God. But the COST was that she had to expose herself to Jesus and publicly profess him before the crowd.
Coming to Jesus always offers more, and also costs more, than you realize. Many of us have been drawn to Jesus because of a need… for forgiveness, help with a family that is falling apart, help putting back together a life that is broken, help finding purpose and meaning in life, and maybe even deliverance from an addiction. What Jesus offers is far more than we could have imagined; he not only wants to help with your problem, he wants to make us his child. He wants to give us something so much greater even than the solution to the problem, union with him forever.
But he also requires far more from you than you have dreamed. He said, “If anyone would come after me, let him take up your cross and follow me.” Total denial. Total surrender. Total trust.
There’s only one “trade” Jesus is willing to make. He’ll give you himself for all of eternity, the promise that he will heal your brokenness and goodness and mercy to follow you all the days of your life. In return he requires your complete surrender. All of you for all of him. Lord of all, or not Lord at all. Are you ready to make that trade?
In Him
Pastor Boyd
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