Through the Eyes of JAIRUS

Mark 5:21-43

JAIRUS

Prominent Parent in a Predicament

"Jesus said to Jairus, 'Don't be afraid; just believe.'" Mark 5:36

How did Jairus experience Jesus’ powerful touch?   

Well, it seems clear that he didn't experience it literally.  While the text says that he falls down at Jesus' feet, it doesn't specifically mention a touch.  But what the text does indicate is this: from the outset, Jairus BELIEVES in the power of Jesus' touch.

"(Jairus) begged (Jesus) repeatedly, 'My little daughter is at the point of death.  Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.'" - Mark 5:23

Jairus is confident that Jesus has the power to do something about his daughter's condition.  In this way he's a model of faith and trust in Jesus.  But Jairus's path is not easy; Jesus throws him a curve ball...an unexpected delay in responding.  Will he continue trusting in Jesus even when it seems like all is lost?

Who is Jairus? 

Jairus is a parent in a predicament.  He's a father whose daughter is sick to the point of dying, and he's desperately seeking a cure.  [Might this be one of the great Father/Daughter stories in all of scripture?]  No doubt he was worn out from both care-giving for a sick child and worrying about a condition only getting worse.  Yet at the same time he's described as a person of prominence - a "leader of the synagogue."  Synagogue leaders were responsible for arranging worship as well as building maintenance.  He had a professional life with significant responsibility. Consider how many people in the community may have counted on Jairus to do his job.

What does this story look like through the eyes of Jairus?

At first it looks promising.  Not only does he find Jesus and gain access to him, but Jesus responds to his request by immediately going with him to where his daughter was.  He had demonstrated faith in coming to Jesus, trusting that if he touched her she might “be made well."  This word in NT Greek is a form of "sozo," the verb meaning "to save."  In Mark's gospel, Jesus is the savior, bringing salvation into the world, a "wholeness" that includes both spiritual and physical healing/restoration (that's what happens when "the kingdom of God has come near" - Mark 1:15).  Jesus' purpose is to restore people to living wholly and completely in God's kingdom.  Up to this point in Mark the crowds have responded to Jesus, but the Jewish leaders have not; with Jairus this begins to change. 

Don't Stop Believin' 
- An Unexpected Delay Brings a Continuing Test of Trust 
Jairus' experience of Jesus is altered by the woman who breaks into the story at verse 25.  During her entire healing encounter with Jesus (verses 25-34), Jairus is simply waiting.  And while Jesus is healing this woman, he receives word that it's now too late - his daughter is dead.  What a crushing announcement!  This could have been the end of his faith in Jesus.  "Sure, Jesus has the power, but he's using it in others' lives and not my own (or my family's)."  Why did Jesus allow my daughter to die?  This is a different question when the person asking it believes that Jesus has the power to keep her alive. Why didn't he?

Breaking into the mounting voices of doubt within, Jesus asks Jairus to demonstrate even more faith than he originally expressed:  "Jesus said to Jairus, 'Don't be afraid; just believe.'" Mark 5:36 

If there was a gospel according to the rock band 'JOURNEY', Jesus' words would no doubt be translated "Jairus, Don't Stop Believin'!"  Truth is, had he bailed on Jesus in the delay, he wouldn’t have witnessed Jesus' powerful touch raising his daughter to life.  If he would have listened to the crowd and not “bothered the teacher anymore,” salvation may not have entered his home.  Waiting for Jesus to act was a continuing test of trust, but it was also the prelude to a miracle!  As Bible Scholar Laura Sweat puts it, “A faith that persists despite obstacles, delays, and impossibilities is the kind of faith Jairus needs."

Connection Questions

• Are you a parent?  Can you identify with Jairus, balancing the challenges of being a caring parent with real-world leadership responsibilities?

 

• What is it like to be a parent of a sick child?  How have you experienced this, or seen someone go through it?   

• Parents of sick children often experience what could be called "The Squeeze" - needing to spend quality time on the tender side of parenting a sick child while also needing to remain employed so that health insurance will remain in force and you have the money to afford care.  How might Jesus' bring His power into this situation of squeeze?

• When you feel powerless, what difference might it make to go to Jesus, trusting in his power to bring healing and relief?  Do you struggle with initial trust in Jesus' power?  How about continuing to trust when you're waiting for Him to apply that power to your life or your loved one's life?

In Conclusion
Jairus is a good dad.  He's there for his daughter.  He's aware of her needs, and at the same time this man of power and influence recognizes his limitations.  In relation to his daughter's terrible sickness, he's powerless.  This humility born of the situation being out of his control leads him to seek out help from Jesus, confident of his power to help.  Jairus was willing to be humble, to admit he didn’t have the solution, and finally to seek the solution in Jesus.  This man of faith then learned about continuing in trust while waiting for the miracle to happen.  And happen it did!

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Next week: Through the Eyes of the 12-Year-Old Girl