Mark - Just a touch

 

Just a touch

Good morning class.  If you are just following along on the blog, I apologize for there not being a lesson last week.  I was preaching and between a bunch of life events and needing to be prepared to preach I just didn't get it done.  We still had class on zoom, and if you ever don't see a lesson, chances are we are still meeting on zoom and would love for you to join us.  https://zoom.us/j/384522584?pwd=NzRVM1dubWJZTFpmZTBMb2hhTEU0QT09

Question of the day:  How was your thanksgiving? 

This morning we are continuing in Mark chapter 5.  

READ: Mark 5:21-43

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman

21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”

36 Overhearing[c] what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

This is one of my favorite stories.  There are so many things about it speak to the character of Jesus. 

What do we learn about the character of Jesus in this story?

Lets take it from the very beginning of this passage.  

The first point I would like to make actually takes place in last weeks lesson.  This time when Jesus is crossing the lake and going to the other side, it is because the people where he had been pleaded for him to leave.  So the crossing the lake was for what reason?

Character point #1:  Jesus doesn't stay where he isn't wanted.  He doesn't impose himself, he doesn't force us.  He at the very core of his being is LOVE and love is always chosen! He was crossing the lake leaving those who didn't want him and going to those who did.  

Large crowds gathered around him and someone asks him to go with them to heal his daughter and he goes...

Character point #2:  Large numbers are not most important.  He was willing to leave the crowds to heal the one!  

The crowds follow and are pressing in around him.  In that crowd is the woman who has been suffering for a long time.  She presses in and touches his garment.  

There are a couple points we need to acknowledge. First,  this woman was willing to press into a crowd to get a way to touch the garment of Jesus.  We often focus on her faith which is remarkable, and we will talk about that but she also did something.  She would have been a person who probably spent a lot of time alone, hidden because of her condition and what that meant.  Bleeding deemed you unclean and people would have known her.  Yet she went anyway pressed into the crowd to get near to Jesus.  Second she did all that because she knew all she had to do was touch him.  She had a remarkable faith, she had a beautiful understanding of Jesus.   Then third, when Jesus asked who touched him, she stepped forward, being vulnerable and exposing herself, her affliction, she fell at His feet,  she shared what had happened.  

Life application for you and me...

We need to let our faith drive us to action.  Action that may even draw criticism.  Are we willing to do because we believe?  Believing isn't enough, believing demands action! 

 

Do we know Jesus well enough? Do we know that if we press through the crowd and just touch him, we will be healed?  Do we know him enough?  

Are we willing to be vulnerable.  Vulnerable enough to share what Jesus has done for us.  To really share what he has done, we have to also share where we were!  

Jesus' reaction is so incredibly beautiful!  He knows someone has just been healed by touching him and he stops his very important work of going to heal a sick girl, to find out who touched him, and then he takes time to add a public healing to the private healing that had already taken place.  It wasn't enough that she stop bleeding, He also wanted her community to realize she was healed, freeing her from the stigma and shame!    

Character point #3: Jesus always sees you! He will let you know He sees you! 

When I was a young mother Lynn Ortel, challenged me to ask Him everyday how he sees me.  She promised He would let me know and He did, He does.  Jesus will always let you know!  Nothing is more important! 

Character point #4: Jesus heals our shame.  Jesus doesn't just care about our physical healing or even our spiritual healing, but he also cares about healing our shame.  

This blessing, this time spent with the woman, delayed Jesus and now people arrive, letting Jairus know that his daughter is dead.  

Character point #5:  Jesus hears.   I love that here we see that he notices not just the touch of the woman, but the side conversation too.  He hears.  Jesus KNOWS.  We can KNOW with confidence that Jesus hears us!  If he picks up on side conversations, an indistinguishable touch, he hears and sees' you!

Jesus tells Jairus to not be afraid and to believe.  

LIFE Application for us! "DON'T BE AFAID, JUST BELIEVE"  "DON'T BE AFRAID, JUST BELIEVE!" 

Jesus then just took a few with him.  This is curious.  Interesting and notable that after raising from the dead the little girl, he also tells them to not say anything about it.  Why?  That leads us to the next character point. 

Character point #5: Jesus is sovereign. 

This part of the story, we can add all kinds of why Jesus did what he did, but the truth is, we don't know.  Did he know they couldn't handle seeing the truth, the miracle? Maybe.  Was it because he couldn't or wouldn't raise everyone and knew if it because too widely known that he could raise people from the dead, he would be overwhelmed.  Maybe.  Obviously the little girls life would let people know, but then the town may have believed what Jesus said, that she was just sleeping.  The facts are, we don't know and sometimes, just understanding and believing that he is sovereign is important.  There are and will be times when God does things in our lives that we just are quiet about.  Other times he invites us to fall at his feet and share with the whole town, what he has done for us.  When to be quiet and when to be vulnerable is a question for HIM.  

Character point #6: Jesus gives life! Perhaps this is the most important character point of the day.  Jesus gives life!  No matter what is going on in your life, no matter how scary, or disappointing, or frustrating, or depressing.  Jesus gives life!!!!  If you need healing, push closer to Him, if you need life, call on Him.  Jesus is the answer.   Press in, call on Him and he will answer!