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Have you ever been feeling desperate, in an impossible situation, so much so that you would literally have done anything to put the situation right?
Perhaps you were even willing to push aside your pride.
Jairus, a proud man with status, yet feeling desperate
Jairus was one of the synagogue rulers.
Many of these religious leaders would have been proud of their titles, their position in society, and proud of their religious knowledge.
But Jairus was willing to humble himself in front of this huge crowd by kneeling before Jesus.
Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there.
Mark 5:22-24
Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet and 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.’
So Jesus went with him.”
Would he have done such a thing, unless he was desperate?
His daughter was dying!
He suddenly didn’t care about having a self sufficient air about him.
Jairus was feeling desperate, he just didn’t mind what people would think of him.
He saw Jesus as having the power and compassion to help him.
I expect he saw himself as being weak and inferior in this situation.
How do we view Jesus, are we feeling desperate enough to turn to him?
Do you feel trapped in your life and do you want to break free?
How does Jesus see us, will he say “Well done“.
What about us? How do we view Jesus?
Do we see Him as being powerful and able?
How little a thing, or how big a thing, does it take to get us on our knees?
Jairus’ posture of kneeling at Jesus’ feet, is an excellent heart attitude for us to constantly be in. Jesus said:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3
The word ‘poor’ in this verse doesn’t mean, just short of money.
It’s a beggar crouching on a filthy pavement.
So another translation could be;
Happy are those who are like a beggar in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3 Possible translation.
Being inwardly a spiritual beggar is realising that we rely on God’s generosity to give us things.
We’ve got empty hands and an empty heart, unless God provides for us.
In this place we realise that we are totally vulnerable and powerless without the Lord in our lives.
Jesus was saying that to have a beggars heart is the starting place for God to move in our lives.
Jairus begged. He was not ashamed to approach Jesus.
He gave Jesus honour and respect and he, HE an important ruler, lowered himself.
He even put his face to Jesus’ feet and pleaded for his daughters life.
Jesus accepted his plea, and they set off for Jairus’ home.
Anybody who turns to Jesus is blessed
Matthew Henry has some interesting thoughts on the above Bible verse from Jesus sermon we know as The Beatitudes.
Jesus uses a lot of ‘Blessed are…’ so Matthew Henry comments:
Christ begins his sermon with blessings, for he came into the world to bless us (Acts 3:26*),
‘Commentary on the Whole Bible (1721)’ by Matthew Henry [ii]
as the great High Priest of our profession; as the blessed Melchizedec; as He in whom all the families of the earth should be blessed, (Genesis 22:18**).
He came not only to purchase blessings for us, but to pour out and pronounce blessings on us;
and here he does it as one having authority, as one that can command the blessing, even life for evermore,
and that is the blessing here again and again promised to the good;
his pronouncing them happy makes them so; for those whom he blesses, are blessed indeed.
The Old Testament ended with a curse (Malachi 4:6***), the gospel begins with a blessing;
for hereunto are we called, that we should inherit the blessing.”
* When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
Acts 3:26
** declares the Lord… ‘and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.’ “
Genesis 22:18
*** See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.
Malachi 4:6
He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents;
or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
Is our conscience like having God sitting on our shoulder and whispering in our ears?
God had promised David in the Bible that he was going to be king, but there was a big problem; Saul was an evil king and David still followed his own conscience.
Jesus didn’t point the finger, so does he condemn divorcees now, I don’t think so.
A lady with a bad health problem reaches out to Jesus…
We may know that God cares for his own, but he reaches out to others also.
Jesus calls death ‘sleep’ and people laughed at him.
References:
[i] Max Pixel Creative Commons Zero
[ii] ‘Commentary on the Whole Bible (1721)’ by Matthew Henry
Rich man image: thanks to ‘The Pictorial Dictionary’ published by The Educational Book Company, London.