What does it mean to be desperate? Consider three definitions. The first two make desperation hopeless.
- feeling, showing, or involving a hopeless sense that a situation is so bad as to be impossible to deal with.
- Cambridge Dictionary: very serious or bad.
A slightly different version speaks of hope. “Feeling that you have no hope and are ready to do anything to change the bad situation you are in.” Desperate! Ready to do anything.
Last week’s blog and this week’s reveal two individuals who came to Jesus out of a sense of great desperation. We learn a great deal from seeing His response then and now to desperate people.
The setting in Mark 5 is familiar.
1 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.
Crowds are pressing into Jesus. Contrast this description with the people on the Eastern shore who begged him to go away. Jesus crossed the Sea and found a warm, welcoming crowd.
In that crowd was a desperate daddy. His approach is described in verses 22-23.
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.”
This approach is shocking for three reasons.
First, we are shocked because of who this man is. He is a synagogue leader. He is responsible for keeping things running in an orderly fashion. He would lead the discussions.
He is respected and honored in the long tradition of religious leaders. Yet we find him approaching Jesus. His little girl matters more to him than the opinions of the crowd.
His approach is shocking because of how he came. He is seen begging. This is specific language speaking of pleading fervently and earnestly.
His daddy’s heart drives him. He speaks of his little girl. She is twelve years old. Just young enough to be considered a little girl because she is on the edge of being declared a woman. That does not matter to this daddy. She is still his little girl.
He throws himself down on the ground, completely desperate. She is at death’s door. All arrogance and pride are cast to the side. He will risk ridicule and embarrassment. Think about it. What would you do? Anything!
Finally, his approach is shocking because of what this daddy asks. He has faith enough in Jesus that he asked the Lord to come and lay hands on his daughter. He is confidence that if Jesus does, she will be healed. He has ultimate faith in Jesus.
To his great relief Jesus agrees to go along.
24 So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him.
What a relief it must have been to see Jesus start that direction. Imagine how fast he is walking as he goes through the crowd, willing Jesus forward. He pushes his way forward until suddenly the procession stops.
We picked up the story in last week’s blog. The desperate woman touches Jesus. Ultimately, she is healed and set free.
But what is Jairus doing during this delay? He is desperate for Jesus to come on. He is certainly not uncaring about this woman, but he is more concerned for his daughter.
Once Jesus is finished talking to the woman, he starts again towards Jarius’ home only to be met with tragic news.
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?”
His worst fears are realized. The delay has turned deadly. But the news must have hit him so hard. He may have fallen to his knees in grief. His heart identifies with the words of the servant. No need to trouble the Master any longer.
We must point out that the delay did not change this result. In the time that Jesus stopped, the servant would have had to make his way to Jarius. Likely she was already dead by the time Jarius found Jesus. But Jarius did not know that, and he was devastated.
He has no confidence that Jesus could do anything. Jesus hears this and turns to the man. Jesus responds to him with kind words. He challenges him to faith.
36 Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
Jesus tells Jarius to stop being afraid. The word is “Phobos.” It speaks of fear and panic. He calls him to have faith. In what? Jesus does not say, and the man does not ask. And they start out again.
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.
Jesus allows only four other people to go with him the rest of the way to Jarius’ home. They are greeted by a tumultuous scene. The air dripped with commotion, tumult, and confusion.
The crowd was filled with the loud sounds of wailing. Mournful, howling people were everywhere. In Jesus’ day it was not unusual to have hired mourners and musicians in seasons of grief. Jarius’ leadership in the community meant that the house was full.
Everyone must have paused as Jesus entered the scene. His question was simple but seemed out of place. “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep?” What? People must have wondered if they heard him correctly.
Then the sound so out of place at a funeral. Laughter started. Deriding, scornful chuckles at Jesus. How could he say such a thing? He must be out of his mind. They surely knew better than he.
Do not be confused by the language here. Sleeping was a common metaphor for death. She is dead, but Jesus knows what will happen next.
Jesus ignored the derision and told everyone to get out. He had brought Peter, James, and John with Him. Now they were with Jarius and his wife as they went into the room with the girl.
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.
This small group enters the room where the girl’s body lays. They went in alone for privacy. He took the little girl by the hand and spoke softly to her. His words are translated child (or little lamb) arise.
Immediately she is completely healed. What a scene. Life comes to her body. Here eyes open as she sees the face of the one who holds her by the hand.
43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Jesus issues two commands. First, He pledges the group to secrecy about this event. As with His other requests for people not to talk about His miracles, I am certain word of this got out. After all, the crowd testified that she was truly dead. Invariably, the word spread quickly.
Jesus desired that this miracle not gain notoriety. He did not want attention drawn to the miracle. But people inevitably came.
His second command was much more practical. He told them to get the girl some food.
We do not know any more about Jarius or his daughter. Their lives were forever changed because of His desperate plea.
We take three lessons from this great encounter:
- Jesus responds to desperate people. He responded then and He does now.
- Put aside grief and hold on to faith. He may not heal when we ask Him to, but He is greater than any sickness.
- Jesus never attended a funeral. Because death is not final
