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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
We come to Luke Chapter 8 and verse 40 in these present studies. We have seen how Jesus Christ ministered to that very needy demonized man in such a powerful and effective way, and yet, the local people told Jesus to take His ministry elsewhere. When Jesus is not wanted, He will move on and go where He is needed and wanted. It is really quite appalling shocking and surprising how some react to the ministry of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. If you are involved in front line ministry do not be taken aback when you come across similar reactions.
Here comes Jesus to a group of people who were waiting for Him to return. They are ready to welcome Him. They were expecting Jesus to come back - to return.
Now, that's the attitude to have - to be expecting Jesus to come to you, and when He comes to you welcome Him.
What a pleasant relief it must have been to Jesus, following that incident on the other side of the Lake of Galilee, where He had been rejected - told to push off - and now He is among folk who welcome Him and receive Him and want His ministry. They want what Jesus had to give. This study is longer than what I usually write, but we must consider seriously the unity of this passage.
A man named Jairus - a ruler of the synagogue - comes right up to Jesus Christ - and falls down at Jesus feet - and pleads with Jesus to come to His home. Jairus was a deeply religious man - a local leader - and he has a massive need in his life.
We can be committed to God and still have huge problems. The best thing to do is - bring them to Jesus.
Jairus says - Come to my home - I have one daughter - she is twelve - and she is dying. Jesus, she is very ill. And Jesus agrees to go to the home of Jairus.
As Jesus and Jairus are walking along the road - surrounded by thronging crowds - an unnamed woman - who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years - tried to get close to Jesus. She had been going to all the surgeries. She had seen all the surgeons. She had spent all her money on various treatments, and nothing had worked.
She is unhealed - still bleeding - and after 12 years of this she is weary and weak. She comes to Jesus desiring to be healed, but determined to remain anonymous. She had to move quickly to get through - to push through the crowd somehow - without being noticed. There was no way she could make an appointment with Jesus on this occasion.
In her mind she is determined to touch and receive a touch from the Living God. She comes up from behind and touches the edge of His cloak - His outer garment - and she experienced healing! She is no longer bleeding!
v 45 Jesus asks - "Who touched me?" And Peter and all the people say - "O be fair - the crowd is bound to touch You. Look at all the people bustling around." But Jesus knew something special had happened. Jesus knew that someone had touched Him and someone had been healed. Jesus realised that something good had flowed out of Him.
Most of the healing miracles is Jesus Christ touching someone in need, but here it is someone in need touching Jesus. You can do that today - by faith. Touch Him.
The woman saw and realised that she could no longer hide and remain anonymous. She had wanted a private blessing. She wanted private ministry. She wanted to get her need met and perhaps run away inconspicuously - without anyone knowing - without sharing what Jesus had done. Jesus would not on this occasion allow her to do that. This He was not going to permit.
Sometimes, Jesus wants things out in the open - no private blessings in little corner - no slipping in and slipping out.
In verse 43 she is an unnamed needy woman, but in verse 48 Jesus calls her daughter. Jesus takes time to hear her story and to comfort her, and to give her not only healing but wholeness. HE also sends her home in peace.
Have we forgotten where Jesus was going? As Jesus is speaking with this dear needy woman who had been suffering so much for 12 years, news comes from Jairus' house. "Your daughter is dead - your 12 year old girl has died - don't bother the teacher any more - the teacher cannot do anything now, Jairus. It is too late. The delay has been too long. We are sorry - we are sorry that you were not able to be there at the end."
"Jesus - are YOU too late? Could You not have spent time with this sick woman some other day? Your delay has meant that my wee girl is dead! She had been bleeding for 12 years - another day would not have made all that much difference!"
It is all there. Sometimes Jesus allows things to go wrong as we see them - terribly wrong!
Verse 50 - Jesus heard the news being brought to Jairus - and He intervenes. "Don't be afraid - just believe. Don't give up Jairus - have faith, and she will be healed."
Jesus is so composed and poised. He is so in control, and Jesus is going to answer Jairus' prayer, even though it does appear that He has left matters too late.
Jesus comes to the home of Jairus, but He does not allow the crowd to go in - only the father and mother, and three disciples who were very close to Jesus - Peter James and John.
Some were already mourning - weeping and wailing - and Jesus said - STOP WAILING - she is not dead but asleep. They laughed at Him. They scorned Him. They ridiculed Him. At such a critical moment they mocked Jesus, and this does not throw Jesus. Matthew Chapter 9 tells us He put them all out. Jesus would not have faithless mockers around when He performed this miracle.
Jesus took the little girl's dead hand and said - "My child - get up - come on - arise - sit up." Her spirit came again, and up she got, and Jesus told them to give her some food to eat. And, mummy and daddy were astonished. They were amazed. We do become surprised at times when Jesus answers our prayers. At this time He says, "Now don't tell anyone what has happened."
What a strange command. Would they be able to keep quiet about this wonderful miracle which Jesus had performed? Everyone in the vicinity would surely know within the hour. In a sense it is the opposite from what happens with the woman in need.
One important lesson here is to do exactly what Jesus Christ tells you to do!
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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