Desperate Acts for Jesus
In Luke chapter eight, we read about two people who are very different from each other but are in desperate need of Jesus’ touch in their lives.
Luke 8:41…
41 Just then, a man named Jairus came. He was a leader of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus’s feet and pleaded with him to come to his house, 42 because he had an only daughter about twelve years old, and she was dying.
Parents will do just about anything for their kids, won't they? What's interesting about Jairus is that he is this prominent religious leader of the local synagogue. By this time in Jesus’ ministry, the religious leaders had gathered together in a committee, if you will, to plot how they might get rid of Jesus, to kill him. I wonder if Jairus was on the planning committee to murder Jesus? It's likely that he had been part of the conversation of trying to get rid of Jesus. But like I said, parents will do anything for their kids. And so I just think that maybe if this is the case, Jairus sets aside his differences to go see Jesus for help. Whatever the case is, Jairus needs to hear a word from the Lord.
Desperate, he falls at his feet for help. And Jesus, whose heart breaks for children who are broken, can't resist. “Yes, I'll go to your house with you. I'll come and heal your daughter.” And so immediately, Jesus follows Jairus to his house. Look what happens next.
Luke 8:42-43…
42 …While he was going, the crowds were nearly crushing him. 43 A woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years, who had spent all she had on doctors[d] and yet could not be healed by any,
Christian author and pastor Max Lucado says this: Such a condition would be difficult for any woman of any era. But for a Jewess, nothing could be worse. No part of her life was left unaffected. Sexually, she could not touch her husband. Maternally, she could not bear children. Domestically, anything she touched was considered unclean. No washing dishes, no sweeping floors. Spiritually, she was not allowed to enter the temple. She was physically exhausted and socially ostracized.
Can you imagine being this woman in desperate need to hear a word from the Lord?
Notice the differences between these two people because it shows the variety of people who came to Jesus for help. He didn't just help certain people; he helped everyone from different walks.
Jairus is interceding for his child, while this woman is hoping to find help for herself.
The man's name is given. The woman is anonymous.
Jairus is this wealthy leading citizen, while this woman is a nobody and is flat broke.
Jairus has been blessed with 12 years of joy with his daughter. We can only assume now he might lose her. The woman here has experienced 12 years of misery because of her affliction, and now she's hoping to get well.
Jairus’ need is public. The woman's need is hidden.
Jairus is a leader of the synagogue, but the woman can't even enter a synagogue because she is unclean.
Jairus’ concern is life-threatening, but the woman's problem is not as serious as Jairus’ daughter.
Jesus longs to seek and help everyone.
The woman, hiding in the crowd, sees Jesus and thinks, “If I could just touch his clothing, I can be healed.” Look what happens next.
Luke 8:44-46… She…
44 approached from behind and touched the end of his robe. Instantly her bleeding stopped.
45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.
When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are hemming you in and pressing against you.”
46 “Someone did touch me,” said Jesus. “I know that power has gone out from me.”
Now think about this. This is Jesus. Jesus knows everything. He could have just whipped right around and pointed her out. But he doesn't do that. Why does he make her come forward publicly and admit what she's done? I don't think it's to embarrass her or to make her feel guilty or anything like that.
I think there are a few reasons Jesus wanted her to openly admit what she's done.
First of all, her relationship with Jesus needed to be personal, not nameless. It would be so much better if she could look Jesus in the eyes rather than touching his clothing and running away.
Secondly, I think he wanted her faith to be in him, not in his clothing. Even though it worked for her, it always, it always sounded kind of superstitious to me. “If I can just touch the edge of his cloak…” And yet when we are desperate, desperation drives us to do things like this. If I just go to church every Sunday, God will bless me. God will heal me. If I just read my Bible every day, maybe God will make my marriage better. If I pray more, maybe if I fast this week, God will take care of my financial issues. And so we do these things superstitiously, thinking that if we do them, God will take care of our situations. That's how desperate we get. But Jesus wants us to put our faith in him, not in ourselves, not in a superstitious act, or even in a building, or even in the symbol of the cross. Our faith is in the person of Jesus Christ.
Thirdly, I think her healing needed to be made public so that people would welcome her back into society. For 12 years, she's been ostracized, not allowed to be a part of society. And I think Jesus wants to point this woman out so he can say to everybody, “Look, welcome her back.”
And finally, it would, I think, increase Jairus’ faith because in a very short moment, he's going to need his faith to be increased. We're about to see that.
But before we get there, I just wonder how many Christians want to go unnoticed. How many Christians sneak in and sneak out of church, and they just want Jesus to heal them anonymously. They want the promise of eternal life. They want to know that God is in their lives and that their sins are forgiven. However, maybe their family doesn't approve of this kind of life, and so they keep it a secret. Or they keep their faith hidden from their friends because they don't want to be made fun of. So their relationship with Jesus is private.
Jesus doesn't want us to keep our faith private.
He says in Luke 9:26…
26 “For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and that of the Father and the holy angels.”
I just wonder how many of us are living our Christian lives in secret when Jesus is begging us, “Come and know me personally and don't be ashamed to speak up for me.
Luke 8:47-48…
47 When the woman saw that she was discovered, she came trembling and fell down before him. In the presence of all the people, she declared the reason she had touched him and how she was instantly healed. 48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
This is the only time in the Bible where Jesus calls anyone this word for daughter, and it is a term of affection. Daughter. Max Lucado wrote, “To the loved, a word of affection is a morsel. But to the love-starved, a word of affection can be a feast.”
And man, Jesus gave this woman a banquet that day.