The
Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Trinity
The
Collect.
|
O
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LORD, we beseech thee, absolve thy people from their offences; that
through thy bountiful goodness we may all be delivered from the bands of those
sins, which by our frailty we have committed. Grant this, O heavenly Father,
for the sake of Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.
18 While he spake these things unto them,
behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is
even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. 19 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and
so did his disciples. 20 And, behold, a woman, which was
diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the
hem of his garment: 21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I
shall be whole. 22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee
whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. 23 And when Jesus came into the ruler's
house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, 24 He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth.
And they laughed him to scorn. 25 But when the people were put forth, he
went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. 26 And the fame hereof went abroad into
all that land. (Matt
9:18-26 )
The world may be divided into two distinct groups – those immense
numbers who do not believe, and those very few who do believe, and believe unto
salvation. The unbelievers provide no venue for God's miracles. They separate
themselves from the grace of God by their unbelief. Those who believe invite
the Hand of God to work according to His will, even if that will supersedes the
Natural Law (which the Maker of Natural Law is able to do).
Jairus is the ruler of a synagogue. His political and religious world
does not naturally include Jesus. Though Jairus has heard much of Christ, and
seems to have surely believed that He was able to do the works of God, he was
reluctant to break the bonds of political and peer pressure to come to Christ
in fair weather. But now the beloved little daughter of Jairus has taken ill to
the point of death. Extraordinary ordeal may lead to extraordinary faith – and
this is the case with Jairus. When the die of death is cast before him of one
most beloved, Jairus is forced to reach into the depth of his heart for the
courage to do that which is expedient and right. He runs to the LORD.
What did Jairus do that resulted in his most amazing blessing? Well,
first Jairus came to the very Fountain of Life that he believed would sustain
his little daughter's life. That is the first step of every sinner – COME TO
CHRIST! That Fountain of Living Waters will grant life, not only in this world,
but eternal life in the world to come. So, Jairus musters the courage and
fortitude to come to Jesus.
Secondly, Jairus worshipped Christ. Mark 5:22 says that Jairus fell at
the feet of Jesus. Though it is very true that every knee shall bow, and every
tongue shall confess to Christ, timing is everything when it comes to
salvation. Our great need is at the day and hour that worship of Christ will
result in salvation – not after the curtain has fallen and it will be too late
to acknowledge Him as Lord. Jairus acknowledged the Divine power of Christ to
heal. His mind was upon the body of a precious little girl at the point of
death, but that power Jairus acknowledged also extended to the healing of her
precious soul.
Thirdly, Jairus not only came to the Fount of Life, but he also
expressed his faith through prayer! How all-important is prayer in the life of
a saint. Prayer is the steam upon which the engine is driven. His prayer was
not a doubting, but a believing, prayer. "My daughter is even now
dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live." Yes,
little did Jairus realize that his prayer was so full of truth! Even if the
child was dead, she shall live if only Christ lays His hand on her! Word came
to Jairus as he was with Jesus that his little daughter had died. But just a
little faith goes a long way with Christ. He would go a step farther than
healing the girl – He would awaken her from the sleep of death! But, even so,
Christ did not merely lay His Hand on her – He, instead, took her lovingly by
the hand and, with a voice that penetrates centuries and the ears of death,
said, "Talitha cumi!"
This is a term of Chaldee origin meaning, "Young girl, arise!" What
does one, even if dead, do at such a command from the portals of Heaven itself?
Immediately, despite the ridicule and jest of the unbelievers without, she
arose and walked, and was given food to eat at the command of Christ, for she
was hungry! (Mark 5:42, 43) Death knows no hunger, but the truly living thirst
for the Bread of Life!
Miracles of heart always accompany miracles of body. As Jesus journeyed
to the dying room of Jairus's daughter, another miracle of faith had taken
shape in the heart of a poor and desperate woman taken with a long-lasting (twelve
years) issue of blood. The woman had spent all of her living on physicians who
had not helped her in the least, but rather she had grown steadily worse. She
had spent the lonely hours, days, months, and years in pain and a sure
knowledge that her affliction led to a manmade grave of death. Then, her
blessed and fortunate ears heard of Jesus! Hearing is not always enough. We
must act on the hearing of Him, and this woman heard, believed, and sought Him
out as an answer to the affliction in her body and the pain in her heart.
Hearing a commotion in the street, she came out and discovered that
this man, Jesus, was approach in a great throng of men. How could she approach
Him? I know her dread, for I was there – and so were you, if you believe! We
all were that woman, and we were Jairus as well! There was a moment in time
that we arose, like the woman, from our sick beds of the leprosy of sin, and
sought solace in the healing Balm of Gilead. Like Jairus, facing the misery and
despair of dying love, we sought the very Fountainhead of Life and Love…..and
He answered!
There were so many people pressing around the Lord that the woman
despaired of reaching Him. Quite often it is the very ones nearest the Lord
that hoard His Presence and prevent others from coming to Him. But the faith of
this woman would not be turned away. It was a fervent and persistent faith that
would not admit of defeat! She dared not disturb His dignity out of a high
reverence for His Person, so she contrived to innocent touch the hem of His
garment without disturbing His Peace. …and she did! Not the slightest
expression of faith goes unnoticed by our blessed Savior! He felt the touch of
the woman from eternity past until the moment of its expression in time. "Who touched my clothes?" (Mark 5:30) This is a question framed by
our Lord long before that encounter on the dusty streets of Capernaum –
"Who touched me?" Have you dared touch Christ with the prayers of
your heart?
Have you, friend, wept the bitter tears of Jairus for your living young
ones who linger in the walk of death to which all sinners belong? Have you
arisen from your sick beds of sin and went seeking Christ, the Healer and
Preserver of Life? If not, why not? Why, He is passing on your street even now!
He will journey to your house today to restore life to a precious child of your
greatest love. But, your faith must invite the miracle of life! The greater
miracle of Christ is not a restoration to temporary life, but to Life Eternal
in Him!
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost, Amen.
