Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue, had a pressing need. According to the narrative, when he saw Jesus, he “fell at His feet and begged anxiously with Him, saying, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death; [please] come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live.’ And Jesus went with him” (Mark 5:22-24a, AMP). However, the walk back to Jairus’ house was not without incident because there were many who wanted Jesus’ attention. Among them was the woman with the issue of blood and even before Jesus was finished with her (vv. 25-34), Jairus’ situation had become tragically worse.
The narrative continues, “While He [Jesus] was still speaking [to the woman], some people came from the synagogue official’s house, saying [to Jairus], ‘Your daughter has died; why bother the Teacher any longer?'” (v.35). From their perspective, with death now a reality there was nothing Jesus could do; there was no need to bother Him any further. Jesus, recognizing that the ruler had come to Him in faith and knowing that the news had the power to shatter that faith, spoke immediately to him, “Don’t listen to what everybody else is saying, trust me” (v.36, The Message). As a father, Jairus could be forgiven for whatever inner turmoil he might have experienced. His daughter was dead and here was Jesus telling him to ignore what he was just told and to trust Him. Prior to this, if Jesus had a history of raising people from the dead, it would have been easier for Jairus to trust Him. However, in the face of unimaginable loss, Jairus would have to trust Jesus simply because He had told him to. Can you relate?
As we go about our day-to-day lives, we are faced with various difficulties and some seemingly dead situations. These could be layoffs at work, troubles at home, a troubled relationship, a rebellious child, a house that is about to be foreclosed. Maybe you were told you would never go to college, you would be just as worthless as your father, you are going to end up with a bunch of kids and no husband just like your mother, you are from the “wrong” side of the city. Maybe things are so bad that others question the point of more prayer, of serving God, of going to church. Why not, as Job’s wife suggested, just curse God and die? In other words, “Why bother the Teacher any longer?”
Like Jairus, the problem we face is that of trusting Him in the midst of our situations. Interestingly, we are not told of any words spoken by Jairus after his initial encounter with Jesus. It was as if he was at a loss for words; not knowing for sure if Jesus could do what He had promised. But Jesus proved His authority over all things by raising the girl from the dead (vv. 37-42). Some two thousand years later, He is still a specialist in the things that seem impossible. Amidst all the negativity and impossible circumstances, He is still saying to you and me, “Don’t listen to what everybody else is saying, trust me.” Personally, I have no other choice but to trust Him. What about you?
