Good Morning Friends,
Now the sorrow of David for his rebellious son is a tragedy that might be compared to the divine sorrow over human sin. Because of human failure comes heartbreak and the knowledge that the remedial action would require sacrifice. Death on a tree. Thankfully the revelation of God’s love in Christ did what David longed to do. With the reality in mind we look beyond the death of a son and at the healing of two daughters as a witness to the coming of the Messiah and his legacy and ask, Would Your Request Of The King Witness To Your Belief In The Father’s Love?
Scripture: Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. His head caught fast in the oak, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on. A man saw it, and told Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.” Joab said, “I will not waste time like this with you.” He took three spears in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Absalom, while he was still alive in the oak. Now David was sitting between the two gates. The sentinel went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he looked up, he saw a man running alone. The sentinel shouted and told the king. The king said, “If he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth.” He kept coming, and drew near. The king said, “Turn aside, and stand here.” So he turned aside, and stood still. Then the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, “Good tidings for my lord the king! For the Lord has vindicated you this day, delivering you from the power of all who rose up against you.” The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” The Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up to do you harm, be like that young man.” The king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” It was told Joab, “The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.” So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the troops; for the troops heard that day, “The king is grieving for his son.” The troops stole into the city that day as soldiers steal in who are ashamed when they flee in battle.
2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30—19:3 (NRSV)
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?'” He looked all around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Mark 5:21-43 (NRSV)
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
Matthew 16:18 (NRSV)
Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. As it is written, “The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.”
2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15 (NRSV)
Message: Today’s scriptures combine to point to the real reason for Jesus coming as the Messiah and how to engage his work in the world today. The focus of the Gospel text is about three people who need Jesus but represent much more. The stories of the two daughters are intertwined, for one is about the healing of a 12-year-old child coming of age and the other about a woman, a daughter of Zion, who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years. The focus though is to bring understanding to the unfolding purpose of the coming of the Messiah and part of that story is told in the person of Jairus. The setting is on one of the busiest days one can imagine and Peter, James and John are soaking this all in as it unfolds but not comprehending it yet. Jesus and the disciples had just been on multiple boat trips. Jesus had miraculously calmed the seas in a storm as a demonstration of his power over creation. Jesus had cast out legions of demons into swine to die in the same area where John the Baptist had been killed as a political statement to Rome. And then after another boat trip Jairus, one of the religious leaders approached Jesus with a mission. His little girl was about to die, and he was desperate to save her. Such is the nature of a father and a child. Such is the nature of Jesus and his Father. Now Jairus’ approach was somewhat distressed for Jesus was opposed by most people in his position as a leader of the Synagogue. So, it is worth mentioning that Jairus’ motivation seems selfless and devoid of the pride one might expect from a prominent person. Jairus was humble, earnest and yet expectant of a positive response from his plea. He believed in Jesus and was persistent and politely insistent. Then as Jesus commits to the request and the crowds walk with him to Jairus’ home, we have the story of a woman who had been suffering for as long as Jairus’ daughter had been living. She came up behind Jesus because her illness was a personal matter and she wanted to touch Jesus without being noticed. She was unclean in the culture and an outcast that could not worship in the Temple because of her condition. Maybe she believes that she is so unworthy that she does not deserve the help, but she too is desperate not to seek to touch Jesus. Jesus was her last resort. He was her final hope. But she did not even need to touch Jesus only his cloak and was healed instantly. Amazingly the Mosaic Law is reversed here in this transformation. Rather than the Lord Jesus becoming unclean and contaminated by her, she is healed and purified by the holy power that resides in him. And so too the little girl. Even though people were already grieving her death Jesus calls her his daughter and tells her to get up and she does…healed. Here Jesus is building the foundation of his church with flesh and blood. Here these women are a metaphor for Israel and the loving, caring, patient relationship God has with His chosen people to save the world. Here Jesus continues the act of creation and healing and transformation that points to the cross and resurrection but also to the work of the called-out assembly of God and the Kingdom to come.
Jesus tells all of them what He tells each of us every day, Do not fear, only believe. Would that we could take that advice more seriously.
And So, we all, hopefully, have a desire to be made whole and feel there is more to life, and on some level, understand it is linked to a faith that can unleash the power of God. Unfortunately, too often we settle for what the world offers instead of choosing Christ. One of the reasons to be touched by Jesus is to receive what we need the most, but another is to realize that bestowing grace flows out of self-giving. The desire to help is great but is not enough. Doing is a vital element from which the grace of healing flows. Willingness and desire though are no substitutes for serving as a witness to our faith. You see, the idea of Christian giving is yoked inseparable to the supreme example of Jesus Christ and the whole depth of His humbling which encompasses the cross and His suffering as well as teaching. The Christian motivation for giving and sharing is founded in what Christ gave when he walked the earth and for us today received through the Holy Spirit. Our giving is to remind us of Christ’s sacrificial exchange for our very souls but also to magnify the presence of Jesus with us now. Christ’s giving is the example and pattern for all ours. And that is why it must be done out of love. Friends, we were all poor, spiritually, and totally bankrupt before we met Jesus Christ. But now that we have trusted Him and believed, we share in His riches.
Those that Jesus raised from death would eventually die once more, but after Christ’s rising from death, and the belief and baptism of us His followers, death is swallowed up in victory, and we can all proclaim our belief in the resurrection from the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Pray we get the message about why Jesus, the Son of God, walked this earth. Pray we seek an understanding of Jesus for the right reasons and approach him with the right attitude. Pray we are expectant. Pray we are humble and earnest, persistent and polite. Pray we have the heart of a believer. Pray we realize that the work here is serious business. Pray we realize that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and need something new. Pray we realize that life can be changed by the touch of faith perceived. Pray we realize that sometimes our disappointment can become appointments with Christ. Pray we never lose sight of the fact that Jesus gives hope in the darkest of situations. Pray we affirm who Jesus is in our lives. Pray we have a heart for reconciliation. Pray we repent. Pray we realize that faith releases the power of God to birth something new.
Pray we realize that through Christ’s poverty we have become rich. Pray we appreciate all that we have received from Christ. Pray we appreciate the sacrificial exchange of Christ given for our benefit. Pray we are the kind of Christians that go the extra mile to bring others into a relationship with God. Pray that we realize that hoarding of wealth to the detriment of others is detrimental to the hoarder. Pray therefor we share the blessings we have received and in faith and out of love give with joy. Pray we be a people of expectation. Pray we know that Jesus is in our midst and there is nothing we can do and nowhere to go to change that reality. Pray we allow Jesus to touch and heal us. Pray we yield to Jesus. Pray we realize that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Pray we stand boldly proclaiming as an example of a life touch by the wealth of generosity of Jesus.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 