We must admit our faith is tested in our One and Only God when life throws a curve and a family member falls to illness that is life threatening. Maybe it is a beloved child who is breaking your heart because they are so addicted that you wonder if life will be taken away before they accept the treatment they need. Maybe it is your spouse who is pronounced “terminal” (but aren’t we all?) over an illness that has no known cure? Doctors can only treat symptoms in a lot of physical and emotional ailments. Doctors, at best, can only do what they have learned and hope for the best outcomes. They are not God. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it makes matters worse. Sometimes the medicine is worse than the disease. Many are suffering still today with all kinds of problems and ailments.
“Have faith”, says Jesus to Jarius. Two simple, but powerful words, when you think beyond and higher than what this world has to offer. Have we truly ever considered the extent of our faith? How wide and deep is our faith in these trying circumstances beyond our control?
Will we risk everything, without thinking of self, to reach out to grab the hem of His garment?
Is our faith so great that we know, without doubt, that if we just touch a part of Jesus, we will be helped?
Will we hear those precious words from Jesus when our suffering comes to an end and restoration with a new life begins?
“Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
Suffering can come to end for a period of time until the next challenging circumstance comes along during this journey on earth. AND life’s suffering comes to a final end when our journey is over completely and we see Jesus face to face. But one way or another, it will end. And we praise God always. Have faith! God is with us! He knows just what we need. Faith in Him plays a big role in our healing.
Mark – God is On Our Side! Jesus proves it once more…
Mark 5, NLT
Jesus Heals in Response to Faith
21 Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. 22 Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, 23 pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.”
24 Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. 25 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
35 While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”
36 But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”
37 Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of James). 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. 39 He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.”
40 The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. 41 Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” 42 And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed. 43 Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat.BUILDING FAITH
There is a good lesson here for all of us. Not everybody has the same degree of faith, but Jesus responds to faith no matter how feeble it might be. When we believe, He shares His power with us and something happens in our lives. There were many others in that crowd who were close to Jesus and even pressing against Him, but they experienced no miracles. Why? Because they did not have faith. It is one thing to throng Him and quite something else to trust Him.
The woman planned to slip away and get lost in the crowd, but Jesus turned and stopped her. Tenderly, He elicited from her a wonderful testimony of what the Lord had done for her. Why did Jesus deal with her publicly? Why did He not simply permit her to remain anonymous and go her way?
For one thing, He did it for her own sake. He wanted to be to her something more than a healer: He wanted to be her Savior and Friend as well. He wanted her to look into His face, feel His tenderness, and hear His loving words of assurance. By the time He finished speaking to her, she experienced something more than physical healing. He called her “daughter” and sent her on her way with a benediction of peace (Mark 5:34). To “be made whole” meant much more than receiving mere physical healing. Jesus had given her spiritual healing as well! He dealt with her publicly not only for her sake, but also for the sake of Jairus. His daughter was close to death, and he needed all the encouragement he could get. It was bad enough that the crowd was impeding their progress, but now this woman had to interfere and stop Jesus! When one of Jairus’s friends arrived and announced that the girl had died, no doubt Jairus felt that the end had come. The Lord’s words to the woman about faith and peace must have encouraged Jairus as much as they encouraged her.
Finally, Jesus dealt with her publicly that she might have the opportunity to share her testimony and glorify the Lord. “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy … he sent his word, and healed them.… Oh, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” (Ps. 107:2, 20–21). No doubt some people in that crowd heard her words and trusted in the Savior, and when she arrived home, she already knew what it meant to witness for Christ.
Unbelief laughs at God’s Word, but faith lays hold of it and experiences the power of God!
Dear Heavenly Father, Savior and Lord,
You have built our faith over the years in many ways in our own household. We praise you for all faith lessons that bring us closer and closer to You. We thank you for teaching us daily to follow you no matter what. Thank you for all you have done, are doing and will do in our lives. Suffering is inevitable, but it is only for a “a little while” until you come for your own. I love you, Lord with all that is in me. Thank you for healing and restoring my soul. Thank you for your Holy Presence in our lives.
In Jesus Name, Amen
