Day 268 – Jesus’ Ministry at Sea of Galilee #2

• Jairus was an official at a synagogue. This would have given him a certain level of status. The text doesn’t say whether he was a Pharisee or not, but of course it’s important not to pigeon-hole people into types. Regardless of his position or status, Jairus understood who Jesus wass and did what we should all do – bow before Him.
• Whilst Jesus was walking to Jairus’ house, what happened?
• The disciples pointed out that there would have been a great crowd jostling around to get close to Jesus. Why did Jesus specifically point out the touch of the woman?
• By healing the woman, Jesus would not only have removed the pain and discomfort of the issue she was having. The discharge of blood would have made her ceremonially unclean, according to the laws that we studied all the way back in Leviticus. Now that she was healed, she would have been able to come to the temple. In effect, therefore, Jesus was helping her to become spiritually clean too.
• How do you think you would have felt about the delay caused by speaking to the woman, if you were Jairus? How do you think he felt when his friend came to tell him the awful news about his daughter? Would you have been angry at Jesus, or disappointed in Him? Or would you have continued to trust? What indications are there in the passages that the people at Jairus’ home assumed it was “too late” for Jesus to do anything?
• Jesus commanded the people watching not to tell others of the events that occurred today. Remember the notes from yesterday? In this instance, the healing took place in Jewish region, where mistaken rumour about Jesus could have led to difficulties in his ministry.
• Matthew’s account of the two healings are much shorter, but we read other accounts in his book today. How did some of the Pharisees consider Jesus when they see him casting out demons? The Pharisees actions should serve as a thoughtful reminder to us that being a rule-following Christian, and going to church every week, doesn’t always mean that we have a personal faith in Jesus.
• Matthew 9:35-38 sums up Jesus’ character throughout his healing ministry: He had compassion on people. He saw needs and provided for them. I’m sure we do the same in our own small way, but focus on verse 37. The “harvest” is the large number of people who need to be hear the saving message of Jesus, and the “labourers” are the people sharing the good news. Of course there were very few labourers then! But the need for people to hear the good news of Jesus is the same now as then. How well do you “labour” to share the good news among your friends so that they understand why you love and follow Jesus?

We love to hear about Jesus healing people, don’t we? That’s the side of Jesus everyone likes to hear about. It’s the “giving” Jesus, the compassionate Jesus, the inclusive Jesus.

And that’s true – we do worship a great God that gives, and shows mercy and welcomes all. For that we can truly rejoice!

This passage does have its difficult calls though. Jesus calls us to help people by sharing the news of Jesus – and telling that that they are sick and need healing! Man, that’s not an easy thing to say! Now,you might not use that word, of course, as the word “sick” has a variety of connotations, but the fact of that matter is that the Bible says that we are all sinners and all need saving. If we saw a person with a broken hand, we’d take them to the hospital. In the same way, we are called to bring people to Jesus who need Him too. That’s everyone, in case you were wondering who!

Passages like the ones today can teach us about the goodness of Jesus, but it should also point us to the importance of how Jesus can – and does – heal today too. Physically sometimes, but even more importantly, spiritually. Be challenged. And be brave for Jesus!