MIRACLE INTERRUPTED
MIRACLE INTERRUPTED
I recently found myself needing to hear Greg's voice and started looking up old messages he had preached online. What a wonderful day and age we live in where those who are separated from us by death can sometimes feel a little closer! I came across a series he did called Broken. Lol. Maybe that's where I subconsciously got the name for this blog. He was preaching from Mark 5 where Jesus was in Tiberius at the Sea of Galilee and a crowd had gathered around Him. A man named Jairus came up to Jesus and it says in verse 23 "implored him earnestly" telling Him that his daughter was sick and dying. As a parent, I can imagine vividly how impassioned he probably was, as I can't think of a scarier life situation than having a child who was facing death. He knew that Jesus was healing people and asked Him to "come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live." Jairus knew that just a touch from Jesus could heal what others could not.
Jesus was compelled to go with him and as Jairus lead the way, a crowd gathered and followed them. I'm sure Jairus had to be overjoyed that he could finally be getting help to his daughter. If it were me, I'm sure I would be walking with purpose and speed, understanding the desperate need my daughter had and would want to get her savior there in time to rescue her from the unthinkable. But Jairus' miracle was interrupted. A woman, desperate with her own illness, got in-between Jesus and Jairus' miracle. We are not told her name, but I love her story. I relate to her in her quiet desperation. She probably understood that Jesus was busy. She may have even heard Jairus plead his case to Jesus, so understanding the nature of why they were in a hurry. But she was miserable enough and hopeful enough to just reach out and touch the one person she thought might possibly have a miracle for her. I understand wanting to be behind the scenes, in the background not wanting attention, but being so agonized that you are willing to try anything. I admire that she was brave enough to reach out, probably pushing people just to get to Jesus. I'm sure she had a shock when He stopped and turned around, asking who touched Him. And I'm sure she knew instinctively what He was saying when others were so confused as to why He would ask such a question. So many people were probably touching Him, how could He possibly tell the difference?
There is nothing in the Bible that says if there was any encounter between Jairus and this woman. But I can imagine that if I were Jairus and the savior of my daughter's life was being detained by someone who interrupted our mission, I would be furious. I'm sure the panic he felt in trying to save his daughter could have turn into anger against anyone who could jeopardize his daughter's precious life. But I can also imagine being the woman. The joy she must have experienced at feeling her body made well must have been overwhelming. And yet, possibly knowing that you stopped Jesus from helping a young girl could have been guilt racking. We do know that she was full of fear at outing herself, and yet again, she braved the crowd, the man and the Savior by stepping forward.
In verse 35 it tells us that while Jesus was still addressing the woman and telling her that her faith had made her well, to go in peace and be healed, someone came from Jairus' house to tell them that his daughter was dead and to not bother the master anymore. Someone had cut in front of him, gotten their miracle and possibly was the cause of why he couldn't get his miracle.
People who cut in line are the worst. Most of you know that my kids and I love going to Disneyland. It is our happiest place on earth and we have made so many great memories there. However, there have been a few that are not so great (but we can now laugh at). They all have to do with freaking people cutting in line!! There is nothing worse than spending all day at the park, walking your aching feet back to the tram with thousands of others, waiting your turn to get back to the parking structure. There is one particular time that my kids and I laugh at now, but it wasn't funny when it happened. You know how you just know some people? Well, the group that walked up behind me had me just knowing they were going to try and cut in front of us to get on the tram. I could feel them position the grandma behind me just right to jostle in front of me. The anger starts to well up inside and I spread my stance wider, crossing my arms to let them know they are not going to get in front of me. I have been standing here waiting my turn!! I'm looking at my kids, not wanting to be rude and say anything, but trying to telepathically send them the message to be forceful and get on the tram. Well, you can guess what happened. Tram came and the party behind us beat us to the tram. Jake was able to grab a spot, but I told him to come back because those people weren't going to take no for an answer or do the decent thing and wait their turn (look at me trying to be big and brave after the fact🙄). Grandma looked down at me and smirked like she had gotten me. And she had. I told the kids "Hold me back" as I went after...no. Just kidding. But in my mind, I knew I could take grandma.
Here's the thing about waiting...it sucks. And seeing someone cut in front of you and get what you want, that sucks even more. Have you ever wanted something so badly, prayed for it, plead for it, begged for it? I have. What's more, my dream, my miracle, it died. Just like Jairus' daughter. But, the one thing I know about Jesus is that death isn't an obstacle for Him. Death looks final to us, but to Jesus, it's the plan.
In verse 36, Jesus overhears what happened to the girl. You know what He says to Jairus? "Do not fear, only believe." Do not fear, only believe? Oh man. Do I fail at this one! Sometimes all I see is the fear of what reality has for me. The unknown. How I am going to function, get enough money, raise the kids, fix the house and car. There is so much fear. But I do know my God. I know my God knows me and that whatever comes into my life is there because He is preparing me for what He has prepared for me. So I pray and I believe and every time those fear start to well up inside of me, I remember that God has told me not to fear them because He has defeated death and He will not let death defeat me.
We have to understand that having faith and believing that God will work all of our circumstances out to move us in the right direction and purpose He has for us, is not suspending reality. The reality of death in my life still hurts. It still stings. It's still miserable. But Jesus is using death in my life and the life of my kids to make us stronger people for the purpose He has for us. I don't know what that purpose is yet, but I believe He has one. For each of us. You see, Jesus has the ability to change even the most hopeless, dark, life event and make it a meaningful purpose in our lives if we will only have faith and believe He can do it to our beautifully broken lives.
I recently found myself needing to hear Greg's voice and started looking up old messages he had preached online. What a wonderful day and age we live in where those who are separated from us by death can sometimes feel a little closer! I came across a series he did called Broken. Lol. Maybe that's where I subconsciously got the name for this blog. He was preaching from Mark 5 where Jesus was in Tiberius at the Sea of Galilee and a crowd had gathered around Him. A man named Jairus came up to Jesus and it says in verse 23 "implored him earnestly" telling Him that his daughter was sick and dying. As a parent, I can imagine vividly how impassioned he probably was, as I can't think of a scarier life situation than having a child who was facing death. He knew that Jesus was healing people and asked Him to "come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live." Jairus knew that just a touch from Jesus could heal what others could not.
Jesus was compelled to go with him and as Jairus lead the way, a crowd gathered and followed them. I'm sure Jairus had to be overjoyed that he could finally be getting help to his daughter. If it were me, I'm sure I would be walking with purpose and speed, understanding the desperate need my daughter had and would want to get her savior there in time to rescue her from the unthinkable. But Jairus' miracle was interrupted. A woman, desperate with her own illness, got in-between Jesus and Jairus' miracle. We are not told her name, but I love her story. I relate to her in her quiet desperation. She probably understood that Jesus was busy. She may have even heard Jairus plead his case to Jesus, so understanding the nature of why they were in a hurry. But she was miserable enough and hopeful enough to just reach out and touch the one person she thought might possibly have a miracle for her. I understand wanting to be behind the scenes, in the background not wanting attention, but being so agonized that you are willing to try anything. I admire that she was brave enough to reach out, probably pushing people just to get to Jesus. I'm sure she had a shock when He stopped and turned around, asking who touched Him. And I'm sure she knew instinctively what He was saying when others were so confused as to why He would ask such a question. So many people were probably touching Him, how could He possibly tell the difference?
There is nothing in the Bible that says if there was any encounter between Jairus and this woman. But I can imagine that if I were Jairus and the savior of my daughter's life was being detained by someone who interrupted our mission, I would be furious. I'm sure the panic he felt in trying to save his daughter could have turn into anger against anyone who could jeopardize his daughter's precious life. But I can also imagine being the woman. The joy she must have experienced at feeling her body made well must have been overwhelming. And yet, possibly knowing that you stopped Jesus from helping a young girl could have been guilt racking. We do know that she was full of fear at outing herself, and yet again, she braved the crowd, the man and the Savior by stepping forward.
In verse 35 it tells us that while Jesus was still addressing the woman and telling her that her faith had made her well, to go in peace and be healed, someone came from Jairus' house to tell them that his daughter was dead and to not bother the master anymore. Someone had cut in front of him, gotten their miracle and possibly was the cause of why he couldn't get his miracle.
People who cut in line are the worst. Most of you know that my kids and I love going to Disneyland. It is our happiest place on earth and we have made so many great memories there. However, there have been a few that are not so great (but we can now laugh at). They all have to do with freaking people cutting in line!! There is nothing worse than spending all day at the park, walking your aching feet back to the tram with thousands of others, waiting your turn to get back to the parking structure. There is one particular time that my kids and I laugh at now, but it wasn't funny when it happened. You know how you just know some people? Well, the group that walked up behind me had me just knowing they were going to try and cut in front of us to get on the tram. I could feel them position the grandma behind me just right to jostle in front of me. The anger starts to well up inside and I spread my stance wider, crossing my arms to let them know they are not going to get in front of me. I have been standing here waiting my turn!! I'm looking at my kids, not wanting to be rude and say anything, but trying to telepathically send them the message to be forceful and get on the tram. Well, you can guess what happened. Tram came and the party behind us beat us to the tram. Jake was able to grab a spot, but I told him to come back because those people weren't going to take no for an answer or do the decent thing and wait their turn (look at me trying to be big and brave after the fact🙄). Grandma looked down at me and smirked like she had gotten me. And she had. I told the kids "Hold me back" as I went after...no. Just kidding. But in my mind, I knew I could take grandma.
Here's the thing about waiting...it sucks. And seeing someone cut in front of you and get what you want, that sucks even more. Have you ever wanted something so badly, prayed for it, plead for it, begged for it? I have. What's more, my dream, my miracle, it died. Just like Jairus' daughter. But, the one thing I know about Jesus is that death isn't an obstacle for Him. Death looks final to us, but to Jesus, it's the plan.
In verse 36, Jesus overhears what happened to the girl. You know what He says to Jairus? "Do not fear, only believe." Do not fear, only believe? Oh man. Do I fail at this one! Sometimes all I see is the fear of what reality has for me. The unknown. How I am going to function, get enough money, raise the kids, fix the house and car. There is so much fear. But I do know my God. I know my God knows me and that whatever comes into my life is there because He is preparing me for what He has prepared for me. So I pray and I believe and every time those fear start to well up inside of me, I remember that God has told me not to fear them because He has defeated death and He will not let death defeat me.
We have to understand that having faith and believing that God will work all of our circumstances out to move us in the right direction and purpose He has for us, is not suspending reality. The reality of death in my life still hurts. It still stings. It's still miserable. But Jesus is using death in my life and the life of my kids to make us stronger people for the purpose He has for us. I don't know what that purpose is yet, but I believe He has one. For each of us. You see, Jesus has the ability to change even the most hopeless, dark, life event and make it a meaningful purpose in our lives if we will only have faith and believe He can do it to our beautifully broken lives.
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