May 24, 2015: Mark 5: 21-43

Mark 5:21-43  (NIV)

²¹ When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. ²² Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. ²³ He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” ²⁴ So Jesus went with him.A large crowd followed and pressed around him. ²⁵ And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. ²⁶ She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. ²⁷ When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸ because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” ²⁹ Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.³⁰ At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

³¹ “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” ³² But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. ³³ Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. ³⁴ He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” ³⁵ While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”

³⁶ Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” ³⁷ He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. ³⁸ When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. ³⁹ He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” ⁴⁰ But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. ⁴¹ He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). ⁴² Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 

Reflection: Need and Interrupted

Our Bible text today is two stories wrapped into one.  Both extraordinary and both unique.  We begin with a most unexpected encounter.  Jarius, a “synagogue leader”- part of one of the groups most against Jesus in the gospels, comes out of sheer desperation because his daughter is dying.  Despite the opinions of his group of church folk, he approached Jesus with a faith, which invited the divine Jesus to come in and work.  It was in this candid moment of need, shown by Jarius, that Jesus went to meet her.  On the way, a most peculiar distraction happened.  We get frustrated with distractions- especially when we are on our way to what we have declared to be a very important thing.  Jesus offers us a lesson here as well.  When we are interrupted, no matter the occasion, there opens up the potential for God to use you if you can just live in the moment- no matter how inconvenient.  Likewise, even with great distraction, Jesus finishes what he began.  He presses on to meet and then heal Jarius’ daughter.  I think our lesson today encourages us to finish what we have been called to do.  And in the journey to the finish, be vigilant along the way of others who need help even if they are off of our initial agenda.

Morning Reflections:

What journey is God calling you to and/or what journey have you been called to and since then forgotten your call?

Look for Holy interruptions in your day and take the chance to be about God’s work?

Noon Reflections:

How can interruptions become blessings?

Evening Question:

Pray for a vivid and cleared vision from God for your life?

What are next steps to accomplish this call?