Mark 5:22-24: “One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus fell at His feet and kept begging Him, “My little daughter is at death’s door. Come and lay your hands on her so she can get well and live.” So Jesus went with him.”
You are a leader of the people, a well-respected member of your community. You have only one problem, your baby girl, your little daughter, is at death’s door. The doctors can’t do anything. Your education isn’t going to help. There’s only one hope, an itinerant preacher, a carpenter, who seems to be able to bring healing to the sick.
Your fellow leaders tell you to have nothing to do with him. He’s a lunatic, claiming to be equal to God. Stay away from him, they say. Still … there’s your baby girl dying in the next room. You gather up your courage, fight through the crowds and throw yourself at his feet begging him to come with you – come, heal my little daughter, you cry. And he agrees.
So, you set off together and are soon surrounded by crowds, people shouting, reaching out, touching. Suddenly Jesus stops … STOPS! He begins to question a woman. Time stands still. Your baby girl is dying and he’s talking to the crowd? Before you can get going again, someone comes from your house and tells you it is too late, she’s gone.
Can you imagine the crushing blow those words are to Jairus? He’s worked up the courage to seek out Jesus and they don’t get there in time. Can you feel the anger rising in him as he thinks about the delay? Then Jesus turns to him and says simply …. Believe.
You know the end of the story. Jesus touches the girl, speaks to her, and lifts her up from death into life. Jairus didn’t understand that Jesus wasn’t really delayed, life was going to win the moment He promised to go. It may not have been Jairus’ timing, but it was Jesus’.
Sometimes our promises seem a long time getting to us. Sometimes they seem delayed. But God’s promises – God’s timing ALWAYS brings life …. BELIEVE.
