One of the hardest things for me to remember is that I’m not the main character in the story of my life. In other words, it’s not about me. Obviously in my life, I play a key role, but that doesn’t mean the story is about me. As in your story, the main character in my story is God.
We’ll both do well to remember that.
A couple days ago, we took a look at the first part of Mark 5 where Jesus has crossed a lake and is immediately approached by a demon-possessed man. You can read that post here. Today, we’ll look at the second part of Mark 5 and what happens when Jesus travels back across the lake. Read the story here.
As soon as Jesus arrives, He’s met by a man named Jairus, who pleads with Him to come heal his 12-year-old daughter who is dying. Jesus agrees to go with him.
On the way, a large crowd presses in on Jesus and a woman who has been bleeding for 12 years touches Jesus’ cloak in an attempt to be healed. Immediately, she’s healed and knows it. Jesus knows it, too, and begins looking for whoever touched Him.
Realizing she can’t hide, the woman confesses it was her and tells Jesus the whole story. He tells her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
In the meantime, some men come to tell Jairus his daughter has died. Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Jesus continues on to his house and heals the little girl.
A few observations…
Put yourself in the position of the woman who’s been bleeding for 12 years. That’s a long time to suffer with a physical ailment. She’s spent all her money, but no one has been able to help her. Instead, she’s gotten worse.
Now here comes Jesus. She’s heard about Him and hopes that if she can just touch his cloak, she’ll be healed. And of course we know that it works. She’s healed. No more suffering.
But what if Jesus hadn’t come by? What if she lived 20 miles away?
We’ve got to figure that she prayed hard for healing for a very long time. And yet, year after year, she continued to suffer. It’s not until Jesus walks by that she’s healed.
We need to remember, the story is not about the woman. The story is about Jesus. It’s now time for His public ministry.
Maybe you’ve been suffering for a long time. Your prayers have gone unanswered. You feel like the woman who’s been bleeding for 12 years and can’t understand why God won’t work more quickly like He did when He raised the little girl.
I wish I had an easy answer for you, but I don’t. I do know that God hasn’t forgotten you or turned a deaf ear to your cries. He is at work in the midst of your pain and confusion. He’s there. He’s working out His will. His grace is sufficient. Keep seeking Him. Keep crying out.
I find it interesting that the little girl who dies and was raised to life was born at about the same time the woman started bleeding. Bleeding for 12 years seems like a very long time, but a little girl who dies at the age of 12 is way too young to die.
The woman would have told us that 12 years seems like forever. Jairus would have told us that 12 years passed in the blink of an eye. Suffering and our perspective on life’s circumstances is relative. Try not to ever discount someone else’s circumstances or pain. They may not be suffering according to your definition, but yours isn’t the one that always matters.
Then there’s Jesus’ reaction and the words He speaks to Jairus after the men inform him that his daughter is dead. Jesus ignored the news about her death and told Jairus to not be afraid, but to believe.
Sometimes the best thing to do with bad news is ignore it. Our God is Lord over this life. He’s even Lord over death. There’s nothing He can’t do. He has no limits. There are no obstacles in His way.
Did you hear about the family who was about to lose their home in foreclosure? They were packing up to move out and found a Superman comic book from 1938 in the basement. It’s estimated to be worth $250,000. The mortgage company is letting them stay in the house until the actual value of the comic book can be determined.
You may not find a valuable comic book in your basement, but you have something better. The One who created you and loves you already sees your every need and how He’s going to meet them. Like Jairus, you don’t need to fear, only believe.
When you’re living by faith, prepare to laughed at. Jesus was laughed at by people who didn’t think He could do anything to help a girl who was already dead. You’ll to be laughed at as well.
When you tell your friends or family how you’re trusting God to provide a job or a baby or healing or whatever, just be prepared. Be prepared for the laughter, the eye rolls, the critical comments or questions or even just a tone of voice.
Most people are not walking by faith. They’re walking by sight. The idea of stepping out on a limb where the only One who can come through for you is God is a foreign concept for most people. Even for most people who are in church on Sunday. Their goal is not a life of adventure trusting in God, it’s a safe, secure existence where faith is never needed.
One final reminder–much of our lives will make more sense when we remember God is the main character. It’s normal to desire more pleasant circumstances, but when they don’t come, we have to remember that our part in the story is to live in friendship with the Main Character and point others to Him.
Often, that is best accomplished when we’re trusting Him in the midst of our difficulties.