1018 Sermon Mark 5:21-24a Stop Being Afraid! Just Continue Believing! That s why we

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1 1018 Sermon Mark 5:21-24a Stop Being Afraid! Just Continue Believing! That s why we can 1) Keep approaching our Savior humbly (vv.21-24a) 2) Keep awaiting His answer confidently (vv.35-43) Pentecost 6A 580, 403, 485 (3-4), 312, 619 July 5, 2015 St. John Lutheran Church Frankenmuth, Michigan 21When 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, 22one of the synagogue rulers, names Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23and pleased earnestly with him, My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live. 24So Jesus went with him. 35While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. Your daughter is dead, they said. Why bother the teacher anymore? 36Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, Don t be afraid; just believe. 37He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39He went in and said to them, Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep. 41But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child s father and mother 1

2 and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, Talitha koum! (which means, Little girl, I say to you, get up! ). 42Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat. Introduction: When a child is ill, it certainly tugs at our hearts. But when a child is terminally ill, perhaps there s nothing more that cuts to the heart and strikes the soul of parents and grandparents. As the older generation we expect our children and grandchildren to outlive us. If possible, we would gladly trade places with our terminally ill child or grandchild. One of the most soul stirring situations I personally experienced as a pastor is visiting the pediatric unit at the University of Michigan hospital. I witnessed room after room of severely ill children. Without parents or grandparents saying a word, one easily sees that stressed, worried and no control look on their faces. That was Jairus. With a heavy heart, he came to the Great Physician of soul and body. Falling on his knees, he pleaded with Jesus to help. Saying nothing at first, Jesus went with Jairus. But on the way, some came with bad news: Your daughter is dead (v.25). Their natural conclusion followed: Why bother the teacher anymore? (v.25) What would we do or think in such a situation? How would we feel: helpless hopeless? Jesus, ignoring what they said and concluded offers us the same words of comfort and confidence no matter the situation: 2

3 Stop Being Afraid! Just Continue Believing! That s why we can 1) Keep approaching our Savior humbly (vv.21-24a) A. The Bible doesn t tell us much about Jairus other than that he was a synagog ruler (comparable to an elder or church president in our day). Mark, however, captures the emotional scene, Jairus heart ache: My little daughter is dying (v.23a). 1. Jairus knew where to turn to Jesus we will put the best construction on Jairus and presume he wasn t only a miracle seeker wanting God to get him out of this one. 2. Mark stresses Jairus humble faith: Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet and 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 (v.23b). B. The Bible doesn t reveal what Jesus said or planned; merely Jairus humble approach to Jesus. 1. This incident reminds us of the Canaanite woman s humble faith. She came to Jesus requesting to heal her daughter from demon possession. At first, Jesus ignored her. Jesus disciples even advised Him, Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us. Then Jesus answered her with seeming harsh worlds: I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.It s not right to take the children s bread and toss it to the dogs 2. But faith nurtured by the Word made flesh in this emotional situation, she responded: Lord, help me...even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master s table 3

4 (Matthew 15:21ff) and Jesus described her humble faith as great. Appropriation: Dear friends in Christ: How do we react and respond to challenges of faith, especially when Jesus doesn t seem to answer or even when Jesus does answer? Remember the account of the Ten Lepers? Luke records how they with this agonizing, terminal illness: stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, Jesus, Master, have pity on us! Jesus simply said to them without any dramatic effect Go, show yourselves to the priest (Luke 17:13-14). As they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus feet and thanked him and he was a Samaritan (Luke 17:16). Jesus asked, Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner? Then he said to him, Rise and go; your faith has made you well (Luke 17:15ff) this event even trumps Pareto s Law! Are we giving thanks for our country s freedom? God didn t bless us with independence as a license to sin. Think of the recent resolution by the Supreme Court? Humility before Jesus means ALL people should repent of ALL sin and follow His holy will! How thankful we can be that God gave us the best freedom in Jesus! The freedom Jesus gives is lasting and permanent, true freedom from the fear of sin and death. Jesus lived a perfect life, died an innocent, sacrificial death and 4

5 victoriously rose to assure our sin is paid and heaven is open to us so that even death the worst of human affliction becomes a sleep for the body while our souls transfer to heaven. That s why we can Stop being afraid of sin whatever since Jesus tells us Just continue believing! Transition: It s true that Jesus always answers our prayers. But it s also true that He answers Yes, no or not yet. Don t we see all three of these answers by Jesus to Jairus? And even when Jairus worst fear came true (and he was afraid based on the present, ongoing tense of the verbs in the original Greek in Jesus words of encouragement), we hear Jesus tell him: Stop being afraid! Just continue believing. We can do the same as we, like Jairus 2) Keep awaiting His answer confidently (vv.35-43). A. We have questions--especially when we don t see or understand but. 1. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1) not fair weather followers (like many who give up on the Tigers now that Cabrera is on the injured list). 2. Jesus wants His followers to follow on for the right reason: He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James (v.37). B. Jesus has answers Jesus, the Word, strengthens weak faith or builds stronger faith. 5

6 1. The crowd s unbelief: [Jesus] went in and said to them, Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep. But they laughed at him (vv.36-39). 2. The disciples and Jairus faith: After he put them all out, he took the child s faith and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, Talitha koum! (which means, Little girl, I say to you, get up! ). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat (vv.40-43) why the strict orders not to tell? Jesus wants people to come Him not merely to resolve earthly, temporal troubles, but to see Him as the Great Physicians of the soul; the Savior who lived, died and rose to give us the greatest blessing of the forgiveness of sins. Appropriation: Dear beloved by Jesus: When we have a faith challenge, are we expecting Jesus to answer? Are we trusting He will make all things work out for our good (Romans 8:28) not perhaps the way we think, but the way He knows best praying Father, not my will be done but yours. (Mary, Martha & Lazarus story and the If only lesson where Jesus promises, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die John 11:25-26).We can trust Jesus when ill; when healthy; when our children go to school or the 6

7 babysitter; when going to the doctor no matter the situation. Conclusion: Dear fellow redeemed: What if Jesus wouldn t have brought Jairus daughter back from death? Would it really have changed any of His promises, or would Jairus have fallen from faith? No. Our Savior demonstrates here this truth as recorded by St. Paul: The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57) allergic reaction to a bee sting can be lethal. But Jesus has removed death s stinger. That s why whatever the circumstance we can always: Stop Being Afraid! Just Continue Believing! Amen. 7