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. Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 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.” So Jesus went with him. Mark 5:21-24a NIV
In desperation Jairus pressed through the large crowd looking for Jesus. He knew he was the only one who could help his little girl! Hope must have filled his heart when Jesus agreed to go with him. But look at what happened next.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 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. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Mark 5:24b-32 NIV
Let’s pause there for a moment and put ourselves in Jairus’ place. He must have been frantic as he encountered one delay after the other! He just wanted to get Jesus to his house so he could touch his daughter before it was too late! Then his worse fear came to pass.
Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” 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?” Mark 5:33-35 NIV
In that moment, all hope was gone! Jairus heard the last thing he wanted to hear, “Your daughter is dead.” Perhaps you can relate to this story in that you’ve lost all hope. Maybe you started out believing Jesus could help you through a tough situation, only to encounter one delay after the other, until it finally appears you will never receive the outcome you’ve so desperately prayed for. If that’s you today, pay attention to Jesus’ response.
Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Mark 5:36 NIV
When Jesus is involved, the situation is never hopeless! It’s never too late!
He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. Mark 5:37-40a NIV
“Why all this commotion and wailing?” Jesus asked. Might he be asking you the same question today? Have you accepted the worse case scenario as if it were final?
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. 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 began to walk 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. Mark 5:40b-43 NIV
Remember this, no outcome is ever final until God says it is. He knows what you’ve been praying for and He knows how to bring it to pass. Don’t give up hope!
“Don’t be afraid; just believe.”