THE HEALING TOUCH
I glad you made it here this morning to meet with Jesus. I know that most of you are very busy with your lives, and sometimes some of us have to make an effort to get to God’s House.
May I suggest to you that there has never been anyone more busy than Jesus is. He is not only dealing with issues and needs in your life, but He is doing the same in my life, and the person next to you. How does Jesus ever do it? I am going to try and answer that question for you in chapter 5 of the Book of Mark.
The story we are looking at is truly one of the most amazing stories of faith recorded in the life of Jesus.
It is a doubleheader story of faith.
That is, there is two stories of miraculous healing that takes place basically at the same time.
We come face to face with two stories of God’s healing power.
We find a woman who had been sick with an incurable condition for 12 years, and a little girl who had been well for 12 years, but both are in desperate need of the help.
I can only imagine that there were many times when Jesus was faced with many different needs being brought to Him at the same time.
Jesus had to have been a very busy person. More than likely, Jesus was much busier than you and I.
There are many times that we find ourselves doing a juggling act trying to take care of everything that people need from us.
Whether you are a busy mother, father, someone who works very hard, or a student that has a lot of homework that is piling up on you.
Jesus experienced a very busy life. But the Book of Philippians has told us al to “…be anxious for nothing…”
Isn’t wonderful to know that when things start piling up on top of each other, when you have twice as many problems as think you can deal with, Jesus is always there?
There may be times in your life when you don’t seem to sense the presence of the Lord.
But when you are in desperate need of help, Jesus is always there!
Text: Mark 5:21 thru 28
As we review this story, I want you to keep in mind what verse 24 says.
…a great multitude followed Him (Jesus) and thronged Him.
I want you to try and picture this dramatic scene in your mind. A lot of needy and demanding people, perhaps hundreds, were pushing and shoving their way to at the very least see this great Man from Nazareth they had been hearing about.
Let me try and put things in perspective for us. Here’s what we have. Out of all the people that were there that day, there were –
TWO DESPARATE PEOPLE COMING TO JESUS FOR HELP
1. JAIRUS =
· His only daughter is dieing.
· For this man, there is a risk of faith. Jairus is a synagogue leader in Capernaum (with a very prominent position).
· He had to overcome a lot of pressure and prejudice to come and seek help from Jesus.
· He was desperate.
· It must have been very difficult for this man to leave the bedside of his daughter knowing that she might die before he could return.
· He had no choice but to come to Jesus and make a Fervent, Public Appeal.
· He pleaded earnestly with Jesus to come to his sickly daughter.
2. A WOMAN WHO HAD BEEN HEMMORHAGING FOR 12 YEARS.
This situation is much more than a severe physical problem.
· It was also a severe cultural and religious problem.
· Everyone considered this woman to be "unclean".
· For 12 years, she was a social and religious outcast.
· She had been to see countless doctors who only took her money and offered no hope.
· And like Jairus, there was this risk of faith for this woman, also.
· Her problem was not status. She was living with being rejected from society.
· She had been humiliated so many times because her sickness was equivalent to leprosy.
· With this illness, this woman was put out of her home.
· She was not allowed to touch her love ones.
· Her family and friends could not show her any affection, at all.
· This woman was desperate for someone to help her.
· She could not approach Jesus as Jairus had. She was “Unclean” and Jesus was the only clean man to ever walked the face of the earth.
The woman would have to come up from behind; in the crowd, and hope that no one would notice her touching Jesus.
She crawled through the crowd to touch Him, she would do what ever it took to get next to the man of God.
When any of us has a need that we have struggled with for a long time, there are two things you will need:
a. You must have a desire to do whatever it takes
b. You must have faith that when you touch Him, you are healed.
The woman was healed immediately. She felt it right away. And here is what happened to the woman.
1. She confessed all of her sins to Jesus.
2. She showed Jesus how Grateful she was by falling at His feet and worshipping Him.
3. She (no doubt) began to tell everyone what had happened to her.
4. (Perhaps, she began to help others that needed help.
Jesus is the Hope for the Hopeless; the Help for the Helpless
And what about Jairus?
Jairus had been patiently waiting while the miracle was happening for the “Unclean Woman”. There is no mention of Jairus being insulted or complaining of having to wait for Jesus.
Have you ever found yourself just a little bit jealous when the Lord answers someone else’s prayer before yours?
Perhaps the miracle for the “Unclean Woman” was just what Jairus needed to see for himself. With his prominent position at the synagogue in Capernaum, he had never seen such faith, compassion, or such a miracle.
Jairus got a front row seat for all of this excitement, but he also saw how people can be when it comes to getting their needs met. He saw and recognized the desperation of the woman. But he also saw something else in the others that were there.
There are different ways that people respond to being in the presence of the Lord.
1. SOME CROWDED JESUS. Vs. 31
Remember, there is a very large crowd of people packed into a narrow street. Folks from all backgrounds and of all ages bumping into Him and rubbing shoulders with the Master!
Quite amazing when you think of it; all of the pushing and shoving with the crowd. Bumping into the One in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells! Yet no one there is receiving a miracle, even though they all have touched Him.
No one else is experiencing a miracle.
Isn’t that like many of us at times?
We walk into church, sing a few songs, raise our hands and our hearts toward heaven, pray and worship in His presence. Yet we often only rub shoulders with Him, shake hands with our friends in Christ and go out the door unchanged.
Isn’t it incredible how we can be in His awesome Presence and be so unaware of His mighty power!
Sometimes we are too pre-occupied to notice that maybe God wants to do something miraculous.
2. SOME PUSHED HIM. Vs. 24
Perhaps Jairus may have thought to himself, "Come on Jesus! Got to get to my house, fast!"
It was an urgent visit and time was of the essence! In one sense, this was an admirable thing! The people will want to see my little girl healed!
What the crowds around Jesus sometimes don’t realize is that Jesus wants to do something right here, right now.
Sometimes God puts us on a holding pattern while He focuses our attention on what He wants to do right now.
3. Only one Really Touched Him.
Out from the crowd comes a hopeless, discouraged woman.
She has tried everything to become well, but her hard-earned money was wasted on the medical help available at the time.
In fact, she became worse.
She was cut off from worship and fellowship with her friends.
She felt hopeless and unworthy, lonely, isolated, hurt, angry and alienated from God.
We should note that there are people like her all around us today as well. Maybe you’ve tried everything and nothing has helped you. Only believe!
When Jesus appeared on the scene, something began to well up inside. There was something about this preacher Who talked of God’s love.
He seemed so kind and approachable! Although the Law said "Stay Back!", this Man from Nazareth seemed to say,
"if you are weary, come to Me!"
Perhaps this woman had listened to Jesus teach, and wondered if this Teacher could help her in her hopeless situation.
In verse 28, we notice, "For she said…" J.B Phillips renders it: "She kept on saying." Matthew 9:21 has it: "For she said to herself…" Encouraging herself in the Lord and speaking to her own spirit. That’s what faith is made of!
This woman had "pressing in" faith. She was absolutely determined! Nothing was going to stop her! Not the crowd, not the Pharisees, not the protective disciples.
Not even the pain or her weakness.
The hem of Jesus’ garment was a point of contact for her faith, but her heart was the key!
Faith is amazing stuff! It dispels fear, doubts and unbelief! It drives us into His Presence and it’s the only thing that really impresses God!
Faith opens the door and gives the Lord the opportunity to respond to our heart’s cry!
There is a wonderful principle through-out the pages of the Bible: Seek and you’ll find ME, draw near to Me and I’ll draw near to you, call upon Me and I will answer you, humble yourself and I will lift you up!
JESUS RESPONDS IN POWER TO THOSE WHO APPROACH HIM IN FAITH
What tough situation do you face today that only God can deal with?
Sickness, financial problems, family problems, job related issues? No matter what they are what you need is a desperate faith in God:
You gotta do something NOW!
1. Go to the Word of God and listen to what God say’s about your problem
2. Act on what you see in the Word of God
3. You will then get from God what His Word say’s when you act in a desperate faith
