Character of Jesus 29

The Character of Jesus 29

Matthew 9:18 – 34, Mark 5:22 – 43, Luke 8:41 – 56

Jairus’ Daughter, an Invalid Woman, and Some Blind Men

  • Following the Matthew account
  • Characteristic: Responding to faith
    • (18 – 19)  Not inconvenienced
      • The account begins while Jesus and company were dining at Matthew’s house.
      • (18) Mark and Luke record that the daughter may not yet be dead, but very nearly.
      • Jesus arose immediately (19), then delayed (20 – 22) by helping the afflicted woman.
    • (20 – 22)  But responding to a need was not single-minded
      • Mark and Luke include the details that the woman had spent years and all her funds with physicians, and that Jesus felt power go out of Him when the woman touched Him, so He stopped to inquire who it was.  The disciples were incredulous that He asked, “Who touched Me?” while He was being jostled by the crowd.
      • In the Luke account, Jesus made a point to comfort the parents of the girl, perhaps because of the delay, but certainly because everyone else at the house knew the girl was dead and had no expectation of resurrection.
    • (23 – 26)  No need for manufactured notoriety.  It will come soon enough.
      • (24)  Jesus used the same play on words in John 11:11 – 15.
      • The daughter would have been buried by sundown.
      • (26)  Mark included the words of Jesus to the girl in Aramaic.  Mark and Luke provide the Greek words plus that Jesus said to feed her immediately and admonished them to tell no one.
    • (27 – 31)  The nature of mercy: fixing the root problem
      • The blind men knew the definition of mercy.
      • A very similar healing is recorded in Luke 18:35 – 43, but in a different location and in view of many.
      • Again, Jesus wanted to keep this quiet
    • (32 – 34)  Those lacking faith reject evidence
      • The open-minded were astonished
      • The same accusation (of being in league with the devil) had been made in Luke 11:14 – 26.
  • Application: Responding to faith
    • Do we feel inconvenienced by the needs of the faithful?
      • How much faith?
      • Their present need probably lowers their faith.
    • Do we limit our focus to the task at hand or to we “go with the flow,” also recognizing the added stress to the recipient?
      • Likely to be easily rattled.
      • Encouragement along the way is probably needed.
    • Do we limit notoriety, avoid notoriety, or seek notoriety?
      • The beyond-human-ability efforts will come out.  Let it happen naturally.
      • Expending effort on being anonymous is wasteful.
    • Do we treat symptoms or root causes?
      • Guide those needing help to identify those root causes.
      • Remind others of the role of faith, especially because they probably are not thinking clearly in the moment.
    • Do we allow our efforts to be derailed by the unreasonable responses of the unbelieving?
      • “That can never work” is a teachable moment.
      • As in Luke 11, confront irrational accusations with logic.