Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Mark 5:36b, 38-42a Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe." ... When they came to the home ... 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. 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 walked around (she was twelve years old).
CLING TO JESUS' WORD
The laughter at the house of Jairus, the suggestions from the crowd that there was nothing Christ could do--that the girl was dead and He might as well leave--this was the sort of thing Jesus was used to hearing. He was used to hearing disparaging words from others and then continuing right on doing what He was doing.
Jairus surely heard the laughter too, and he could have turned to Jesus and said, "You know what, they're right. Let's just forget it. There isn't anything you can do." But he did not do that. He did not go away discouraged because Jesus was with Him, and He hung onto Christ's words of promise: "Don't be afraid; just believe."
As it turned out, they were wrong who tried to tell Jairus not to bother the Teacher anymore. Those who laughed at Jesus when He got to the house were wrong too. Inside, in the privacy of that humble dwelling, with just the mother and father and Peter, James, and John looking on, Jesus took the little girl by the hand and said "Talitha koum!" "Little girl, get up." And she did.
Jairus held onto Jesus' word of promise and He was not disappointed. Neither will we be disappointed whatever the circumstance or whatever the promise. Every time Satan whispers in our ears, "Don't bother the Teacher anymore," we can answer, "He who died for my sin has promised to do what is best for me in all things. I hold onto that promise--and I call on Him."
