Jairus was the leader of the synagogue in Decapolis, the place known as "ten cities". His life was entrenched in the word of God. For all his study and dedication to that word he still had needs. Today his need had been greater than any he had known before. For the umpteenth time he went in and wiped the perspiration from his twelve year old daughter's brow. She was gravely ill and with all his knowledge he had no answer for his precious daughter's cries. In the back of his heart he had this nagging thought, "everyone that Yeshua lays his hands on is healed". He simply couldn't ignore the thought any longer. It didn't matter to him that he would lose his job. He didn't care if the Pharisees would cast him out of his beloved synagogue, he had to save the life of his daughter. His life meant nothing without her.
He set off to find Yeshua. He had heard that he was coming to Decapolis and he prayed he could find him and throw himself at the feet of Yeshua and beg him to come and touch his child. It wasn't very long before he heard the crowd and saw the rebel healer. Straight before him was the man himself, followed by the rumored crowds he had heard followed this sect leader's teachings. He almost ran to him, time was of the essence for his daughter was at the portal of death and life was ebbing from her body.
As he dropped to the ground at Yeshua's feet, his heart broken, his will spent, his destiny sealed, he saw the eyes of compassion in the eyes of this strange man. He begged him just as he had planned. The urgency of the moment made Jairus half nauseous, but the Lord was following him and he stepped up his pace as they headed towards his home. Just as they were nearing the block where he lived the healer stopped in his tracks. "Who touched my clothes" he questioned? Jairus was dumbfounded at this question as it seemed were Yeshua's disciples. They all looked around and his followers retorted, "Master this is a huge crowd and many people have touched you"! Jairus could hardly believe his ears. He wanted to grab the healer and run with him. He felt panic welling up in his heart.
An eternity later a cowering woman fell at Yeshua's feet exactly as Jairus had done. Jairus was frantic for this whole drama to be over. The woman was an unclean bleeder. She had snuck in and touched the Lord's knotted tribal prayer garment that every man in Israel wore. She relayed how she had planned to touch his talit with its 613 knots representing every law in the Torah. Although every man of the 12 tribes wore one, she knew that Yeshua's was different. It was different because HE wore it.
Anger and fear were growing like cruel mocking residents in the back of Jairus' mind. He could have had this woman stoned. One of those 613 laws gave him the right to try this woman for breaking the law. She should have cried out, "unclean" when she was near crowds. The healer spoke in time to stop Jairus' reasonings. "Daughter, your faith has made you whole. Go in perfect peace-shalom shalom. You are healed of your plague". Just as those words left Yeshua's mouth Jairus recognized his friends coming towards him from the direction of his home. "There is no reason to bother the master. Your daughter is dead". Jairus' heart dropped as he heard the dreaded words, but as Yeshua spoke a hush came over the crowd. "Don't be afraid, only believe" were the five grace filled words that he offered to Jairus. Clearing his mind of the fear he headed back towards his home. When he turned towards Yeshua he noticed the crowds hadn't followed. When they entered the house they were met with the horrific cries of mourners piercing his heart. Yeshua took control and ushered everyone out but him, his wife and a few of the disciples. His daughter was laying still on the bed, gray and lifeless. Yeshua took her hand and proclaimed in Aramaic, "little girl arise", and so she did! Tears of joy filled Jairus' eyes. Blurry eyed he grabbed his wife and began to yell and laugh with delight he had never felt before. It mattered little he had no job, he felt alive, really alive for the first time. They held their daughter as if it too was the very first time.
Jairus thought over the day as he and his wife watched their daughter eat. The last thing the Lord had told them was to feed her. Jairus could only think of what he would be telling everyone as he recalled his daughter's miracle. His life would never be the same. He knew he was also eternally tied to that woman who he'd been tempted to throw to the judges. They had shared a moment in time and destiny that would be heralded from then on! He sensed he had almost stopped the miracle when he had been tempted to be offended. He was so glad that he had heard those words, "fear not, believe only".
- love never fails.
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