Jesus Modeled Serving by Meeting Needs
OPENING PRAYER:
Lord, help me to be sensitive in how to model Jesus’ example in serving others. Amen
READ: Mark 5:22-24, 25-34, 35-36, 40-42 NIV
“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. 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. 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?’ Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’ 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 began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.”
REFLECT:
In the focus Scripture Jesus models serving others in the hustle and bustle of a busy life. He has just returned from healing the demoniac across the Sea of Galilee and he is immediately surrounded by a large crowd. During this chaotic situation, he is aware of Jairus who is concerned about his dying daughter who needs Christ’s healing hand to live. Jesus has empathy for Jairus and leaves to go to the daughter.
During all the pushing and shoving a woman who has suffered many years reaches out and touches him praying that the act will heal her. Immediately she is healed. Christ is aware that a healing power has gone out of him and asks who touched him. As busy as he was, he is willing to take time for the needy woman to heal her and to commend her to go her way in peace. The story is not over, even though Jairus is told his daughter is dead. Jesus hurries on and raises the daughter from the dead, making her well.
G. Campbell Morgan summarizes this story in his commentary on Mark by saying “In this particular unveiling of Jesus we have the revelation of his extreme sensitiveness…. Sensitiveness is indeed a beautiful word, and yet it is not rich enough to express the thought. In him (Jesus) sensitiveness was responsive, quick, immediate, full, generous, and magnificent.
APPLY:
In the above story we have the model we need to follow in serving God. Max Lucado in his book Cast of Characters summarizes our role in following Jesus’ example.
“Haven’t we known the power of a godly touch? Can’t we offer the same? Many of you already do. Some of you have the master touch of the Physician himself. You use your hands to pray over the sick and minister to the weak. If you aren’t touching them personally, then your hands are writing letters, dialing phones, baking pies. You have learned the power of a touch.”
CLOSING PRAYER:
Lord, help me to follow Jesus’ example in taking time to reach out to individuals in need. Amen
CONTINUED READING:
Luke 9:12-17, Luke 12:22-31
WORSHIP: