QT 11/15/2023 Mark 5:21-34, Trusting in God when it is hard

Mark 5:21–34 (ESV) —

21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24 And he went with him.

And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

 

NOTE: This is a very emotional story, and is done very well by the Chosen miniseries (season 3, episode 5). The pain and humiliation of the woman is great. One cannot even begin to understand twelve years of attempted medical solutions. It is also emotional for Jairus who is in a great hurry to save his young daughter who is at the point of death, when the interruption occurs. We can all related to struggling with God's timing not matching our timing. Yet it reminds us that God is not unaware of what is happening. I believe Jesus' question of "who touched my garments?" was not because Jesus was unaware but was asked for the woman and everyone else's sake. It makes the story very real to those who would read it even today. God knows our life and he knows what is best, but it is difficult in our sin-marred world to believe. Everything seems so wrong, and it is. It has been wrong since Eve and Adam bit into the fruit that would make them like God, able to decide what is good and evil. They chose to be their own gods and we have inherited that choice. This world will only be right when we give up on being our own god, repent, and believe in God. Salvation is available in Jesus, we only need believe.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I truly believe God understand, God knows my situation, and God cares for me? Or are my words stoic religious verbosity intended to make me look good?

 

PRAYER: Father, I can't say I have learned this lesson yet. I struggle with your timing. I struggle with pain. But, I know intellectually that you have a plan and a future which far exceeds what I am experiencing now. Thank you.