Touch

WGrace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a privilege to share the Word of God with you this morning.

Over the last few weeks a couple things in my life have providentially and almost morbidly aligned. With friends in this church, over the past few weeks, I have been reading through the book of Job, while at the same exact time, feeling the stinging loss of our own preborn child.

If you are familiar with the story of Job, he undergoes extreme tragedy. He lost his property, was afflicted with disease described as loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Job also lost his seven sons and three daughters. Job was stricken of his riches, afflicted, and childless. Job spends the next 37 chapters arguing with his friends over the cause of his problems, examining the justice, sovereignty, and might of God, along with the philosophical exploration of the meaning of life.

Let me confess this to church, as I sat in the room for days weeping, not angry, just incredibly and deeply sad, the last thing I wanted to do was read about another sad, dejected and rejected soul asking God the same question I was, “why?” It was incredibly hard to get through those pages and reflect on those words.

Listen church, I don’t have all the answers to explain why bad things happen to those who know the Lord other than acknowledging we live in a sinful world. In Job’s case we find that his afflictions come to show Job, and us today that faithfulness is possible by the grace of God through times of affliction. Through the account of Job we also see the reality of spiritual warfare and that ultimately God is our refuge in affliction. And even pain can be used for our ultimate good and His glory.

But, I’m not Job. It is not within my abilities to discover the exact reason for this trial in my own life. I don’t get to see behind the curtain to discern the influences of spiritual warfare. It is extremely unlikely that on this side of glory God will answer directly and audibly from the midst of a whirlwind.

Even still God did speak words of consolation to me in this time through His Word. It wasn’t a new revelation given to me in a secret dream. But it was Divine revelation made through the Word of God.

In my depression I wanted nothing to do with the book of Job, but through God’s providence, the book was exactly what I needed. As I sought counsel through the biblical teaching of the saints, I was struck by an exposition of Job 3 that I had previously rushed through. Hear these words from pastor John MacArthur’s book In the Arms of God:

“Job’s pain and suffering were so deep that he wished the day had never come for him to be born. He said [in Job 3:11] “Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not perish in the womb?” [Job] went on to say, “Why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like infants who never saw the light? There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary rest.”” MacArthur then explains, “Job believed…that if he had died before birth, he would have experienced a better life than anything this life had to offer him—life in the presence of the Redeemer. … the implication is very clear that the miscarried or stillborn baby enters a state of peace—an existence much preferred to a life marked by wickedness and trouble in this world.”

Contemplating this God-breathed truth given from the mouth of the anguished pilgrim in mourning has provided me with some comfort. While I mourn for not having the opportunity to meet that child I rejoice for the peace he or she now know.

Further comfort has come through the care and consolation of members of this very church. One brother reminded me of this Scripture from

2 Corinthians 1:3–5 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

I can’t tell you an exact reason as to why suffering comes, but I can tell you that God is sufficient to sustain us in our suffering. He is our comfort. When you understand comfort in the Sovereign Lord, He can then use you to explain and share that comfort with others.

But you may at this point be thinking, why did I bring this up this morning? Well for a few reasons. Number 1, this church has to be a family where we share our burdens and minister to one another. If I can’t feel comfortable to share my mourning with you, I have no business being your pastor. Further, if you can rely on the other people in this room to walk with you in times of joy and times of pain, that would be a failure in the ministries and make up of this church. We exists to glorify God and spur one another on in love and good works. Number 2, I had an opportunity to reflect on the grace of God towards unborn persons and where I’ve landed through the study of God’s Word on this “big question” is worthy of our attention. I hope you edified by the studies that were prompted by my suffering. The final reason I explained part of my emotional journey for the last few weeks is because through it, God has allowed me to better identify with what is happening in our primary text this morning.

If you have not already, turn to Matthew 9. For the last few weeks we have been walking through miracles and teaching moments from Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry. Today we are going to see His interaction with two afflicted souls and one desperate grieving father. A father with whom I can identify with all too well. Let us begin Verse 18.

Matthew 9:18 ESV

While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”

From the other gospel accounts of this story, we know that this is Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue. This would mean that Jairus was a Pharisee, one of the religious elites. From the same group that just a few verses prior were chastising Christ the King for dining with those dirty rotten sinners. Now Jairus, in contrast to the rest of the Pharisees, is seen coming before Christ, not in contempt but in distress.

What are we to make of this man?

On a personal level, I feel for him. His child is seemingly gone and he has no where else to turn. In this great moment of distress he has turned to the only thing left he can think of for help. He runs to Jesus Christ. Not only does he rush to Christ, but the ruler of the synagogue checks his pride at the door and kneels before Jesus. He recognizes and acknowledges the great power and authority Jesus has. He says my daughter has died, come and lay your hand on her and she will live. This is not a request that can be made of a regular person or teacher. This ruler of the synagogue knew that the teachers in the synagogue were incapable of such a feat. He could only take this request to Jesus.

Some commentators look at this plea to Jesus as an example of desperate, but shallow faith. They say that the ruler doesn’t really understand who Jesus is, but in a last stop effort to save his daughter the ruler goes to Jesus.

“Another commentator adds, “If you compare the ruler of the synagogue with the centurion you will say that the full brightness of faith shone in the centurion, while scarcely the smallest portion of it was visible in the ruler.”

This is true in some regards. Jesus told the centurion that no in Israel at that time had shown as much faith. But this doesn’t mean that we have to discount the faith of the Jairus.

It is true this man was desperate. I desperation with which I can well identify. A desperation that many of you know in some way. But it is often in great desperation that God shows us our utter dependence upon Him! In fact we canNOT come to Christ when we think we are sufficient in ourselves! Remember those who are well have no need of a Physician, but those who are sick. We will see whether this Ruler’s faith was authentic or not if he is with us, praising in glory, but do not discount the value of desperate faith. His faith is not perfect, much like the feeble faith of all of us who know Christ yet are prone to wander, but his faith contextually seems pleasing to God.

Matthew 9:19 ESV

And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples.

Remember the scene in Matthew 8:18-22, Jesus has no problem pointing out the holes in our faith. Jesus never holds back from showing our lack of belief. But Jesus doesn’t take this opportunity to correct the man’s faith, rather He accepts the desperate faith of the depressed father and responds with compassion. And that would not be the only occasion of desperate faith given to us in this scene.

Matthew 9:20–21 ESV

And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.”

Before we get into the details of the woman here I want us to see what is happening in the broader point of the narrative. If we’re pointing out the facts of the situation, we have a dead girl and a diseased woman. Both of these are dire situations. As we are discussing desperate faith, we must not forget the greater point of the book of Matthew. That point being that Jesus Christ is the Authority over all of Creation. Christ is King. And so in this moment we are seeing two opportunities for that Authority to be put on display. The healing of the diseased woman seems daunting. She has had this affliction for 12 years. 12 years! Think of how your own life has changed over the last 12 years. Think about the trials you have gone through. Think about how little hope there must have been after over a decade of suffering. What could we say to the woman? How after all this time is possible for her to be healed? The healing of the diseased woman is daunting task. And all of this is happening the midst of the case of dead girl. One commentary notes, “If the healing of the woman seems daunting, the restoration of the child is impossible.” (ESV).

As we walk through the text, we will see Christ’s ability to deal with the daunting and the impossible.

Now let’s take a moment to consider the background of the diseased woman. Last week we spent a lot of time looking at “Those people.” The tax-collectors and sinners. They were the degenerates of society whom, when given the chance responded to the call of the Savior.

This woman would also be a social outcast, not because of her profession or behavior, but because of her condition. The text describes that she suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years. No matter how this woman grew up, her affliction would have made her impoverished. “Sadly, her bleeding would have destroyed her chances for marriage, or, if she were married, it would have precluded all sexual relations with her husband. She must have been very, very, lonely.” She also would have been considered unclean. She would have been barred from participation in any forms of public worship. The gospel of Mark shows us that she Mark 5:26 “and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.”

Despite everything she had gone through, this woman had not given up on being restored to community, and even still she was growing worse and worse.

But one day, she hears that the Great Physician is near and she concocts a plan. A last stitch effort if you will. Her desperate faith leads her to desperate measures. She says to her self, “If I can slink through this crowd and touch just the hem of His garment, I will be made well.”

The hem, or edge of the garment there is likely referring to these tassels that the Jewish men would wear on their clothes as a reminder to obey God’s covenant commands. In some ways it was similar to the idea behind the WWJD bracelets that were so popular in the 90’s, however those bracelets originated from a book written in the 1900’s, these tassels were given by God to Moses, recorded in Numbers 15:37-41. The side note to the main point of the narrative here is that Jesus wearing these reminders of the covenant commands reiterate that He came not to abolish the Law, but to accomplish it. Jesus is not a replacement for the Old Testament Law, He is it’s culmination.

But back in the main flow of the narrative, we once again find ourselves having to evaluate the intentions here. Much like Jairus, many scholars suggest this woman’s faith is faulty. That she is acting like someone touching the screen of a televangelist. They accuse the woman not being faithful, but of being superstitious.

However, like Jairus, that is not how the gospels present it, nor how Jesus responds.

Matthew 9:22 ESV

Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

In the case of the diseased woman, her faith in Christ precedes her healing from Christ. This woman heard about Jesus and responds to Him! Is that not the call of the gospel?!

Was her theology perfect? Probably not! But at the end of herself she found Christ the King! Jesus says to her, “Your FAITH has made you well.” She had faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus does not berate the woman for bringing her needs to Him, but instead commends her for her faith. The ancient scholar Jerome states, “Her touch on the hem of His garment was the cry of a believing heart.”

What does this mean for us today? It means that you do not have to have your theological ducks in a row to come to Jesus Christ and find our salvation! You don’t have to have perfect obedience to come to Christ and find your salvation! You don’t have to be ceremonially and culturally clean to come to Jesus! It is very simple, see that Jesus is the Rightful Authority in all of Creation and come to Him! Through the study of His Word and the community of faithful believers given for your edification, you will grow in your theology. Through the practice of spiritual disciplines like prayer, Bible Study, and evangelism you will grow in your obedience. Living the Christian life doesn’t mean not caring about deep theological truths and the implications there of, but Living the Christian life cannot begin if you have not come to Christ! Know and cherish that Christ is only hope first, then humbly live in response to the Grace He washes over you! Christ in the case of the diseased woman heals her, we’ll come back to the over all promises of healing in a bit, but for the moment, just know that Spiritual healing is available to everyone who calls on the name of the Lord.

So on His way to Jairus’ home the scene is interrupted by the woman with desperate faith. We see the Authority of Jesus has over sickness and He cleanses the Woman. His declaration in the crowd of people, “Your faith has made you well.” was a public declaration of her restoration, not only spiritually, but also to the society she had previously been ostracized from. Christ is the great Restorer. And His healing of the diseased woman gives hope for what is to occur with the dead girl.

In the next verse, that narrative continues.

Matthew 9:23 ESV

And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion,

Here there is another interruption, but of a different sort. Douglas Sean O’Donnell aptly describes what is happening here:

“In ancient Israel, as even today in some non-Christian cultures, professional mourners were hired at the time of death. In the Mishnah it is said that for burial “even the poorest in Israel should hire not less than two flutes and one wailing woman.” Since this ruler was likely a rich man, the combination of the mournful music, the wailing of the many women, the hand-clapping, the beating of the breast, the tearing of hair, and the rending of garments ripped to the heart must have created quite a “commotion,” awakening everybody in town but the one body that mattered most.”

I can only imagine what is going through the mind of Jairus in this moment. He had just witnessed the miraculous healing of the diseased woman. Then he pulls up to his house and is instantly reminded that his daughter is dead. This is another scene in which I can well identify. That hopeless feeling of being confronted with the death of loved one. When we got the call that my father had coded, I was the first one to make it to the hospital. I rushed over expecting to run to his room and pray as the doctors worked. If not enough was being done maybe I would have grabbed the defibrillator myself. But as I walked through the doors into the waiting room of the ICU, there was someone waiting for me, I wasn’t allowed back into the room. Instead a chaplain coaxed me into a consultation room where she told me it was too late, my father had passed. Instantly, any hopes of attending another ballgame with my father were gone. There may not have been flutes or paid wailers, but I know what it feels like to be confronted with the reality of death. It is an overwhelming feeling. I can imagine what must have been on Jairus’ mind in this moment of our text. Which is what makes the next verse so jarring.

Matthew 9:24 ESV

he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him.

Jesus tells the mourners that there is no need for them here. This girl isn’t dead she is sleeping. This is a place where need to carefully handle the text and rightly divide the Word. Jesus is using the phraseology intentionally to describe something deeper going on. This isn’t the case of a doctor giving a second opinion. It’s not that this girl was in a coma. From an organic perspective, this girl was indeed dead. No breath. No heartbeat. “Jesus is not denying her death; he is redefining it. Her death is not the end. It is not the grim reality it seems. It is nothing worse than deep sleep. In due course she will be getting up again.” Jesus is using sleep in the same way it is used in 1 Thessalonians 5:10. For Jesus to raise her from death would be like us mere humans waking someone from their sleep. Remember Jesus has Authority over ALL things! This reality was not grasped by the crowds!

The crowd laughed! And of course they laughed! Its not all that hard to tell when someone no longer has a pulse. So the mourners tears turn to laughter at such an illogical statement. They’re saying, “Who’s mans is this? That girl is gone!”

There are many who hold Christ in derision until they see the power of Christ. Look at how this plays out:

Matthew 9:25–26 ESV

But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. And the report of this went through all that district.

The powerful touch of Jesus, raises the girl. She lives. The report spreads through the entire area. The full authority of Jesus is on full display. And the skeptics are astonished.

So what are we to do with all of this?

We see desperate faith all throughout this story. Does that mean that if we are desperate enough that Jesus will take away our afflictions? Does it mean that if we kneel before Him that our loved ones will come back to us?

I apologize if I have shared this story before so I’ll try to share it quickly. There has been one time in ministry where I have been witness to the immediate and miraculous healing of Jesus Christ. I was brought in with a family who was deciding if they should pull the plug on their grandmother who had been comatose for three days. She was only still breathing because of the life support machines she was connected to. I prayed with the family. Not even for healing really. We prayed for clarity in decision making. We asked God to show us what we should do. It wasn’t 10 minutes after we said Amen that the woman opened her eyes, came to her senses and knew everyone in the room. She lived another 3 or 4 years after that and shared her hope in Christ with many she came across in that time.

It was one of the most incredible things I had ever seen. That happened to be on Wednesday and I had youth group that night. I was so overwhelmed and exhilarated by everything that happened that I had to share it with the Youth group. I’ll never forget what happened at the end of my testimony. One of the youth, maybe 15 years old, looked at me and said, “So are you telling me that if I prayed hard enough, my mother wouldn’t have died?”

I don’t know if I’d ever been caught more off guard by a question that needed to be answered.

I told him, that that wasn’t the intended application of my testimony that day. I just wanted to praise God for what I did see that day.

But as we are here today, looking at these miracles Jesus performed, I need to make sure that your interpretation is NOT that if you pray hard enough, if your faith is desperate enough, that God WILL heal your affliction and give you your loved ones back.

The diseased woman was healed but she would eventually die a physical death. The dead girl was raised from her sleep, but she would die again. The point of Jesus’ healings was not give these women a comfortable existence for the rest of human history. The point of Jesus’ healings was to demonstrate His Authority. We see that Jesus is GREATER than all powers on Earth.

Even in that day, Jesus’ miracles were astounding but rare. The Bible records at least 25 specific healing events in the gospels and we are told that Jesus did countless wonders that weren’t included in Scripture. But we should keep in mind that most historians estimate that in first century the world’s population was 170 and 400 million people. All of those people would have been sick at some point, all of those people have since passed. The point of Jesus ministry was not simply to heal for the sake of healing. If our desire for Jesus is centered around our desire to live healthy, comfortable lives, then our faith is in vain. Our faith in Christ must be grounded in the reality that Christ is the worthy object of our faith!

Jesus Christ stepped out of heaven and did many wonderful things that included miraculous healings. All of these were done to prove and proclaim that He is the Christ. Do miraculous things, healings even happen today? I believe they do, but the miracles that happen by the grace of God give us even more reasons to praise God, but they are not the foundation for our belief and obedience. Nor are they ever promised in Scripture.

I believe in Christ in the good times and the bad with a desperate faith, not because He has promised to do everything I would desire Him to do. My desperate faith isn’t going to guarantee I never have a medical problem. My desperate faith isn’t going to raise my father from the grave. My desperate faith isn’t going to bring back to us that little child we never met.

But my desperate faith is a gift from God. In my desperate faith I understand that God has a plan. In my desperate faith I see the healings of Christ and know that He has all Authority. In my desperate faith I see that He is worthy to be served even when my heart has been crushed. In my desperate faith I know that He is working together for my ultimate good and I have been called according to HIS purpose not my own.

Church, my faith is desperate and feeble. In full transparency, I am hurting. But in my pain I there is still comfort:

2 Corinthians 1:3–5 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

Are you hurting today? Bring it Christ. Share it in this community.

This morning, we’re going to do something different. I know there are many hurting people dealing with loss, sickness, family issues, and trials unknown. I’m gonna ask, if that’s you today, would you come forward and pray at the alter. I’m not gonna be standing at the front, I’m going to be kneeling at the prayer bench. As this hymn of response is sung, may we pray with one another, love with one another, weep with those who weep, and pray to the God who loves us and has made that known through Christ dying for our sins while we were still sinners.

Let’s pray.