Lengthening Your Rope

Declaration:

This is my Bible. It is God’s Holy Word. It is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and I will hide its words within my heart that I might not sin against God! Amen!!!

Biblical Reference: Mark 5:21-43

In praying for where we should be today, God put on my heart to speak on faith.

Read Mark 5:21-43

Context

Jesus spoke to these people in parables in the last chapter.

After giving the sermon on the mount, he goes to the other side of the sea.

He heals the demon-possessed man, and then comes back.

As they approach, a crowd gathers and Jairus is one of them.

Content

They are deeply Connected

On the surface, it appears that these two individuals have absolutely nothing in common:

Jairus is a man, but she is a woman.

Jairus is honored and respected, but she has been cast out and is a nobody.

Jairus is a ruler of the synagogue, but she is forbidden to even enter the synagogue.

Jairus is a wealthy, but she is broke.

Underneath, these two people are deeply connected with one another.

Both have been hit with something that they cannot handle.

Both are pushing people out of the way...

Jairus is a preacher and she is unclean

Desperate people do desperate things.

Jairus’ daughter is 12 years old and this woman has had this blood disorder for 12 years.

Significance of the #12

The number 12 has great significance in the Bible:

God formed a covenant with Abraham, who begat Isaac, who begat Jacob, who begat 12 sons.

Those 12 sons became the heads of the 12 tribes of Israel and served in power and authority.

The High priest would stand before the people in the Holy of Holies with 12 stones on his breastplate, which represented the power and authority he had been given to represent the 12 tribes of Israel.

When Jesus is first found preaching in the temple, He was 12 years old and they marveled at how He spoke with Power and Authority.

When Jesus turned 30, he chose 12 disciples to follow Him and He gave them power and authority to perform miracles among the people.

The #12 in Scripture represents God’s power and authority.

Defining Faith

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith gives God substance. Faith makes Him real, but what is the realization that faith brings about God? Faith is our realization of God’s power and authority.

The level of your faith is determined by your awareness of God’s power and authority in your life.

In Matthew 8, the disciples are rowing the boat across the sea. Jesus was sleeping in the front of the boat. A storm arose and began tossing the boat violently. They finally became so afraid that they woke Jesus and asked Him what they must do. Jesus calms the storm and then says to them, “Ye of little faith.”

Jairus asks Jesus to come to his house and heal his daughter. That was the level of his faith.

The woman with the issue of blood did not need Jesus to say anything. Her faith was at a level to where all she needed to do was touch Jesus and she would be made whole. That was her awareness of God’s power and authority. His response to her, “Thy faith hath made the whole.”

Again in Matthew 8, there is a centurion who comes to Jesus and his servant has fell ill. He is sick enough that they are afraid he may die. The centurion does not ask Jesus to come to his house and lay hands on him. He also does not feel the servant needs to come touch Jesus. His faith was at such a level to where he knew if Jesus simply spoke the words, that his servant would be made whole. Jesus responds, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.”

Faith is our anchor. The rope that connects my anchor to my boat is my level of awareness of God’s power and authority.

The longer my rope is, the the more equipped I am to get out into deep waters. If the level of my faith is small, I only believe that God can help with small things. As the level of my faith grows, I begin to realize that there is no limits to what God can do in my life.

We can see a picture of that here in this very story.

Her Healing was an Interruption

Jairus got there first. Not only did he arrive to Jesus first out of these two people, but Jesus agrees to come to his home and heal his daughter.

As they begin to Jairus’ home, there is a crowd of people. Jairus loses Jesus in the crowd and goes back to find him. As he finds him, he hears these words, “Who touched me?”

You can only imagine the frustration that is building in Jairus at this moment. His daughter is about to die and all of these “other” people are in the way.

Then....this little woman steps forward and begins to tell Jesus her “whole story” (vs. 33).

Have you ever heard a woman give her whole story? You might as well get you a chair, cause its gonna be a minute.

She tells Jesus everything, from start to finish.

While this woman is finishing her story, Jairus’ friends come and tell him that his daughter is dead.

Jairus was in the boat. He went out as far as he could and his anchor still reach the bottom, but now the currents of life have pushed him out farther than his anchor can reach.

He believed full well that Jesus could heal his daughter, but now she is dead. “Don’t bother the master anymore” his friends said. Their awareness of His power and authority wasn’t there yet. Their rope was too short for where the current had taken them.

I got there first! I asked first! He agreed to heal my daughter, but He didn’t.

I imagine Jairus leaving the crowd, going over next to a wall, sitting down and leaning up next to the wall with his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. He is crying; he is angry; he is confused.

I did what I was supposed to do. I came to Jesus. Why? Why me? Why did this other lady get her healing but not me? Why did He stop and help her? I told Him that she wasn’t going to make it much longer.

Have you ever had to sit and watch other people get their blessing while you had to wait?

They got their house while you still don’t.

They got the baby they have been praying for, but you still can’t have one.

They got the promotion, but you are still stuck at the bottom.

Jairus is there.

The Miracle

This is where everything gets turned upside down.

At first Jairus came to Jesus, but now Jesus is coming to him.

At first Jairus is leading Jesus through the crowd, but now Jesus is leading Jairus.

We must allow Jesus to lead us, regardless of where we are and how desperate we are. He must be in control.

At first Jairus asked for a healing, but now he gets a resurrection!!!

That sounds great, but remember that the prerequisite for a resurrection, is that you must first die.

Jesus came out into those deep waters and met Jairus where he was. Praise the Lord.

Sometimes, God has to allow us to fall farther into desperation so that our realization of Him can grow.

They finally reach the house and everyone is there mourning over the death of this little girl.

Jesus makes the comment that she is not dead but is only asleep and all of these people began to ridicule Him.

He then puts all of the haters out of the house. He makes them leave.

Once they are outside, He then takes mom and dad upstairs and heals their daughter.

If you want your rope to be lengthened, you must first be willing to let Jesus kick some stuff out.

If you want your faith to grow, you must be willing to let Jesus kick some stuff out of your life that is holding your faith at bay.

When Jesus comes home with you, He begins to cleanse some of the unhealthy things that is plaguing your life.

Fear, Get out!!!

Anxiety, Get out!!!

Depression, Get out!!!

Anger, Get out!!!

Doubt, Get out!!!

There is no room for you anymore in this place. Get out!!!

Commitment