Beyond Casual Contact

Let’s Pray

GREAT STORY

FACINATING STORY

ALWAYS LIKE THE STORY

TYPE OF STORY THAT ALWAYS SPEAKS TO ME AND MINISTERS TO ME.

IT IS AN ENCOURAGING SCRIPTURE FOR ME.

We are going to see a different types of contact made – something Beyond Casual

BEYOND CASUAL CONTACT

The one to be contacted or the Contactee - Vs 21-24

The Contactor - Vs 25-26

The Contact - Vs 27-28

The Contact Results – Vs 29

Beyond Casual Contact – Vs 30-34

The one to be contacted or the Contactee - Vs 21-24

21 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. 22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” 24 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

The narrative about Jairus’ daughter (vv. 21–43) frames the interrupting story of the woman with the issue of blood (vv. 25–34).

Both stories show Jesus’ incredible power when we go beyond casual contact.

He just crossed over the Sea of Galilee, here at village on the shores of the Sea of Galilee – probably Capernaum

What had he been doing on the other side

Jesus just healed a Demon possessed man, Legion (many) swines, over the cliff

A crowd gathers. Vs 21 a great multitude gathered to Him

First Contact is made by a ruler of the synagogue Vs 22 And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 23 and begged Him earnestly

The daughter was near death, and the ruler begged Jesus and showed Faith in him vs 23 “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.”

The Greek text implies that she was Jairus’ only child and heir, not merely his only daughter.She was only 12 – Luke Ch 8 tells us that

A daughter has a special place in Father’s hearts.

This man had great confidence in Jesus.

He believed that Jesus had all power to heal his daughter.

But he also believed that Jesus should be there for it to happen.

24 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.

but on the way something unusual is going to happen, someone else makes contact that goes beyond casual.

Thronged – to press from both sides.

Why are they pressing: celebrity? No, but people have heard, people have been talking

People are talking

· The demoniac in the synagogue healed

· Simon’s mother-in-law was healed

· Healing a leper

· Christ stills the storm

· Jesus just healed a Demon possessed man, Legion (many) swines, over the cliff

When you make contact with Jesus wonderful things are going to happen in your life, your life will never be the same.

And if you go beyond casual contact, well just hold on for the ride.

The Contactor - Vs 25-26

25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.

A flow of blood for twelve years:

This woman was in a desperate condition physically. Her condition made her ceremonially and socially unclean, and this would be quite a burden to live under for 12 years.

According to the Jewish ideas of the time, if this woman touched anyone, she made them ceremonially unclean, an uncleanness that would not allow them to take part in any aspect of Israel’s worship ().

“By the very law of her people, she was divorced from her husband, and could not live in her home; she was ostracized from all society, and must not come into contact with her old friends; she was excommunicated from the services of the synagogue.”

If you are into numbers then look at the number 12 in these 2 stories. 12 years old and 12 years sick. Is there a connection here? Maybe

Had suffered many things from many physicians: She went to the doctors to get better, but only suffered worse - and became poorer.

Luke the physician also tells us in his gospel that she had spent all her livelihood on physicians ().

This is a desperate woman, probably very depressed, living alone, on the outskirts of town.

Pastor David Guzik

When a soul is sick today, they often go to different "doctors" and spend a great deal of time and money, only to suffer many things from many physicians. A sick soul may go to "Doctor Entertainment," but finds no cure. They may pay a visit to "Doctor Success" but he is no help in the long run. "Doctor Pleasure," "Doctor Self-Help," or "Doctor Religion" can't bring a real cure. Only "Doctor Jesus" can.

We are not just talking about only a physical cure as it was in this woman’s case but emotional, spiritual which she also needed and we need also.

The Contact - Vs 27-28

27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

She has heard about Jesus and knows what she needs to do next. In her desperation she is going “beyond” what her limits in order to make “contact” the beyond casual contact.

What had she "heard of Jesus?"

No doubt it was His marvellous cures she had heard of; and in her soul she had a firm confidence that He who had so willingly brought such cures on others was able and would not refuse to heal her also.

Now picture this

In the crowd with many pressing in on Jesus through the narrow streets of Capernaum, I can visually picture this narrow street

In this crowd a woman secretly touched Jesus' garment, and the contact changed her life. She went beyond the casual contact.

She had to reach thru the crowd and not touch anyone.

Because this woman's condition was embarrassing, and because she was ceremonially unclean and would be condemned for touching Jesus or even being in a pressing crowd, she wanted to do this secretly.

She would not openly ask Jesus to be healed, but she thought "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."

Says “44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment”

20 …. touched the hem of His garment.

She had faith that her contact with Jesus would produce healing. This was more than just casual contact.

I see her lying on the ground trying not to be noticed, trying not to touch anyone else besides Jesus.

Was this woman correct in thinking she could be healed by touching the hem of Jesus' garment?

We have no evidence in the Bible that Jesus healed this way before. Isn't she just being superstitious, and how can God honor that?

Even though her faith had elements of err and superstition, she believed in the healing power of Jesus, and the hem of His garment served as that point of contact for that faith.

Results of the Contact – Vs 29

29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.

She touched that hem in faith that she would be healed. Her faith was rewarded – she touched, believed, and was healed of a 12-year ailment.

Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up:

When the woman touched Jesus, she was made clean, Jesus didn’t become un-clean, now that is the power of God right there.

And it was the same with us.

I overlooked this for many readings thru Mark and maybe you didn’t see it like I didn’t for years.

This is huge, this is God’s grace, this is the power of God.

Awesome because we all came to Jesus as sinners and were made clean.

We didn’t and cant dirty Jesus! No sin will dirty Jesus. Confessed Sin to the savior will wash clean,

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.

In this passage, Isaiah says nothing about how this cleansing comes. But we know that it comes because Jesus took upon Himself our stain of sin, and God judged sin perfectly and completely in Jesus, so we can be accounted white as snow and as white as wool.

She felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction . . .

When the woman was healed, both the woman and Jesus knew it happened.

She felt in her body that it happened, and in vs 30 since she went “Beyond causal contact” Jesus felt power had gone out of Him.

Beyond Casual Contact – Vs 30-34

30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” 31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” 32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came 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 affliction.”

Immediately

They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Immediately with Jesus is something that you can see, when He healed the results were immediate leaving no question on who did the healing.

power had gone out of Him

Power: Greek Word: dunamis

force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power, it is where we get our word dynamite.

This doesn’t mean that Jesus lost any of His power, not like it has to be replenished. His power is infinite.

"Augustine long ago said of this story, 'Flesh presses, faith touches.' … He can always distinguish between the jostle of a curious mob, and the agonized touch of a needy soul."

I am a needy soul.

Then Jesus did something very interesting. records the question Jesus asked: "Who touched My clothes?" It is interesting because Jesus asked the question for the benefit of the woman, not because He didn't know who the person was.

Jesus knew who touched Him, because vs 32 tells us that He was looking right at her. And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.

Jesus being God (, ), knew everything, He is Omniscience, which is one of the attributes of God

Omniscience is the capacity to know everything infinitely, everything that can be known about a character including thoughts, feelings, life and the universe, etc. In Latin, omnis means "all" and sciens means "knowing".

I find it very interesting when we see the response of the disciples; they were amazed that Jesus could ask this question.

- But his disciples said unto him,....

In , We see that it was Peter, and they that were with him

And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?" When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?' "

They seem astonished at his question, and answer with some degree of warmth

Almost ready to charge it as weak, they thought it was a very strange and unnecessary question.

I always marvel at some of the disciples, who saw him perform all these miracles. They were eyewitnesses yet, they questioned Jesus?

They didn’t see everything that Jesus saw or felt.

Look at vs 33 again

But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth:

Why did Jesus make her go through this? He knew who she was, and she knew who she was, so it might seem that His only purpose was to embarrass this poor woman before others. But that wasn't the purpose at all.

He wanted her to know she was healed

After awhile she may doubt she was healed. Would it return?

He wanted her to know that without a doubt she was healed.

To her it would be a obvious healing “the fountain was dried up”.

He wanted others to know also

She was known by the community

He wanted everyone there that without a doubt she was healed

They probably saw by her countenance that something marvelous happened.

He wanted her to know why she was healed vs 34

34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

It wasn’t because He felt sorry for her, or something she deserved, but her faith

And He wanted to make sure that she knew it wasn’t the touch but her faith that healed her, its because she went beyond casual contact with her faith.

Another reason – I believe that it was also for Jarius so he can be encouraged in faith regarding his own daughter.

What was Jarius thinking during this time. We are not told how long this took. But Jesus did stop when he felt the healing and power go out of Him.

We do not see a reaction from Jarius and Jesus is quick to respond to Him when he heard them say she was dead.

So he needed to see this. I think we need to see this, what beyond casual contact with Jesus is like.

We can imagine someone who because of the press of the crowd bumped up against Jesus.

There were dozens and dozens of people who made some kind of casual physical contact with Jesus on that day.

When the woman's miracle was revealed, those people might say, "I bumped into Jesus, I touched Him - yet nothing happened to me."

Yet there is a huge difference between bumping into Jesus casually here and there and reaching out to touch Him in faith as this woman did.

Do you reach out him in faith? Do you go beyond the casual? This woman’s need was physical healing but it shows us that in every situation we must go beyond the casual.

You can come among the gathering of God's people week after week and "bump into" Jesus casually.

That isn't the same as reaching out to touch Him in faith. Casual contact with Jesus is better than no contact at all; but the best connection with Jesus is that of active, believing faith. In all situations.

There are some who go to church services or to some kind of gathering of Christians and feel that others receive something, but they do not.

They wonder if somehow they are left out, that they don't get it while most everyone else does.

In many cases the difference is that some reach out to Jesus in faith, and others just have some kind of casual contact with Him. Not every contact with Jesus brings salvation. One can be in the presence of Jesus and (so to speak) bump into Him.

Yet it is the determined, decided, dedicated believing connection to Jesus that brings all we need from Him. Decide today to not be satisfied with merely casual contact with Jesus; reach out to Him with the same heart of faith that this woman had.

Are you comfortable as a Christian or are you pressing forward as Paul says?

Pressing Toward the Goal

12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

I want to go beyond that casual contact.

I want to encourage you us a congregation and you all personally, the Lord’s has plans for us as a congregation and for you. My encouragement is to go “Beyond Casual Contact” as individuals and as a congregation. We are the vessels God’s uses to preach and show His word.

Believers Are Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

And the emphasis is that our Father in Heaven is glorified. And when that happens people come to Christ and people grow as Christians.