Faith: An Encounter with God

Some experiences remind us that we’re human, that we’re frail. It’s often noted that young men have an invincible perspective – not that they think people can’t get injured or die, but that it won’t happen to them. On Friday, I was reminded that I can get injured. I could feel the skin around my foot shifting like it wasn’t attached anymore, and it was painful every step of the way. No problems for about six miles, but by seven, my feet told me to stop, so I unwisely went on for another 5 miles. So I’m frail, we’re all frail aren’t we? Over 500 years ago, Martin Luther said that God’s grace came when he was ‘on the toilet’ which was a metaphor for being in a place of utter helplessness in self and full dependence on God. A humbling experience shows how we, in our own strength and power, are very limited. Much like the despair.com poster of a penguin. “Limitations: until you spread your wings, you’ll have no idea how far you can walk.” We all have limitations!

Today, we’re looking at 2 people desperate and helpless in their situation. Two people who decided, that they didn’t want to give up. Two people who heard of Jesus and focused their faith on him, even when it required them to act and to step out first.

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Setting = Jesus has just come from the Greek region on the south east side of the Sea of Galilee where he healed a guy who was demon possessed. So Jesus crossed to the other side of the lake, where most of his ministry happened, and encountered the synagogue leader named Jarius. And like we just read, his daughter was desperately ill and he needed Jesus to come heal her. Then, interwoven in the storyline is this woman who herself needed healing. For 12 years she suffered from an illness and she too, sought Jesus’ healing touch.

These stories, interwoven as they are, both have a common thread describing how faith, specifically, stepping out in faith, positions ourselves for a touch from the personal God who encourages us and actually designed us to trust him. We are a frail, needy people who need God’s personal and grace giving touch. In the text today, we see a good and loving God who chose to change the lives of these two people who trusted him. Faith is a common theme in the storyline, but what about faith matters today? What does faith look like?

1. Faith opens the door to the power of God.

Something that has bothered me for some time, highlighted again this past week, is that people throughout history have been sincere in their belief, truly and honest in their trust for something to intervene in their life. But their faith was in a wrong and utterly powerless thing. An article this past week detailed how people in Mexico sacrificed thousands of people, literally killing their own people in gruesome ways to appease something that they thought could affect their life. While they understood rightfully that they were not in control, their faith was wrongly directed. For faith to be effective and meaningful, it must be directed to God through Christ who has total control over every situation imaginable. Of course, there’s a question about how much truth that culture knew of a saving God, and while that’s for another time, God is a fair judge who has ultimate authority over his creation.

In any case, sincerity and faith alone don’t do anything unless it is directed in the right place. But when it is, faith opens the door to the full power of God who can do anything, “even the wind and the waves obey him.” What saved Jarius’ daughter and healed this woman was their faith directed toward Christ Jesus. We too are encouraged and even designed to trust/have faith in God and his power for our needs, esp. in desperate times.

2. Faith shows persistence in overcoming any obstacles.

Sometimes, like these blisters on my feet, we decide that although the situation isn’t ideal, it’s fine, we can live with it. Have you ever thought about how many people were on the sidelines in and around Jesus that saw his healing power and chose to continue to live life without intervention? I’m not sure, but certainly there were some. And I think it happens today. All around, myself included, we choose to just continue in the march without exercising faith and asking God to intervene? Faith demonstrates and shows persistence in overcoming obstacles, perhaps the biggest is our own hesitancy, for whatever reason, to allow God to intervene.

1. Faith opens the door to the power of God. 2. Faith shows persistence in overcoming any obstacles

In this story, it’s amazing how both people acted in faith and both received the desired outcome. But it’s also interesting to note the differences in who these two people were and the obstacles they overcame. Jarius, a synagogue leader, is reputable in the community, a leader with status and wealth. He overcomes the social pressure to let his daughter’s situation continue. He finds Jesus, falls at his feet, and begs him to intervene. But that’s not the end of his obstacles. We read that shortly, messengers arrive with terrible news, his daughter has died. They encourage him to do the only logical thing- don’t bother the teacher anymore (v35). I’m not sure how Jarius reacted at that, we can imagine, but Jesus tells him plainly, (v36), “don’t be afraid; just believe.” Finally, when they arrive at his house, after Jesus declares that she is sleeping, not dead, the crowd laughs at him, because they knew she had died. This is just about every obstacle possible! But he heeds Jesus’ direction and believes.

Contrast Jarius with the woman. She’s unnamed, has spent everything over 12 years trying to be cured, and her illness has caused her to be ritually unclean, as well as anyone who has contact with her, thus separating her from normal community activities. While Jarius is a synagogue leader, she can’t go in a synagogue, while Jarius can request Jesus’ help, she feels it necessary to sneak up behind him. She shows faith and steps out, but it’s a personal God who chose to meet her faith through Jesus. And when Jesus calls her out, it’s not to publicly embarrass her more, but to show she’s not anonymous. God intervened because she is a person who is known and worthwhile, her miracle isn’t magic, but from a personal God who cared about her desperate situation. David Garland (who I owe a lot in helping digest this text) wrote, “Faith enables all [everyone], honored and dishonored, clean and unclean, to tap into the merciful power of Jesus that brings both healing and salvation.” Obstacles stand in the way, but faith shows persistence in overcoming them.

3. Faith is embodied in action.

Closely linked with the obstacles is action. Neither Jarius or the woman identify Jesus as the Messiah or even a prophet. So perfected theology isn’t a prerequisite to their healing. While they don’t know who he is, they do believe he can heal. This point could just as easily have been, “action demonstrates faith.” In this story, their faith in Jesus’ ability to change the situation came before they acted. Knowing that God has worked in other situations helped give them direction, but they proved their own faith in action. Again, how many sit on the sidelines with a belief about Jesus, while others receive healing, salvation, or relief from suffering because they have faith in Jesus that takes action? Faith is embodied in action.

4. Faith trusts that Jesus is sufficient to meet whatever need there is.

Desperation realizes that the situation doesn’t have many options. Desperation understands that the normal outcome in a bad situation isn’t good. Desperation acknowledges hope isn’t the rational choice, because the odds are bad. Both the woman and Jarius found themselves in a hopeless situation, but trusted that Jesus could transform it. And that’s what happened. Throughout the gospels Jesus leaves a wake of transformed lives and changed situations. The sick were made well, doubters and laughers confounded, a storm stilled, people were miraculously fed. He transforms lives and an encounter with Jesus is life changing.

is able to save

is able to save

Perhaps the most important point in this message is about perspective. When Martin Luther commented about being in a place of utter helplessness (toilet) but full dependence on God, he hits on something deeply human. For ultimately, if we widen our perspective, the grip of death is unavoidable. But not so with Christ, who shows here with Jarius’ daughter that he even has power over death.

We may not know why God allows evil to continue, and suffering, and grief. Miracles don’t always occur, but God is still in control. In a way, if miracles always happened, how much faith would we have? It’s a healthy perspective to trust in a personal God who loves to intervene, bringing us from desperation to hope, from feelings of worthless, to worth, from helpless, to ones with the full power of God to help our every need.

“To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen”