Peeled: Mark 5: Be Patient

Introduction:

Letter written by Adoniram Judson to his future father-in-law. When Adoniram wrote that letter and then later took Ann as his wife, he had no idea what would await them in Burma.

Three children - all three died. Just a couple years after the birth of their third child, Ann died. Judson would marry 2 more times - losing all three of his wives. He had 13 children. 7 of them died.

Took 6 years to see first convert. Regular doubts if he had become a missionary because of his own ambition or because of call of God.

Judson = patient. Patient with God. Patient in the ministry.

We think of patience as the ability to wait in traffic without yelling at the car in front of us. Or, the ability to wait in line at Walmart without complaining.

Patience is the ability to endure joyfully for a long time even when opposition and suffering come your way because you know Jesus is worth the wait.

We lack patience. We want God to work on our timetable. We want Him to fix our problems now. Like the psalmist, we cry: “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?” (Psalm 13:1)

God is patient with us. Ex. 34:6 - God is slow to anger and abounding in love. That phrase repeated in the OT.

Jesus is the Fruit of the Spirit - He is patient for you. He desires for you to be patient - to wait patiently as He works in your life.

Mark 5: a story of patience. The patience of Jesus on display. Teaching two people to live with patience.

Three commitments you must make if you are going to grow in patience.

I will actively pursue Jesus.

A fast-paced, urgent story. Doesn’t seem like it has much to do with patience.

Two characters in story: Jairus - an important man. We’re told his name. Woman with issue of blood. We’re not told her name. Jairus was elite in society. A synagogue ruler - responsible for upkeep of local synagogue - a community leader.

Woman with issue of blood - an outcast - unclean - the opposite of Jairus. She has no respect or standing in her community. If you saw her coming, you turned the other way. She probably stayed locked up at home most days. Couldn’t participate in religious life.

As different as they were, they both had something in common: a desperate need for Jesus. Jairus’ daughter was on the verge of death. This respected Jewish leader should have been skeptical of Jesus, but he wasn’t. This dignified man falls to his face at the feet of Jesus and begs: “Please come to my house. My little girl is dying. If you would just come put your hands on her, she will live.” No time to be patient. This is urgent.

On the way, the woman hears Jesus is coming. Opposite of Jairus - she’s been patient. She’s endured life as a diseased woman. Like Jairus, she knows Jesus is her only hope. No doctor could help her, but she knew Jesus could. She pulled her shawl over her head, hoping no one would notice. “If I just touch His clothes, I’ll be made well.” What faith!

She reaches up, she touches. Jesus feels His power leave Him (interesting).

He’s God. He knew this was going to happen. He heals her. He calls out: “Stop! Who touched me?”

Disciples: “What kind of question is that? You see all these people?”

Jairus: “Come on Jesus. Remember my daughter? We don’t have time for this...” No time for patience...

The woman, with fear and trembling, fesses up.

Jesus: “Daughter, your faith has made you well.” Daughter… first words of acceptance this woman had heard in years.

In the eyes of the world, Jairus mattered, the woman did not. In the eyes of Jesus, they both mattered.

BUT… what does this have to do with patience? 1st commitment: I will actively pursue Jesus.

OR, “I’m not going to give up. I’m going to keep believing that Jesus is at work for my good and His glory.”

Both Jairus and the woman with an issue of blood were in a position where all they had was Jesus. All they could do was pursue Him and wait on Him.

Ultimately, Jesus is all you have as well. He is your only hope.

Patient people know that the best use of their time is to pursue Jesus even when it seems as if Jesus is moving too slowly for them. You’re in the same position.

You think… “I don’t have the patience to pursue Jesus. A waste of time!”

To live a life where you do NOT pursue Jesus is a WASTE of time.

You waste time when:

You choose worry over faith.

You choose complaining instead of praise.

You choose scheming instead of listening.

You choose disobedience over obedience.

It is NEVER a waste of time to pursue God. You will NOT stand before God and say, “You know, I should have spent less time with you on earth. I prayed too much. I was too involved in your church and your work.”

Patience = When life is good, I’m going to pursue Jesus and wait on Him to work. When life is bad, I’m going to pursue Jesus and wait on Him to work. I’m going to pursue and wait because I have no reason to believe that He is NOT at work in my life.

5 year old basketball - waste? Small deposits over time make a lifelong difference - I got to share the Gospel...

I will not be overly discouraged with my own shortcomings, and I will bear with the shortcomings of others.

The woman was fearing. Jairus was anxious. Jesus was working.

The woman was embarrassed. She wanted to get her healing and go home. After all, she was an outcast.

She didn’t understand… She thought Jesus was just a miracle worker who would heal her and let her anonymously go on her way. BUT… Jesus was much more than a miracle worker. He was her Messiah, her God. AND… He wanted to do much more than restore her health. He wanted to restore her soul AND restore her to the community. He wanted everyone to know that this woman was clean. She wasn’t to be avoided. She was to be embraced.

The woman didn’t understand. She didn’t understand everything about Jesus. Jesus didn’t scold her for not understanding. She didn’t need to understand everything. Jesus met her where she was.

Then there was Jairus… “Jesus is wasting His time on this woman. Doesn’t He know who I am? Come on Jesus… We gots to go!”

What Jairus doesn’t know is that while Jesus was taking His sweet time with this woman that no one wanted anything to do with, his daughter died.

While Jesus talked to the woman, people came from Jairus’ house. “She’s dead. Come on home. It’s over.”

Grief overcame Jairus. He begins to sob. His little girl was dead. Anger… If Jesus wouldn’t have stopped to carry on a conversation with that woman… After all, she had been sick for 12 years, what was a little more time going to hurt her? His little girl was dying, shouldn’t she have gotten priority? Why stop and help a lady who was not dying instead of rushing to the home of a child who was dying?

Jairus didn’t understand. He didn’t understand Jesus was God. He didn’t know that Jesus knew this moment was coming. He didn’t know that Jesus knew the little’s girls death was not the end of her story. He didn’t know that while it didn’t seem like Jesus was doing anything in Jairus’ circumstances, Jesus was at work.

Jesus met Jairus where he was: “Don’t be afraid. Only believe” (vs. 36).

Jesus to the woman and Jairus: “Wait! Just be patient with me! Let me reveal myself to you because if you see me for who I am it will change your life.”

Jesus is patient with you. He meets you where you are. He doesn’t scold you for your doubts, your fears, or your unbelief. He meets you and ministers to you. He doesn’t even condemn you for your sin. He gives you a second chance and teaches you to walk in righteousness. Therefore:

Don’t let people cause you to give up because Jesus is not done with you. Like Jairus and the woman, you don’t understand, and that’s ok. How many times do you think the woman heard people say, “Look at you. What’s wrong with you? God must not love you…” Some of you have been constantly torn down by people who are supposed to love you. Be patient. Wait. Walk by faith and keep enduring. You don’t understand now, but you will.

Don’t give up on people because you know God is working on His timetable in the lives of people you love. People you love don’t understand. Don’t give up on people! “I wish so and so would just… He just doesn’t get it...” He doesn’t get it YET. Keep loving. Keep praying. Keep sharing the Gospel. Trust God is at work.

Instead of condemning people for their sins and shortcomings, extend grace because everyone is a work in progress, including you (Galatians 6:1-2). Both the woman and Jairus had faith, and they both lacked faith. They were a work in progress. So are you. So are the people you love. So are the people in this church. Be gracious. We get so impatient with people because they don’t live up to our expectations instead of giving grace.

Sweet T - Someone ruined it… Our romantic perfume… She’ll never wear it again… So easy to STUNT someone’s progress by words, actions, lack of grace, etc.

I will joyfully wait for Jesus to accomplish His purpose.

Jesus made Jairus wait.

Takes Peter, James, and John and goes with Jairus to his house.

They come to Jairus’ house. Everyone wailing. Jesus: “Why are you wailing? She’s only asleep.” Everyone laughed at Jesus.

Jesus sent everyone out. Took the girl by the hand. Gently, he knelt down to her and whispered in her ear. “Little girl, it’s time to get up.”

Jairus and his wife watched in amazement as their daughter, who seconds ago was dead, woke up, got up, and walked like she had never been sick.

Jesus made Jairus wait. Why? For the same reasons Jesus makes you wait:

Jesus makes you wait to grow you. Waiting time is not wasted time. Often, your best spiritual growth comes in seasons of waiting because seasons of waiting force you to trust God - seasons of waiting make you desperate for Him. Jesus made Jairus wait to teach him He was more than a miracle worker.

Jesus makes you wait to reveal your heart. Seasons of waiting reveal what you really want. Are you desperate for Him, or are you desperate for His stuff? Jesus showing both of woman and Jairus they need more than His healings. They need Him - to know Him for who He is.

Jesus makes you wait to show you a greater demonstration of His power. His plan and ways higher and better than yours (Is. 55). What you want from Jesus doesn’t compare to what He wants for you. Be patient. One day you’ll look back and say, “What God has done in my life is beyond anything I could have imagined.”

Today, maybe God has you in a season of waiting. Be patient. Keep pursing and keep believing that He is faithful to you.

Today, Jesus waits for you. This One who raised a little girl from the dead went to a cross and died for impatient, stubborn, sinful people. He died the death you deserve, and then He rose from the dead so your sins could be forgiven and given the gift of life. Today, He offers you life. He is patiently waiting for you to turn from your sins and give your life to Him. But, there will be a day when His patience runs out. (2 Peter 3:9)