A Desperate Faith

As we continue to walk through the life of Christ over the last few weeks we see Jesus demonstration of his power. Three weeks ago we saw his power over creation. The disciples asked this question “What manner of man is this” Last week, we saw His power over demons. This week we will witness is his power to heal and over life and death itself. We can see how scripture answers the question for us “What manner of man is this?”

Luke 8:40–56 CSB

40 When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Just then, a man named Jairus came. He was a leader of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus’s feet and pleaded with him to come to his house, 42 because he had an only daughter about twelve years old, and she was dying. While he was going, the crowds were nearly crushing him. 43 A woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years, who had spent all she had on doctors and yet could not be healed by any, 44 approached from behind and touched the end of his robe. Instantly her bleeding stopped. 45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are hemming you in and pressing against you.” 46 “Someone did touch me,” said Jesus. “I know that power has gone out from me.” 47 When the woman saw that she was discovered, she came trembling and fell down before him. In the presence of all the people, she declared the reason she had touched him and how she was instantly healed. 48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” 49 While he was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” 50 When Jesus heard it, he answered him, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe, and she will be saved.” 51 After he came to the house, he let no one enter with him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Everyone was crying and mourning for her. But he said, “Stop crying, because she is not dead but asleep.” 53 They laughed at him, because they knew she was dead. 54 So he took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he gave orders that she be given something to eat. 56 Her parents were astounded, but he instructed them to tell no one what had happened.

Two Very Desperate People

The first person we see is Jairus(Ja-i-rus). Scripture tells us that Jairus was a ruler in a synagogue near Capernaum. He would have been a very well-respected community leader. Synagogues were a gathering place for devout Jews. Here they would read the Torah and the prophets. They would give instruction, sermons, and possibly host communal prayer.

Synagogues became even more important in the Jewish religious and social lives after the destruction of the temple.

So Jairus would have been a person of some influence and importance within the Jewish community.

Scene 1: We see that Jairus daughter was on the verge of death.

Luke 8:41–42 CSB

41 Just then, a man named Jairus came. He was a leader of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus’s feet and pleaded with him to come to his house, 42 because he had an only daughter about twelve years old, and she was dying. While he was going, the crowds were nearly crushing him.

We see that Jairus was desperate. It was not respectable for a man of Jairus position to fall on his knees before another man in public. In his desperation he lost all since of dignity and fell down before Jesus.

The account even seems to indicate that Jairus so desperate he was with the crowd waiting for Jesus return to the area. While the scripture doesn’t record Jesus response it is obvious from the second part of verse 42 that Jesus granted his request to come.

Luke 8:42 (CSB)

While he was going, the crowds were nearly crushing him.

Then next person we see come on the scene is an unnamed woman.

Luke 8:43 CSB

43 A woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years, who had spent all she had on doctors and yet could not be healed by any,

This woman was of no importance. In fact, in the eyes of the Jewish community she would have been worse than a nobody. She would have been an outright outcast of society because of her medical condition.

This issue of bleeding most scholars agree would have been related to her menstrual cycle. In the eyes, of the law this made this woman continually unclean. She wouldn’t have been able to participate in the life of the religious community.

Leviticus 15:25–30 CSB

25 “When a woman has a discharge of her blood for many days, though it is not the time of her menstruation, or if she has a discharge beyond her period, she will be unclean all the days of her unclean discharge, as she is during the days of her menstruation. 26 Any bed she lies on during the days of her discharge will be like her bed during menstrual impurity; any furniture she sits on will be unclean as in her menstrual period. 27 Everyone who touches them will be unclean; he must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. 28 When she is cured of her discharge, she is to count seven days, and after that she will be clean. 29 On the eighth day she must take two turtledoves or two young pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 30 The priest is to sacrifice one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her before the Lord because of her unclean discharge.

She would have been both a social and religious outcast. People would have avoided her and her house for fear they themselves would become unclean.

This went on for twelve years. In fact Luke 8:43

Luke 8:43 CSB

43 A woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years, who had spent all she had on doctors and yet could not be healed by any,

Tells us she spent all that she had on doctors and none were able to help her. She was an outcast and now an outcast without any money. She was in a desperate situation.

In this account we see two very different people, who approach Jesus in two very different ways.

Jairus a well-respected man came to Jesus face to face. His desperation for his daughters life, no doubt humbled him.

But then we see this woman who is just defeated by her circumstance. How can an outcast come before a person like Jesus? Who would care about someone like her? A penniless nobody.She is afraid to be even noticed by the savior. But yet she knows he is her only hope to be saved from her situation.

So she sneaks up behind him and just touches the hem of his robe. For an unclean person to touch another individual risked making them unclean as well. In her desperation She hopes that no one will notice what she has done and instantly she is healed.

But to her horror she hears Jesus voice.

Luke 8:45 CSB

45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are hemming you in and pressing against you.”

The disciples were obviously concerned by Jesus absurd question. People were all around him, pressing against him.

In fact Mark put is this way...

Mark 5:31 CSB

31 His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

I mean this would be like going shopping on black Friday at Walmart. The doors open. You squeeze through the entryway will several other hundreds of people. Then instead of sprinting to the one large screen tv advertised on their doorbuster deals, you run to the P.A. system and say, “Attention Walmart shoppers, as I went through the door

someone touched me, who was it?”

So you can understand the disciples confusion. Anytime Jesus makes a odd statement or asks a wierd question, you can bet that it is important.

Jesus responds,

Luke 8:46 CSB

46 “Someone did touch me,” said Jesus. “I know that power has gone out from me.”

You see Jesus didn’t ask this question for the benefit of Himself. He asked this question so that he could confront the woman face to face for her benefit.

Jesus cared to meet her, to speak to her, and show her dignity and love.

Look what he says next.

Luke 8:47 CSB

47 When the woman saw that she was discovered, she came trembling and fell down before him. In the presence of all the people, she declared the reason she had touched him and how she was instantly healed.

Luke 8:48 CSB

48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

From time to time I have met people that because of their past sins they don’t dare come before a righteous God. Why would he want to know them. Why would he care to redeem such a terrible outcast. So because of their unworthiness and disbelief they continue in there downtrodden estate.

Let me fill you in on something. You are unworthy! Your condition aleinates you from God. Before the throne of heaven you are an outcast.

Yet Jesus in his great love will take all those who will come and just like this woman heal them from their sinful condition. In fact, look what Jesus calls her in verse 48.

Luke 8:48 CSB

48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

In fact, we see yet once again a very important “thematic address” If you remember from a a few weeks ago, a thematic address shows us what the speaker thinks of the addressee. Jesus now calls her, what? “Daughter”. This is the only time recorded for us that Jesus uses this term.

She went from an outcast in society to being called publically a “daughter “ by the Son of God.

He says, Daughter, your faith has saved you!

Do you get the picture that he is addressing more than just her physical healing. She is now considered a daughter of God. You see her faith we not in her goodness or in the act of healing but rather her faith was in the person of Jesus Christ.

And even though her faith was small in that she couldn’t believe that he would want anything to do with her. She came to him with what little faith she had and it was enough to save her.

Even if you are here today and are having trouble believing that Jesus would love you. Just come to him with what little faith you have, turn from your sin and he will make you whole.

Luke 8:49 CSB

49 While he was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”

Once again we see, yet another important thematic address. What does the servant call Jesus? He calls Him teacher.

In this we get to view the situation through the eyes of Jairus and his household. If Jesus is just a teacher than there really is no point in bothering Him anymore. A teacher maybe able to offer some cure to an illness, but a teacher cannot raise a girl to life.

But Jesus is more than just a teacher....

Luke 8:50 CSB

50 When Jesus heard it, he answered him, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe, and she will be saved.”

Again there is a sense that Jesus is addressing more than just the condition of the girl. He is addressing their faith in him.

Luke 8:51–56 CSB

51 After he came to the house, he let no one enter with him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Everyone was crying and mourning for her. But he said, “Stop crying, because she is not dead but asleep.” 53 They laughed at him, because they knew she was dead. 54 So he took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he gave orders that she be given something to eat. 56 Her parents were astounded, but he instructed them to tell no one what had happened.

In this passage of scripture we see that Jesus makes to absurd statements # 1 in a crowd of people, “Who touched me?” then # 2 “Stop crying because she is not dead but asleep.”

Anytime Jesus makes a statement that doesn’t seem to fit the context of what is going on. It’s even more important to pay attention to what he is doing.

So once again Jesus does the unexpected.

According to Jewish law to touch a dead person would make you unclean. Yet Jesus reached down grabs her by the hand and calls out “get up” and she does.

Then he gave them instructions to feed her. This was more than likely to give them proof that she indeed was alive.

We see later that Jesus to prove that he wasn’t ghost after her resurrection ate.

Conclusion:

In this account we see two very different people one a well-respected member of society who through is faith comes to Christ.

Then we see an outcast that struggles to beleive the Jesus would want anything to do with her comes to Christ with what little faith she has.

What I want you to see today is that it doesn’t take a great faith to come before the savior. God in his great love brought or allowed both of these individuals to become desperate enough to know they needed him.

There faith was enough to save them.

A little faith or great faith is faith.