Jairus' Wait Paid Off - Big Time!

       While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the
       house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler.

       "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher
       any more?"

       Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't
       be afraid; just believe."

       .....When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus
       saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly.

       He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and
       wailing? The child is not dead, but asleep."

       But they laughed at him.

       After he put them all out, he took the child's father and
       mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in
       where the child was.

       He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!"
       (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!")

       Immediately the girl stood up and walked around... At
       this they were completely astonished.   (Mark 5:35-42)


It seemed to Jairus and the disciples that Jesus had
delayed His arrival at Jairus' house for no really good reason.

After all, the woman who had taken His attention could have waited.

Apparently, then, as now, Jesus' time schedule is not like ours. He cannot be hurried. He had a bigger plan in mind. And, then, as now, He wants to give us MORE....

Here are some notes from Timothy Keller's King's
Cross, Chapter 6.


Do you think it is odd that when Jesus arrives at Jairus' house he says that the girl is just sleeping?

The answer is in what Jesus does next. Remember, Jesus sits down beside the girl, takes her by the hand and says two things to her.

The first is talitha. Literally, it means, "little girl." But that does not get across the sense of what he is saying. This is a pet name, a term of endearment. Since this is a diminutive that a mother would use with a little girl, probably the best translation is "honey."

The second thing Jesus says to her is kuom, which means "arise." Not "be resurrected"; it just means "get up."

Jesus is doing just what this child's parents might do on a sunny morning. He sits down, takes her hand, and says, "Honey, it's time to get up."

And she does.

Jesus is facing death, the most implacable, inexorable enemy of the human race, and such is his power that he holds this child by the hand and gently lifts her right up through it.

"Honey, get up," Jesus says.

Jesus is saying, by his actions, "If I have you by the hand, death itself is nothing but sleep."





Jairus rushed to the Teacher hoping He could come and perhaps heal his daughter.

He received a much bigger miracle: Jesus is not just a healer of physical illness. He is the Lord God of the Universe, who has power over the biggest enemy of all - not illness, but death itself.

And Jairus and his wife and friends were able to witness this first hand. 

They had to wait awhile.

Jesus could not be rushed.



Timothy Keller concludes:

Are you trying to hurry Jesus? Are you impatient with the waiting? Let him take you by the hand, let him do what he wants to do.

He loves you completely.

He knows what he is doing.

Soon it will be time to wake up!


                  
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