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Jesus - Rescuing Individuals from Despair - Mark 5:21-43

Sermon Series: Spare Me the Details - Just Give Me Jesus

Have you ever experienced a time in your life of true despair?  A time when you lost all hope or confidence?  I thought about it for a while and could only think of one time when I would say I experienced true despair.  There were other times when I would say I was close to despair, having lost most of my hope or confidence.  But I have been very fortunate to have only experienced true despair once before.  That may be different for you.  Maybe you’re one that has experienced despair on multiple occasions.  Or maybe you’re not and there hasn’t been a time yet when you have lost all hope or confidence.  Whether you’ve had many bouts with despair or never experienced it at all, we all need someone we can go to when we do experience despair.  The questions are “who do we go to in our despair?” and “how do we go?”  The text we’ll examine today answers both of those questions with great clarity.  As we look at the text of Mark 5:21-43, we’ll see two individuals whose lives were characterized by great despair and we’ll see that Jesus is the One who rescues them from it.  We will also see two important truths concerning the way Jesus rescues individuals from despair. 

[Before we walk through the text let me remind you of one of the literary techniques Mark  uses on occasion in his gospel as we will see it being used in these verses.  It’s a technique we called the sandwich technique.  In that technique Mark begins with one narrative, interrupts the narrative with a different narrative, and then finishes the narrative that he began with. It’s like he puts one story right into the middle of another story.  And one of the important things we have to remember when Mark uses this technique is that it is the story in the middle that defines and drives home the main point.  Just like what is between the slices of bread defines the kind of sandwich you have, the middle story helps us to define and drive home the point that Mark is trying to communicate to his readers.]

Verses 21-24 introduce the first half of a story about a ruler of the synagogue whose daughter is on the verge of death.  In verse 21 Jesus, His disciples, and His other close followers have completed their journey back across the Sea of Galilee (see Mark 5:1-20 and last week’s blog post for more on where they were traveling back from) to the western side of the sea, populated predominately by Jewish people.  Upon their arrival a great crowd gathers around Him.  Mark, in typical fashion, doesn’t choose to focus on the crowd, but rather draws our attention to an individual.  Mark tells us in verse 22 that a ruler of the synagogue named Jarius comes and falls at the feet of Jesus.  A ruler of the synagogue was not a priest or a kind of worship leader.  Synagogues you’ll recall were led by lay members of the community, not priests or scribes.  But there was typically one member of the community that was responsible for giving general oversight to the synagogue and he was given the title of ‘ruler of the synagogue.’  The name Jarius isn’t significant in the sense that this should be someone that we recognize.  But the fact that Mark gives us his name will be a significant detail as Mark continues to lay out the narrative for us the readers.  When Jarius falls before Jesus he tells him that his daughter is “at the point of death.”  This girl was in an extremely critical time.  At this particular point she was not just really sick nor was she really sick and on her way to dying.  She was at this moment in the last few moments before death.  Death was inevitable and was literally setting in at that very time.  So Jarius’ plea was one coming from a desperate heart and time was of the essence.  Jarius’ pleads with Jesus, asking Him to come and lay hands on his daughter so that she might be made well.  And verse 24 reveals to us that Jesus was willing, that He leaves with Jarius, and that a great crowd follows after them.

Mark then interrupts this narrative with verses 25-34 as he recounts an interruption that took place on the way to Jarius’ home.  In verse 25 Mark begins to tell of a woman who has suffered incredibly for a long time and uses strong language in order to paint the picture for his readers.  Notice that she “had a discharge of blood for twelve years,” she “had suffered much under many physicians,” she “had spent all that she had” and she wasn’t getting better but was growing worse.  Mark wants his readers to understand that this woman’s chances of improving aren’t any better than the chances of Jarius’ dying daughter.  In addition to these problems this woman was suffering greatly from the implications of her blood flow.  If you were to examine Leviticus 15:19-27 you would fine that women were considered unclean any time there was a discharge of blood from their body for the entire time that the discharge was occurring.  So not only had this woman been suffering physically for 12 years, but she had also been considered unclean for the last 12 years.  Desperate for help, just like Jarius, this woman comes to Jesus.  But her approach is altogether different.  Jarius approaches Jesus from the front, having a name, a title, and a place of prominence in the community.  But this woman approaches from behind, possessing no name, no title, and without a place in the community because of her uncleanness.  She comes though, having heard the reports of Jesus and believing that He could make her well.  And in that faith she touches His garments.  Then immediately verse 29 says, the flow of blood dried up and the woman was healed of her disease.

Verse 30 is where Mark turns our eyes to our incredible Savior.  Verse 30 tells us that Jesus perceived that power had gone out from Him and that He stops and begins to ask those in the crowd who has touched His garments.  Now remember, Jesus is on His way to Jarius’ house and time is of the essence.  But Jesus insists on knowing who has touched Him.  Don’t miss this guys!  While the woman wanted something (healing) from Jesus, Jesus wanted someone!  He wants to be far more involved in the life of an individual than just providing healing.  He wants to know us individually and to have a relationship with us.  This is so important to Jesus that He stops His travel to Jarius’ home when there is no time to spare until He finds out who has received His healing power.  In verse 33 the woman comes before Him and tells Him what she has done.  And Jesus responds in verse 34 not condemning the woman, but calling her ‘daughter’ and reassuring her that it is her faith in Him that has made her well.

Here’s the principle that really seems to stand out in this middle narrative (the truth that really determines and drives what Mark wants his readers to understand) – Jesus doesn’t shower saving grace on crowds of people, but He does rescue individuals from their despair.  While Jesus was hurrying to Jarius’ house to help his daughter another woman in great despair comes to Him, and believing in Him as a result of the reports that she has heard, she secretly touches Him and receives healing.  Now if Jesus was simply sent to bring as much good to as many people as possible He could have kept right on going, knowing that someone had benefited from His power, but not needing to know who.  He would have been satisfied with simply doing a good work for a needy individual.  But that’s not Jesus’ response in this story.  Jesus stops and insists on knowing who has received His healing power.  Jesus wants a personal relationship with those He has come to save.  There’s a popular belief now among many people in the culture that has earned the name ‘universalism.’  The belief behind ‘universalism’ is that after this life on earth we will all enter into the presence of God in Heaven for all of eternity.  The belief has grown in popularity because it allows people to live the way they want and it allows them to have hope for eternity.  But while the idea is appealing, it isn’t at all what the Bible depicts.  The Bible teaches that we all are sinners and because of our sin we are all existing in a terrible state.  The Bible says that as a result of sin we are “dead in our trespasses” (Ephesians 2:5), that we are lost like sheep having gone astray (Isaiah 53:6), and that our sin nature makes us “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3) deserving not the favor of God but His wrath.  Because of our sin, every one of us is without any hope or confidence that we will be able to achieve reconciliation with God and eternity with Him.  God knew that and formulated a plan in which He would send His only Son, Jesus, to rescue humanity from their sin.  And while Jesus’ death on the cross satisfied God’s just demand for punishment and His shed blood was sufficient to make atonement for all of creation, it is NOT applied to everyone.  Jesus’ forgiveness and cleansing is only applied to those who by faith believe in Him as their Lord and Savior.  Listen to what John 1:11-12 says, “He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.  But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”  The Bible doesn’t teach that Jesus came to earth to shower saving grace on all of humanity.  But Jesus did come to rescue humanity from sin, something we are all guilty of and something that should cause every person to despair.  But in the midst of that despair we can run to Jesus.  It doesn’t matter if we don’t have a name, a title, or a great position – Jesus longs to rescue you from the despair in your life and asks only that you come to Him personally in faith, and He will heal you of your sin.  This is the beginning of discipleship.  Mark, in his gospel, never depicts discipleship as simply getting our needs met.  Discipleship is always marked by a relationship, being in Jesus’ presence, being known by Him, and following Him.

Now let’s look at how the narrative of Jarius concludes.  Verse 35 tells us that while Jesus was still speaking to the woman some people from Jarius’ house showed up.  See the picture in your mind.  In the center of this crowd there are now three people: Jesus and the woman who has been healed, and Jarius.  The attention of the crowd is turned toward Jesus and the woman – just like ours, the reader’s is.  But look over Jesus shoulder and you’ll see Jarius, incredibly anxious – desperately wanting Jesus to finish this conversation and to continue with him to his home.  Now notice another guy, quietly working his way through the crowd.  It’s one of Jarius’ closest friends.  Jarius doesn’t see him coming up behind him – instead His thoughts are consumed with his daughter’s health and he’s trying as patiently as he knows how for Jesus to wrap up this dialogue and to come with him.  Then Jarius’ friend reaches him, gently grabs hold of his friend’s arm, pulls him close and quietly says “Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the teacher any further?”  The Bible doesn’t say for sure who these individuals were, I’m only speculating here. But Mark does reveal their message and the message speaks volumes.  While they may have hoped that Jarius’ plan to go to Jesus would work believing that Jesus was able to heal the sick, their hope was lost when the little girl died.  When the daughter dies they come for Jarius believing that there is no longer any need to bother Jesus because there is no longer any thing that He can do about the situation.  They may have believed that He could do away with sickness, but they did not believe that He could do anything about those who had died.  Believing Jesus to be powerless over the situation, they encourage Jarius to depart with them and not to bother Christ any longer.  In their eyes there was no reason to consume Jesus’ time and energy with a situation that He could do nothing about.  Instead they ought to let Him alone and free Him up to work in the situations He was able to do something in.  But then verse 36 offers Jarius and the reader great hope!  Verse 36 tells us that Jesus, while He was talking with the woman, actually overhears the comment that was made to Jarius, and Jesus turns to Jarius and speaks words of great encouragement, “Do not fear, only believe.”  We’ve seen in the past that in Mark’s gospel, crowds aren’t necessarily good things.  Crowds represent those who are fascinated by miracles and a new kind of teaching.  But Mark’s gospel seems to differentiate between crowds and close followers (or disciples).  While the crowds often marvel at Jesus, it is the close followers (or disciples) that believe and follow Him.  And as we move into the later portion of the story about Jarius we see that those who come to find him and to bring him the news of his daughter’s death are not firm believers in Him – they may have marveled at Him in the past, but they are not believing in Him presently.  Notice that Jesus speaks to Jarius individually.  It is to Jarius that Jesus says, “Do not fear, only believe.”  Jesus is willing and able to rescue individuals from despair and He demonstrates here that it is an individual’s faith that Jesus responds to – not the disbelief of a group.  Jesus wants Jarius as an individual, to believe in Him in faith and not to fall into the disbelief of the group.  Then notice that verse 37 carries the idea even further.  In verse 37, Jesus takes Jarius and his closest three disciples, Peter, James, and John, on to Jarius’ house, but does not permit anyone else to follow Him.  As they arrive at the house, these five men encounter another group marked by disbelief.  Verse 38 says they see a group of people causing a commotion, weeping and wailing loudly.  Coming into this group of people, Jesus asks them in verse 39 why they are making the commotion and weeping so loudly.  He then assures the group that the child is not dead, but only sleeping.  And verse 40 tells the reader that these individuals did not believe but rather laughed at Jesus.  So the text says Jesus put them all outside and only takes Jarius, his wife, and His three disciples into the house with Him.  Then once inside, Jesus took the girl by the hand and said to her, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”  And verse 42 says that in obedience to Jesus’ command the girl immediately got up and began to walk around.  And those present in the room were “overcome with amazement.”    

This is great news!  Jesus’ isn’t moved by groups who don’t believe in Him.  Nor is Jesus limited in power because there are those who don’t believe He possesses it.  Jesus doesn’t refuse to help Jarius because there were others who did not believe He could work a miracle.  But Jesus did require something from Jarius – faith.  And it wasn’t just any kind of faith that Jesus required of Jarius – it was faith like the woman’s from verses 25-34.  While there was no hope left for her and while she had great reason to despair, she chose to come to Jesus in faith and to believe that He could bring an end to her twelve year condition.  Jarius, a man greatly despairing for his little girl needed to have faith in Christ and believe that He could bring new life to his little girl and rescue him from his despair.  The disbelief of the other’s surrounding Jarius and his situation made no difference to Jesus.  Jesus only required Jarius to have faith in Him, not to fear, and to believe. 

In our times of despair there is someone we can run to – it’s Jesus.  Regardless of who we are, our position in life, or our status in society, we can run to Jesus.  But in order to experience His salvation, in order to receive His forgiveness, and in order to be reconciled with God, we have to come believing in Jesus (that His death on the cross was for us and that He rose again conquering sin, Satan, and hell), surrendering our life to Him, and following after Him as His disciple.  You won’t have saving grace showered on you simply because you live on this side of the cross.  Nor will you find that Jesus is limited in His power to rescue you because there are others who don’t believe.  You simply come in faith and allow Him to replace your despair with hope, peace, and incredible joy!

Small Group Questions

1. Read Mark 5:21-24, 35-43.  Some of the individuals in Jarius' life did not believe in the power of Jesus to bring new life to his daughter and sought to persuade Jarius to leave Jesus alone.  Have you ever experienced a time when others (either directly or indirectly) tried to persuade you not to believe in the power of Jesus?  What are some things that we can do as a small group to encourage one another to have unwaivering faith in Christ?  What are some things we need to guard ourselves against so that we don't ever discourage faith in Christ?

2. Read Mark 5:25-34.  After the woman received healing Jesus had to stop and ask "who touched my garments?"  One of the points we made was that the woman wanted something (healing), while Jesus wanted someone (a relationship).  Can you think of some examples of when we tend to just ask Jesus to supply us with something?  In those times, is there a way that we can can go beyond simply asking Jesus for something and turn those into opportunities to grow our relationship with Him as well?

3. How should being rescued from despair change an individuals life?  The Bible is clear that coming to Jesus in faith is the only means of salvation - on our own we can have no hope or confidence in achieving salvation by our own merit.  So each of us has been rescued from despair in that sense.  Has that changed our lives?  Can others tell?

4. What step of faith does this passage of scripture require us to take as individuals and as a small group?  How do we work this out on mission?

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