The Compassion & Timing of Jesus
Sermon Notes
Introduction:
Today we’re continuing our teaching series called The Story, where we’re going through the biblical narrative from the very beginning in Genesis 1 to the last amen in Revelation 22, and today we’re studying a time in history when Jesus delays in helping somebody...It’s a time when Jesus delays in helping a father whose little girl is dying. It’s a very interesting story, because we know Jesus was a compassionate person, so why would he delay?...If Jesus was such a compassionate person, then why would he delay in helping this father?...Why would he delay in helping a little girl who’s dying?...
Here's what I know is true about all of us, it’s that we don’t like delays...We don’t like delays...We don’t like the delay of sitting at a traffic light. We don’t like the delay of Amazon delivering our package in 3 days instead of 2. We don’t like the delay of waiting on hold for a customer service agent, or having to go through a virtual assistant just to talk to a real person. “Hi I’m your virtual assistant. What’s your name?” Louis Tamburro. “Did you say Louis Tam-burrino?” No it’s Louis Tamburro. “Did you say Louis Tam-burrito?” No! This isn’t taco bell! I’m not a chalupa!..We don’t like delays when it comes to a lot of things, but we especially don’t like God’s delays. Some of you are skeptics because you don’t like God’s delays in restoring the world from sin, suffering, and death. You think because there’s a delay in restoring the world, then God either doesn’t exist or he doesn’t care...Some of you are believers, but you’re frustrated with God’s delays in answering your prayers, your cries for help...Well today we’re talking about the time when Jesus delays in helping a little girl who’s dying, and we’re going to see if he has good reasons for his delays. Does Jesus have good reasons for his delays?...Let’s turn to Mark 5 and check it out. If you open your bible to the middle, keep turning right, you’ll find the gospel of Mark. We’ll be in Mark 5:21-42. Title of today’s message is The Compassion and Timing of Jesus. The big idea is to trust in the compassionate heart of Jesus, even in the delayed timing of Jesus...Trust in the compassionate heart of Jesus, even in the delayed timing of Jesus...
Context:
Here’s your context. In Mark ch 4-5 Jesus does several miracles to help build the faith of his disciples. For example he calms a storm and heals a demon possessed man, showing he has authority over both the natural and the supernatural. Well in today’s text he’s going to perform two more miracles, and as we study these miracles we’ll learn three things about Jesus. We’ll learn about: #1 The Compassion of Jesus, #2 The Delayed Timing of Jesus, and #3 The Delayed Lessons of Jesus. We’ll learn about the compassion, delayed timing, and delayed lessons of Jesus that come from his delayed timing. Let’s check it out, let’s see what happens when Jesus delays.
The Word:
Mark 5:21-42 states this, “When Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the sea. 22 One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and begged him earnestly, ‘My little daughter is dying. Come and lay your hands on her so that she can get well, and live.’” Notice Jairus didn’t say my little girl might be dying, he says she is dying, and you can sense the desperation in his voice. He’s desperately pleading for Jesus to heal his little girl. In Luke’s gospel we learn it’s his only little girl, she’s only 12 yrs old, and Luke being a medical doctor confirms her fatal diagnosis. This little girl means the world to Jairus, and the text says he’s so desperate he fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to heal her, which men didn’t do in that culture. It was considered shameful for men to beg at another man’s feet, especially a synagogue leader like Jairus. A man with his status didn’t beg like that, which shows how much Jairus loves his little girl and how desperate he really is. It also shows that the medical doctors couldn’t heal her, because being a synagogue leader meant he was very respected in the community and had access to the greatest medical care. But apparently nobody could heal her, which is why he reaches out to Jesus in such desperation. His 12 yr old little girl will die, unless Jesus does something about it.
Vs. 24, “So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd was following and pressing against him.” We’re seeing our 1st point here which is the compassion of Jesus. What we’re seeing is the compassion of Jesus. A large crowd is following Jesus, and Jesus is so compassionate he’s willing to stop and listen to Jairus’ concern. But he’s also willing to go with him, he’s willing to go with Jairus to heal his little girl. Can you imagine the hope Jairus felt in this moment? His daughter’s about to die, the doctors said there’s nothing more they can do, all hope was lost. But his hope is restored by the compassion of Jesus, it’s restored by Jesus being willing to come.
Vs. 25, “Now a woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years 26 had endured much under many doctors. She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse.” Notice we’re now dealing with a woman who’s been suffering from a blood disorder for 12 yrs. Dr. Luke says it was an incurable blood disorder. It says she spent everything she had on many doctors, but none of them could help her. She’s been suffering from this for 12 yrs, meaning her suffering isn’t just physical, it’s also emotional. In fact people with blood disorders in that culture were viewed as unclean, and nobody would’ve touched her. She was viewed as an outcast, which is why we’re never even given her name. She’s considered an outcast without a name, who’s been rejected and untouched by society for 12 yrs. She hasn’t been touched, hugged, kissed, felt the warmth of somebody laying hands on her to pray. She hasn’t felt the warmth of human embrace for 12 yrs. She’s suffering both physically and emotionally.
Vs. 27, “Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothing. 28 For she said, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I’ll be made well.’ 29 Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction. 30 Immediately Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’” Jesus stops his entire entourage to find out who touched him, which is interesting because he already knows who touched him. I mean if you believe Jesus is God incarnate, fully human and fully divine like the bible teaches, then of course he knows who touched him. You can’t play hide and seek with God! He’ll find you every time! So why does Jesus ask who touched his clothes? It’s because he’s giving her a chance to go public with her faith. He’s giving her a chance to have something far greater than physical healing, which is a relationship with him. Jesus doesn’t want a drive thru relationship with us, he wants a dine in relationship with us. When you drive thru somewhere you’re saying “I need to get in and out,” but when you dine in you’re saying “I’m plan to sit a while.” Jesus doesn’t want a drive thru relationship with us, he wants a dine in eternal relationship with us. He’s saying to this woman and us “Don’t come to me, have your needs met, and then run off without me. I don’t want to be a part of some of your life, I want to be a part of all of your life.” She wants Jesus to transform some of her life, but Jesus wants to transform all of her life. She wants Jesus to transform her health, but Jesus wants to transform her life. She wants to touch his clothes, but Jesus wants to touch her soul.
Vs. 31, “His disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing against you, and yet you say, who touched me?’ 32 But he was looking around to see who had done this. 33 The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 ‘Daughter,’ he said to her, ‘your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed from your affliction.’” Once again we’re seeing the compassion of Jesus here. He not only heals this woman physically, he also heals her emotionally and spiritually by calling her daughter. The term daughter was a term of endearment back then, and she’s the only person in the entire bible Jesus says this to. This woman who had no name, was given a name, a term of endearment by Jesus. This woman nobody accepted, Jesus accepted. This woman nobody wanted, Jesus wanted. This woman who had no name, was given a name. Jesus calls her daughter. He heals her wounded soul, adopts her into his eternal family, and calls her daughter. What we’re learning is Jesus has compassion for both the elite and the outcast. He has compassion for Jairus who’s elite in society, and he has compassion for this woman who’s an outcast in society. Jesus has compassion for anyone who seeks him in desperation, including you...
But what about Jairus?...What’s he think about all this?...I mean if I’m him I’m thinking “You’re calling her daughter, but what about my daughter? This woman’s been suffering for 12 yrs, but my daughter’s suffering right now! My daughter’s going to die right now!” If I were him I’d be full of anxiety waiting for Jesus to finish talking to this lady, hoping he does a better job at triaging this situation. I mean if you’re in an ER, the little girl gets treated first because she’s dying. It would be considered malpractice to treat the other lady first. So if I’m the father I’m saying “Jesus what are you doing? This lady’s situation isn’t an emergency, but mine is! You can help this lady later, but my little needs your help now! My little girl’s dying and needs your help right now!” But Jesus stops to help this other lady first, and here’s what happens as a result.
Vs. 35, “While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher anymore?’” We’re getting into our 2nd point now, which is the delayed timing of Jesus. We’ve seen the compassion of Jesus, but now we’re seeing the delayed timing of Jesus. We’re seeing Jairus’ little girl dies in the delay...Jairus goes from being filled with so much hope, to being filled with so much grief, because his little girl dies in the delay...Jesus says to the bleeding woman “Daughter your healed,” but the people say to Jairus “Your daughter’s dead.” Isn’t this what happens sometimes?...Don’t you sometimes pray for something, but it seems like somebody else gets the blessing?...Somebody else gets the wedding. Somebody else gets to have kids. Somebody else gets the better job with better pay... Somebody else gets the faster growing ministry. Somebody else gets the healing...Somebody else gets their prayers answered, but not you...Sometimes we pray, but it seems like somebody else gets the blessing...It’s disappointing, it stretches our faith when this happens, and it can cause us to question the compassion of Jesus. When we’re wrestling with the delayed timing of Jesus, it can cause us to question the compassion of Jesus. It's a challenging faith moment for us just like it is for Jairus. But we have a choice to make in these moments, just like Jairus has a choice to make. He can either walk away from Jesus like the crowd’s saying, or he continue walking in faith with Jesus. He can either walk away from Jesus, or continue having faith that Jesus knows what he’s doing. He can either walk away from Jesus, or trust Jesus still has a plan, even in the delay.
Vs. 36, “When Jesus overheard what was said, he told the synagogue leader, ‘Don’t be afraid. Only believe.’” In the grief and shattered hope of the delay, Jesus says “Don’t be afraid. Only believe.” But believe what? It’s to believe Jesus will fulfill his promises. Jesus is saying “I already agreed to go. I already agreed to heal your daughter. So trust I’ll fulfill that promise even as you’re living in the delay of that promise.” Trusting in his promises, can always give you hope in your losses...Trusting in his promises, can always give you hope in your losses.
Vs. 37, “He did not let anyone accompany him except Peter, James, and John, James’s brother. 38 They came to the leader’s house, and he saw a commotion—people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, ‘Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.’ 40 They laughed at him, but he put them all outside. He took the child’s father, mother, and those who were with him, and entered the place where the child was.”Jesus says she’s asleep, displaying how powerless death is compared to him. He’s so powerful that when he flexes, he makes death look like a nap. It’s like the movie End Games. Thanos snaps his finger and people die. But in real life Jesus whispers and people live. Listen to vs 41.
Vs. 41, “Then he took the child by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha koum’ (which is translated, ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up’). 42 Immediately the girl got up and began to walk. (She was twelve years old.) At this they were utterly astounded.” Jesus takes her hand, whispers 2 words, and she lives. He whispers talitha which means little girl. But scholars say it’s even more tender than that and can be translated as sweetheart or honey. The other word cumi means toget up. The implication is that Jesus has so much power, he’s able to face humanities greatest enemy, he’s able to face death with a whisper. He whispers “Sweetheart. Honey. It’s time to get up.” Death is temporary, it’s like a short nap, for those who trust in Jesus and his promises.
So we’ve learned about the compassion and delayed timing of Jesus, but what about the delayed lessons of Jesus? What are some of the delayed lessons we’re learning from Jesus in this story? There’s always lessons Jesus is teaching us in the delays, and here’s 2 from the text.
#1 = When Jesus delays it isn’t divine malpractice, it’s divine foresight = Often times when Jesus delays or doesn’t do what we want, we’re quick to accuse him of divine malpractice. But it isn’t divine malpractice it’s divine foresight, because there’s always facts we aren’t aware of as to why Jesus is delaying. For example Jairus didn’t know what Jesus knew, which is that raising his little girl from the dead was as easy as whispering a few words. He also didn’t know Jesus was doing more than healing the woman physically, he was also healing her emotionally and spiritually. He was saving the bleeding woman’s soul, while also keeping his promise to save the little girl’s life. Jairus couldn’t see all those facts when he was living in the delay, just like we can’t see all the facts when we’re living in the delays. We think we know all the facts, we think we know better than Jesus and get frustrated in the delays, but this story shows us we don’t know all the fact. So if you’ve been praying and you’re living in a delay, Jesus must have good reasons for that delay, even if you can’t think of one. He’s saying “If it looks like I’m delaying or doing something that doesn’t make sense to you, remember I’m compassionate and have facts you don’t have...Remember my compassionate heart, will always do what’s best for your heart.”
#2 Trust his promises, even while living in the delay of his promises = We’re learning to trust his promises, even while living in the delay of his promises. Jairus trusted Jesus to heal his little girl and he did. The bleeding woman trusted Jesus to save her and he did. It’s because Jesus always keeps his promises. That doesn’t mean he’ll always give you what you want. Part of us trusting him is saying “Jesus your will, your way is better than mine. Your timing is better than mine! I trust you and your promises, even as I’m living in the delay of those promises.” So Jesus doesn’t always give you what you want. In fact sometimes he’ll give you something better than you want, like he did for the bleeding woman. She wanted physical healing, but Jesus gives her physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. Her physical healing meant she’ll no longer be viewed as an outcast in society which heals her emotionally, and Jesus gives her eternal salvation in relationship with him which heals her spiritually. She gets far more than she was hoping for! We’re learning Jesus can make the unclean person clean again, with the touch of his compassionate hands. He can make our sinful unholy hands clean again, with the touch of his compassionate holy hands. When we have faith that he died for our sins on the cross, his compassionate holy hands cleanse our sinful unholy hands, making us no longer outcasts of heaven, but eternal citizens of heaven. He doesn’t always give you what you want, but sometimes he’ll give you something better than you want. He doesn’t promise to give you everything, but he’ll give you everything he promises. So trust him and his promises, even in the delay.
The Big Idea:
The big idea of the message is to trust in the compassionate heart of Jesus, even in the delayed timing of Jesus...This text reveals that sometimes Jesus’ timing isn’t our timing. But it also reveals that his compassion still remains even in the delays. The good news is Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever,” which means the same Jesus we in the text, is the same Jesus available to us today. It means you can approach him today just like Jairus and the bleeding woman approached him. So take his hand for your salvation, and take his hand in your times of desperation...Take his hand trusting he knows what he’s doing even in the delays...Take his hand trusting that his compassion on the cross promises he’ll always love you, and his power in the resurrection promises he’ll always be ready to wake you. He’ll always love you, and he’ll always be ready to wake you from the nap of death whispering...Talathi Cumi....