Faith of Two

Introduction

There are no hopeless situations, only people who have grown hopeless about them. What do you do when hope is gone? How do you act when you find yourself losing confidence or facing an outcome that does not look good? Under pressure, our minds are often captured by the lack of hope. We give up on people, saying things like “he will never change.” We give up on situations, declaring “it is hopeless.” It is hard to be hopeful when we are losing, blind, or defeated.

What is hope? It is so much more than wishful thinking. As it is used in the Bible, hope has to do with expectation. To hope is to expect that God will do something. As followers of Jesus, we hold on to the promises of God, which gives hope. Listen to the words of God in Isaiah 40:25-31, Romans 15:13, and 1 Peter 1:3-9. Hope exists through our God. We have come this morning to renew hope, to once again lay claim to that which God has promised.

Two Stories

After healing the man possessed by demons, Jesus returns to Jewish territory. A great crowd waits for him. A ruler of the synagogue is among the first to greet Jesus. Falling at Jesus’ feet, he begs Jesus to come to his house and heal his twelve-year-old daughter. Jesus accepts the invitation simply by narrating that he was on his way. The crowds crush Jesus. There isn’t any room between Jesus and the people—lots of touching and jostling. Jesus’ journey is interrupted by a woman.

This woman has no desire to talk with Jesus. She has only the desire to be healed. For twelve years she has suffered from a medical condition that has not been cured. She has exhausted her financial and emotional resources. The woman comes up behind Jesus with no desire to stop him, talk with him, or tell him anything. Her faith is strong. She believes touching Jesus’ clothes will be enough, and indeed it is. Jesus stops mid-stride to ask who touched him. Peter understands this is a bizarre request—there are too many people touching him already.

Jesus says he knows power has left him. Do not read this as if Jesus has limited power. It is an opposite statement. Jesus is able to discern when someone touches him in a crowd and when someone touches him in faith. He demonstrates his power not only in healing the woman but in being able to discern the intent of the woman. He is not interested in letting this believer merely touch him and walk away. She had wanted to go about her business unnoticed. Humans may not notice, but our God notices each thing—even the touch of faith in a sea of humanity.

Do not tell me that our God is too busy to hear and see what you think is insignificant. Our God wants a personal encounter with you. A woman who didn’t want anything from Jesus is not going to be left alone by the one who heals her. Anonymity is not possible with God. He knows you. He knows your heart. He knows your sorrows. He knows that you want to be healed, and he knows what you need. The woman approaches Jesus with trembling. Jesus gives her peace. The woman approaches wanting to hide in the shadows. Jesus draws her into the open. Jesus wants to know this woman. It isn’t enough to heal her; he wants to know her. On his way to heal a young lady, Jesus takes the time to spend time with someone who has hidden for twelve years. No more hiding.

The tension is building. Just as Jesus intends to continue his journey, word comes that the daughter has died. “Don’t bother the teacher any more.” Death has come. It’s over. Time to go home and bury the dead. But Jesus is not so quickly dismissed. Don’t be afraid. Let’s keep going. Jairus begins to move toward his house. There is no explanation why he should continue to bother the teacher. Jesus assures Jairus that he will heal her. She’s dead, but not for Jesus. Urged on by the promise of what can be, Jairus moves toward home.

The mourners are waiting for Jairus. Jesus announces that the girl is sleeping. The mourners’ laughter shows that they know the truth—the girl is dead. Only a mad man would propose otherwise. Jesus takes the girl by the hand and, speaking in a very loud voice, says “Child, Arise.” Jesus gives two further commands: feed the child and don’t tell anyone what you have seen. The intent seems to be found in chapter 9—the power to heal was to be accompanied with preaching and teaching. It was the teaching that was fundamental.

Hope

How do you imagine Jairus’ face when he heard the news about his daughter? Whatever expression and whatever emotion Jairus was experiencing was met with the calm reassurance of Jesus: Don’t be afraid. Believe. What do you do when things are going wrong? What happens to you on the inside when things are falling apart? Jesus’ words are still the same. Don’t be afraid. Believe.

This is the expression of hope when the situation seems hopeless. There are times when hope dies. Fear gives way to reality. Death comes. It may be physical death, or it may be the death of a dream. When hope dies, there is little to hang on to. Platitudes are not helpful. Keep your chin up. Things will get better. Every dark cloud has a silver lining. Tell those things to a person who has lost hope, and the person scoffs.

When I was a child, I would break things—typical things like toys, windows, the bank. Dad would fix what I broke. I would get so scared when I broke something, fearing that Dad would be angry, and sometimes he was. But he would fix things and send me out to resume my destruction. While he didn’t fix everything, I never doubted that he would try. It is one thing to speak of windows and another thing to talk about life.

The scars from childhood remain. It is difficult to trust anyone. Listen to the words of Jesus: Don’t be afraid. I can heal that. There is hope. Your spouse has failed you one too many times. You are not sure you can keep things together. Listen to Jesus: Don’t be afraid. I can heal that. There is hope. Your health has given way. Never has your body failed you like it is now. Don’t be afraid. There is hope. No platitudes, but a call to trust one who has demonstrated that he has power to deal with every person. God knows every person.

Listen to the words of God in Romans 5:1-5. Our hope is not in this world but in the one to come. We fully anticipate and expect God to come and claim his children. But here is the kicker: we find joy in sufferings because ultimately these sufferings drive us to hope. It isn’t a false hope, a hope based on platitudes, but a hope that is proven by God’s Holy Spirit of love who has been given to us. Just like Jairus so long ago, the words of Jesus are still ours because God’s Spirit lives within us. Don’t be afraid. I have something better waiting for you. This defeat hurts, but I am going to use this defeat to prepare you for something better. Trust me.

What does this trust look like? Even in our tears there is a confidence. With our heart sinking, there is a song of praise on our lips. With no idea what the immediate future holds, we thank our God for his nearness. And with a heart of pain, we express “I believe.”

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