“For with God nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1:37
Luke Chapter 8 gives us a clear picture of two desperate people. Jairus had approached Jesus first when he fell at his feet and begged Him to come to his home. His daughter was dying, and he needed a miracle that day. As Jesus turned to go with him, the woman with the issue of blood came from behind to touch Jesus and received her healing.
Can you imagine the anxiety Jairus must have felt as Jesus stopped to get this lady’s testimony? He knew just how sick his daughter was, and he knew there was no time to waste.
Scripture tells us here that Jairus was a “ruler of the Synagogue.” That was a prominent position and carried with it a lot of weight and prestige throughout the community. I admire him for the fact that he laid his whole reputation on the line and fell at Jesus’ feet as the most outward and public sign of humility. Just by him bowing at the feet of Jesus was public acknowledgement of honor, power and authority toward Jesus and this got Jesus’ attention.
As a ruler of the Synagogue, Jairus knew a lot about the Old Covenant. He was well versed and well trained in the Law, but that day the Law could not save his daughter, so he turned to Grace. John 1:17 says, “For the law was given through Moses, [but] grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
The name “Jairus” in Hebrew means “whom God enlightens.” It’s one thing to know about the Bible and the Word of God, but it’s another to be “enlightened.” Webster defines “enlighten” as illuminate, or to turn the light on. That day, what everyone had been calling Jairus all his life, actually happened. God turned his light on, and he could see clearly that “Grace” was his answer that day and not the Law.
While the Law is followed, Grace is believed and received and that is exactly what Jesus told Jairus to do, “only believe.” After the delay of ministering to the woman with the issue of blood, people came up to Jairus and gave him the devastating news that his daughter had just died and there would be no need to bother Jesus. Clearly, they had not been enlightened.
In response, Jesus told Jairus in Luke 8:50, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” The word well here, is again, the Greek word Sozo. (To be saved, healed, delivered, preserved, protected, to be prosperous and to be made whole.) Jesus told Jairus not to be moved by the natural, factual report, but to only believe.
It’s so tempting when bad news comes to fix our eyes on the problems around us, but if we expect to walk in this Sozo Good News, we must only believe, too. We can’t be moved by the latest economic news, or a doctor’s report, or anything else that doesn’t line up with Sozo, we must only believe. We must allow God to enlighten us continually to His goodness and His grace, (undeserved favor and blessing.)
Today, regardless of what we see, hear, or feel in the natural regarding any area of life, let us choose to “only believe.”
Today’s Thought: “Nothing is impossible when we put our trust in God!”