The Gospel of Luke (31): Helpless Jairus and the hopeless woman 07/09/2023

First Baptist Church Leominster

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All right, Pastor Jason will come and read for us our

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New Testament reading. Today is Romans 3. Romans 3 contains really the culmination of what has gone on before.

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Paul argued that the whole world is guilty before God because of God's law.

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All people are condemned, both Jew and Gentile. Nobody can live according to the righteousness of the law perfectly so as to obtain salvation by it.

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But thankfully the Lord has provided another way of obtaining righteousness and that is through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.

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And so that is set forth wonderfully here in Romans chapter 3. Romans 3.

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Then what advantage has the Jew or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way.

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To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful?

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Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means. Let God be true though everyone were a liar, as it is written, that you may be justified in your words and prevail when you are judged.

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But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us?

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I speak in a human way. By no means. For then how could God judge the world?

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But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?

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And why not do evil that good may come? As some people slanderously charge us with saying, their condemnation is just.

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What then? Are Jews any better off? Not at all. For we have already charged that all, both

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Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written, none is righteous, no not one.

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No one understands. No one seeks for God. All have turned aside. Together they have become worthless.

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No one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave. They use their tongues to deceive.

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The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood.

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In their paths are ruin and misery and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.

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Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law so that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

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For by the works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

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But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it.

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The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe for there is no distinction for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom

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God put forward as a propitiation by his blood to be received by faith.

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This was to show God's righteousness because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

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It was to show his righteousness at the present time so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

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Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law?

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By a law of works? No but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

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Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also.

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Since God is one, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith?

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Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means. On the contrary, we uphold the law.

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Let's pray. Lord God as we read this text we recognize that Romans 3 is a description of each one of us prior to coming to Christ.

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Not one of us was good. Not one of us sought after you. We were without fear and Lord we confess these things and we're so grateful that you have saved us from them.

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You have delivered us. You have redeemed us by payment of ransom. Lord Jesus, you were the propitiation for us.

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You bore the wrath of God in our place as our substitute, as our divinely appointed substitute.

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And Lord we just thank you so much for his work. We thank you for the faith that you have given to us that we are able to receive your truth.

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And Lord we thank you for what that means that we are your sons and your daughters by faith in Jesus Christ.

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And so Lord we praise you and we exalt you for the marvelous gift of our salvation.

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Lord we pray now that as we continue our worship through the sermon that you would just help us hear your truth.

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We pray that you would take the truth to our hearts so that we would be able to apply it and that we would live it out in the power of your spirit.

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We pray for Pastor Lars that you would give him clarity of thought and clarity of voice as he proclaims your truth to us.

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We just pray Lord that your word would go forth and that you would be pleased.

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Thank you Lord in Jesus name, amen. Well the last time we were in Luke's gospel a couple weeks ago we read of our

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Lord delivering a man from demon possession. He had been possessed by these demons, a legion of them, and he had been oppressed.

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But by the time the Lord got done with him he was one of his disciples wonderfully. When the people of the region heard that Jesus had cast the demons into a herd of 2 ,000 swine which then ran into the sea and drowned, then they came to Jesus.

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The people were then filled with fear and they urged Jesus to leave their region. And so Jesus and his disciples got in their boat there on the southeast side of the

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Sea of Galilee and sailed to the western shore back toward Capernaum. But whereas the

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Gadarenes asked Jesus to depart from them out of fear, we read of a multitude of people welcomed

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Jesus's return for they had been waiting for him, desiring his presence among them.

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And it's then that we read here in Luke chapter 8 of a ruler of a synagogue coming to Jesus for help and soon after a very needy woman came to Jesus in a rather clandestine way.

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And each of them through faith received that which they desired for which they were in great need.

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And so we'll open our Bible to Luke chapter 8 and we'll read verses 40 through 56.

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Now if you were looking at our notes you might notice that I have some phrases in bold and italic.

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Those are actually phrases that are in the New King James version that we're reading but were probably not original with Luke.

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They were probably included by a scribe as they are copying Luke's gospel down through history.

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And so if you're reading the ESV you would find these these phrases probably not present. Okay. And so here's

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Luke chapter 8 40 through 56. I might say this also you have a lot of notes in front of you.

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There's no way in the world we have time to get through them all. Actually the last two pages are just some words of application that I thought you might find helpful as you can read at a later time.

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And so here's Luke chapter 8 40 through 56. And so it was when

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Jesus returned that the multitude welcomed him for they were all waiting for him. And behold there came a man named

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Jairus and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down to Jesus's feet and begged him to come to his house for he had an only daughter about 12 years of age and she was dying.

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But as he went the multitude stronged him and now a woman having a flow of blood for 12 years who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any came from behind and touched the border of his garment.

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And immediately her flow of blood stopped and Jesus said who touched me?

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When all denied it Peter and those with him said master the multitude strong and press you and you say who touched me?

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But Jesus said somebody touched me for I perceive power going out from me.

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Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden she came trembling and falling down before him she declared to him in the presence of all the people the reason that she had touched him and how she was healed immediately.

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And he said to her daughter be of good cheer your faith has made you well go in peace.

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While he was still speaking someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house saying to him your daughter is dead do not trouble the teacher.

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But when Jesus heard it he answered him saying do not be afraid only believe and she will be made well.

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And when he came into the house he permitted no one to go in except Peter James and John and the father and mother of the girl.

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Now all wept and mourned for her but he said do not weep she is not dead but sleeping and they ridiculed him knowing that she was dead.

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But he put them all outside and took her by the hand and called saying little girl arrives and then her spirit returned and she arose immediately and he commanded that she be given something to eat and her parents were astonished but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

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And so we have two healing stories intertwined in our passage. Jesus was en route to assist one when he paused to help another.

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This man Jairus came to Jesus rather boldly compelled with a sense of urgency.

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We might say this man came to see he was helpless in dealing with his present need. His only daughter of 12 years was dying and this drove him to Jesus.

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The woman came to Jesus in a rather timid manner compelled by desperation. She had been ill 12 years.

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She had been sick as long as the daughter of Jairus had been living 12 years. We might say that she was also helpless yes like Jairus but perhaps we could regard her more as a hopeless soul prior to coming to Jesus and hope in Jesus Christ led her to him.

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They were different people with different backgrounds with different problems but both came to see that they needed to come to Jesus for something only he could do for them.

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Their respective circumstances drove them to Jesus and of course actually we would say

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God being sovereign all -powerful in control of all creation drew these two people to his son through their calamities.

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God does that. The Lord had brought this man to a place of helplessness so that he would seek out

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Jesus and that the Lord in his mercy brought this woman to a point of hopelessness that she too would seek out

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Jesus and God uses the same means today doesn't he? He brings people to experience a sense of hopelessness and helplessness so that they might seek him.

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I imagine that a number of us could give testimony that we were driven by our hopeless situation or helpless condition to seek salvation in Jesus.

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So we could say as a before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keep your word.

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It is necessary for God to work in this way because apart from his gracious dealing no one seeks him.

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Pastor Jason just read that in Romans 3 verse 11. Though his dealings with us may have been severe it was the loving thing for him to do if through these means we would be brought to seek him that he would be found by us.

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No immediate cause of sickness is given for either Jairus's daughter or for this woman.

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Of course all malady is present in this world ultimately due to sin. J .C.

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Ryle rightly wrote how much misery and trouble sin has brought into the world. The passage we've just read affords a melancholy proof of this.

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First we see a distressed father and bitter anxiety about a dying daughter and then we see a suffering woman who has been afflicted 12 years with an incurable disease and these things which sin has sown broadcast over the whole earth.

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These are but patterns of what is going on continually on every side. These are evils which

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God did not create at the beginning but man has brought upon himself by the fall. There would have been no sorrow no sickness among Adam's children if there had been no sin.

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Of course the sickness of this woman and that of the daughter of Jairus are not attributed directly to their sin.

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The passage does not say that. Perhaps they were as the man who had been born blind in John chapter 9.

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The disciples asked Jesus rabbi who sinned this man or his parents that he would mourn blind and Jesus answered neither this man nor his parents in but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

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And so it would seem that it was in God's purpose that the prolonged sickness of this woman and the sickness onto death of this daughter were so that the works of God would be revealed in them.

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So let's consider our passage with respect to these recipients of God's grace.

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We're going to first consider the woman for she was healed first and then we'll focus on Jairus and his daughter.

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And so we read of the hopeless case the hemorrhaging woman. Let's reflect upon this woman again.

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We read but as he Jesus went the multitudes thronged him. Now a woman having a flow of blood for 12 years who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any came from behind and touched the border of his garment.

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This woman had a very personal and what she had come to believe an insolvable problem.

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She had a secret sorrow for she had a condition which was very personal and it brought her much shame.

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She had been hemorrhaging bleeding for some 12 years and although countless cures had been purchased she was no better off.

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The nature of her illness itself suggests isolation. For when one understands the implications of her condition and the

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Jewish religion of the day her shame and isolation are compounded. She was unclean according to Mosaic law.

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Leviticus 15 declares women like this as unclean. And so as a result she was forbidden to gather and participate with the people of God in their worship.

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She would not have been allowed into the courts of the women in the temple in Jerusalem nor would she have been allowed in the synagogue weekly there in Capernaum.

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And she was regarded as someone who defiled others when she came in contact with them. And so this woman had sensed her isolation some 12 years due to her illness and no doubt it caused her to withdraw from others to avoid associations that might have developed into close friendships.

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She must have been a lonely woman. So not only did she see sense being an outcast but she must have imposed upon herself social isolation.

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She no doubt thought so ill of herself that she would defile others that she remained alone and her cautious approach to Jesus through the crowd gives evidence that this was so.

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She didn't come and speak to Jesus as Jairus did. She snuck up behind him and touched the garment.

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Well there are many today like this woman and some of you may be able to identify closely with her not to a similarity of suffering but because of similarity of effects.

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Because of your secret sorrow you would withdraw from others if you could perhaps due to personal sin.

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I once knew a man who stopped coming to church for a time he was a good friend too out in Sacramento. I thought that I had offended him in some way and after investigation

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I discovered he had a grievous besetting sin which caused him to withdraw from others.

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He felt that God's blessing would not be upon me or his church if he continued in attendance and so he imposed on himself a self -excommunication.

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Self -imposed isolation may be because of one's circumstances. Again in Sacramento I knew a sweet tender -hearted

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Christian woman who was married to a terrible man and because of his influence and example her children were like he was frankly.

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She was terribly ashamed because of it and so she withdrew from others because of them.

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She rarely ventured among Christians for she felt she was such a poor example of a

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Christian wife and mother her family she avoided being with the people of God.

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Yet we need not have experienced such extreme things to relate to this woman found in our story for this really is typical of problems in general.

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The result of sin as well as some kinds of non -sinful personal problems lead to the same kinds of results and reactions.

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How often we have heard as pastors but pastor my case is unique.

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We've been around a while there there isn't anything unique such as common to man but my problem has been such a long term or my case is a such a personal nature.

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There's something inherent about personal problems that would have us withdraw from others, isolate ourselves, shield ourselves from others, not be open and honest with them.

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We have secret faults. Well let's examine this woman's case a bit further.

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Notice secondly that the woman had exhausted every human means to find a cure. She had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any.

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She knew that her disease was a serious one. It was sapping her of her vitality.

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She'd sought a cure every possible place with all her resolve and all her resources. She had spent all her money on physicians.

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Now many of us may have followed her footsteps. We have a problem, physical ailment, a marital problem, a financial problem and because of the seriousness of the matter it's fixed most clearly on our minds.

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We never escape its influence or effects. It consumes our thoughts. It is the focus of our emotions.

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We fixate upon it in our minds every day. It's that upon which we put forth all our efforts.

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We're consumed by the prospect of resolution to bring an end to our difficulty.

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But again how could it be otherwise? After all we we reason is it not a good thing to be healthy, to have security, to have a happy home and certainly it is.

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But a problem may result when this occurs in the life of a Christian. For the

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Bible tells us that the kingdom of God should be the central focus of our lives and that it should be our primary concern to bring glory to God in all our circumstances.

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That is not to say it's not normal or wrong to want relief from our difficult circumstances but above all else we're here to serve

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God in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. God is sovereign and in his providence he leads his children.

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But further than this we would hope that our desire to glorify God would be so great that we would be willing to endure yes even welcome anything that comes into our lives if it causes us to become more like him or enables us to bring glory to him.

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And so may the Lord help us to become as Paul who could write we rejoice in our sufferings

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I wonder how many of us have obtained that level of faith.

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For Paul knew that it brought glory to God and one day would bring great glory to him also.

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A Christian's great sufferings will bring great glory one day when they stand before the Lord.

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But oftentimes a problem can be so acute a situation can be so distressing and painful that it pulls our sight away from this overarching purpose for our lives and leads us to focus our attention solely on our problem.

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It consumes us. It's a central issue of our lives. How could it be otherwise?

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And then sadly we even perhaps begin to judge God whether or not he's been faithful to us.

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Loving us because he hasn't delivered us from our problem and it's been so prolonged.

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It's been 12 years. This was Job's experience wasn't it? If you're reading through your

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Bibles with our reading chart we're in Job right now. This was a thought that he had.

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For some Bible teaching and preaching and Christian books and leaders are no longer assessed and judged as to whether or not they are true to the scriptures but rather the primary question is asked does it help me?

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Is it practical? Does it meet my needs? And often that's the criteria by which churches are assessed and judged.

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Am I being helped here? And what happens then is that we can become prey to charlatans and false teachers.

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For we're no longer looking for truth but we're looking for relief for a cure.

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And anyone who comes along and offers a cure we're like this woman we're prone to embrace with our heart and purse.

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Well thirdly we see this woman had exhausted herself suffering further due to false cures.

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We read of this poor woman had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any. Mark paints the picture a bit more in that she suffered many things from many physicians.

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She'd spent all that she had and was no better but rather grew worse. Not only was she suffering from her ailment but her suffering was compounded through her many supposed cures.

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The promised cures had worsened her condition. Her doctors were taking her money and taking a bit more of her health from her with every treatment it would see.

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She tried everything she spent all she had and she was only worse off for having done so.

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We could imagine her after she exhausted one treatment became quite discouraged but then she heard of another doctor and many glowing testimonies of how he has helped so many and so moved again by hope she goes to him only to meet disappointment and this is repeated over over for 12 years and finally she must have despaired of all hope.

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She'd become quite skeptical perhaps cynical of all who would hold forth hope for her.

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She probably thought even God had abandoned her to her condition for all her prayers had been unanswered.

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If doubts of God's ability did not enter her thoughts certainly doubts of God's love must have she was alone.

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Even God had separated himself from her or so she thought. She was a broken and broke human being and the result

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I suspect she was depressed and in my understanding of the scriptures this is what depression is hopelessness.

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I was reminded I think it was a men's group recently of a well -known experiment of a behaviorist psychologist.

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He sought to prove that helplessness was learned behavior. He locked a dog in a metal cage he then sent electric current through the cage shocking the dog with each jolt the dog made frantic but futile attempts to escape and finally the dog laid down just whimpered and suffered.

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All his efforts had proved futile there were no escape of his condition but then the door of the cage was opened wide but when the dog was again shocked it made no effort to escape.

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After all it had already learned there was no escape from his torment and so he tried it had tried everything.

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He continued to lather and whimper as the current course through his cage and the conclusion of the so -called experiment was the dog had learned helplessness and had given up.

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It was then concluded that people go through the same process of learned helplessness and surrendered to their suffering not perceiving any escape from their misery.

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Well I suspect that this woman was at this point of despair but then she learned of Jesus.

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She heard of Jesus and came to him in faith. After this woman had exhausted all other means of hope she was ready to come to him.

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She'd come to this place in her life. After all she'd tried everything to no avail.

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She finally learned that none could deliver what they promised. She was defeated and again both broke and broken.

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No one else to go no more money. If there were someone well now she was in a position and place to come to Jesus and she would receive a cure without price or payment.

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She came to Christ in faith. Matthew Henry thought I would include this word from him.

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Her faith was very strong for she doubted not but that by the touch of the hem of his garment she should derive from him healing virtue sufficient for her relief.

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Looking upon him to be such a fountain of mercies that she could should steal a cure and he'd not miss it.

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Thus many a poor soul is healed helped and saved by Christ that is lost in a crowd and that nobody takes notice of.

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The woman found an immediate change for the better in herself and that her disease was cured.

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As believers have comfortable communion with Christ so they have comfortable communications from him incognito secretly meat to eat the world knows not of and joy that a stranger does not intermeddle with.

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And so coming to an end of her means was really the best thing that could have happened to her. It might be the best thing that could happen to some of us.

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One wrote at the bottom of your purse you may find wisdom that you discover that help is to be found only in Jesus.

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That last shackle coin binds us to pretenders but absolute bankruptcy sets us free to go to him who heals our diseases without money or price.

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Of course we're not rejecting physicians as such. God bless them in his common grace. The fact is some will trust themselves to everything and anyone other than the

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Lord Jesus. It would seem as long as there is someone other than the Lord who promises something no matter how empty the promise will scurry to him rather than the

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Lord. People seek answers from the most bizarre of sources. They would sooner consult the stars, tarot cards, psychics, even

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Nostradamus rather than listen to the voice of the Son of God in the scriptures.

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And it's right there for everybody so available to us. Or worse yet they'll rely on themselves and their own wits as long as there's some option people will seek other men and means rather than the

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Lord Jesus. Again Romans 3 11 none seeks after him. That's the nature of sin.

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It's a testimony to mankind's depravity that this is so. These people have to be brought to an end of this nonsense.

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It's a good thing to be brought to an end of yourself. Stripped of pride, having been humbled, having been starved out of self -sufficiency and self -confidence.

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He becomes like a child listening, learning, trusting himself to the Lord Jesus. Pride is one of the greatest sins of mankind.

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Well some will resist coming to Jesus for a prolonged period before finally seeking the

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Lord. This woman lasted for 12 years and then she came to Jesus. Now she's to be pitied of course.

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There's no help available to her for that long time. When her condition began the

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Lord had not yet begun his ministry but on the other hand knowing human nature perhaps she may not have come to Jesus for help if she could have done so.

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As stressed already as long as we think we have an option we'll choose it rather than the Lord.

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We will try any way but God's way until we are forced to humble ourselves and come trusting him alone.

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It took 12 years for her to come to an end of her means and to an end of all her options.

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And sometimes we meet people and we try to ascertain their spiritual condition and determine how far along they are and how much further they have to go before they exhaust themselves on all their options.

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And the Lord gets their attention and they come to salvation through faith alone in the Lord Jesus. Well on occasion the

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Lord can bring a person to the end of himself through the course of a sermon or a gospel tract. With others he works over the course of days weeks or months and then sometimes you know people hold out for 12 years or longer.

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Often we describe this perhaps as a period of conviction. It's not salvation but it's in preparation to it by the grace of God.

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It's a time when the Lord brings an awareness of personal sin and of his righteousness and of certain judgment and of our need for the

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Lord Jesus. In him alone is life. This is a work of the spirit of God in which he prepares the soul to trust the

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Lord Jesus to give forgiveness of sins and trust him to give new life. But as long as there's another option people will tend to choose that.

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Over the years this woman had grown weaker and weaker. Her prayers had grown lighter and lighter but now all was spent.

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Her resources exhausted. No physician would have her now she didn't have money but she hears of Jesus a man sent by God who's healing sick folk of all sort and out of desperation hoping against hope she comes to him and she witnesses what other experienced.

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She'd overhear stories perhaps she thinks there's grace for me as well. I'll get to the crowd.

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I too will be made whole if I but touch him and so no longer looking to the hopelessness of her condition but moved by faith in his gracious person confident of his miracle working power she touches his cloak and great faith brought great reward she is instantly healed.

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Marvelously so. We read she came from behind touched the border of his garment and immediately her flow of blood stopped and then noticed she couldn't be hid.

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Jesus turned about to spoke who touched me? When all denied it

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Peter those with him said master the multitude strong and precious and you say who touched me?

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Somebody touched me I perceive power going out from me. He wasn't weakened by it but he he knew when healing power was going forth from him and when the woman saw she would not hid and she came trembling falling down before him.

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She declared to him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched him and how she was healed immediately and he said to her daughter be of good cheer your faith has made you well go in peace.

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Even if the Lord hadn't drawn a confession to her other people would have very soon known something significant had happened to her why she was a changed person.

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The Lord Jesus gave her a gracious word at her departure daughter be of good cheer your faith has made you well go in peace.

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He announced to her it was through her faith that this blessing came and by the way this is the only woman recorded in the gospels that Jesus called daughter and so she was blessed.

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But what about poor Jairus? Think about him while all this is going on a helpless case a synagogue ruler.

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As we consider this man Jairus we might see him progressing through three stages he was coming to Jesus verses 40 through 42a and then

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Jesus having to wait on Jesus while Jesus is healing this woman and talking with her and then thirdly we see

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Jairus believing on Jesus. Let's work through this first Jairus coming to Jesus the episode opens with this word so it was when

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Jesus returned that the multitude welcomed him for they were all waiting for him and behold there came a man named

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Jairus and he was a ruler of the synagogue and he fell down at Jesus's feet and begged him to come to his house for he had an only daughter about 12 years of age and she was dying.

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Let's consider this man his character and status first of all he was a very dignified religious man he was a prominent man one of high social status in the community for he was a ruler of the synagogue.

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We should assume that he was the ruler of the synagogue in Capernaum where the activity of our lord was concentrated and so as the ruler he would have overseen the worship weekly worship and the activities religious activities in the synagogue.

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He was the keeper of the scriptures the scrolls having access to them he would supervise the order of service planted every week assure the scheduled readings would take place every sabbath and he would secure the the speaker who would give forth the homily the sermon.

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He was no doubt highly educated well instructed in Judaism everything in the narrative points to the prominence of Jairus wrote one life had been good for Jairus he was perhaps fairly affluent he must have been quite content with his existence

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Jairus was no doubt a good man as men go all looked to him with on him with favor and probably many if not most wish they could aspire to his status his respectability his holy light we might ask and I don't think this is a stretch was he a man who had once opposed

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Jesus I think so we may be making a few assumptions here but I think there's adequate evidence to support the assertion that Jairus was once opposed to Jesus as Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue he would have been one of the ones who first invited the young rabbi

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Jesus to speak in the synagogue Jairus must have personally spoke with Jesus on several occasions

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Jairus would have either been a Pharisee and there were good

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Pharisees and they were wrong in their practice and whatnot but humanly speaking they were good men or at least a sympathizer with them for they were the ones who dominated the life of the synagogues and as such

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Jairus would have been present and sympathetic and perhaps even complicit with the efforts of those Pharisees and religious leaders who sought to discredit

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Jesus withstand him openly we read of that back in chapter 6 and he would have probably been in the discussion to rid themselves of Jesus also back in Luke chapter 6 but with the serious sickness of his daughter he was now coming to Jesus for help and so he was a man now coming to Jesus and we read that he came and fell at Jesus's feet pleading with him to come to his house and so in a very dramatic fashion with without with with any sense of propriety reserve he didn't he completely absent he collapses at Jesus's feet petitioning him to follow him to his house this one who had once perhaps criticized the young rabbi's teachings and perhaps had sought to discredit him before others is now begging his assistance well what changed this man's opinion of Jesus because his only daughter a girl about 12 was dying a real overwhelming need arose in his life one to which his social status his wealth his education his influence were powerless his only daughter very precious to him and his wife was dying his heart was broken he was filled with great anxiety so it is the

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Lord will allow problems that come into our lives to strip us of all pretense all props and send us running to him when we finally come to see who could alone give us help maybe a sickness it may be a marital problem it may be a personal problem it may be a problem with someone dear with us many parents have come to Christ because they were concerned about their kids at any rate

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God and his providence brings us to a place of helplessness where we come to realize that only he can bring the help we need and so the

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Lord again moves us to seek him this man had faith his faith was not great we would argue the faith of the woman was greater than his

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Matthew Henry wrote of this man's faith he besought him that he would come into his house not having the faith at least not having the thought of the centurion remember the

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Roman the Gentile centurion who desired Christ only speak the healing of the word at a distance but Christ complied with his request he went along with him strong faith should be applauded and yet weak faith shall not be rejected thankfully and then

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John Calvin addressed the same matter of this man's little faith when compared to the centurion we have here a bright mirror in which the divine condescension towards us is beheld if you compare the ruler of the synagogue with the centurion who is a heathen a

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Gentile you will say that the full brightness of faith shown in the centurion while scarcely the smallest portion of it was visible in the ruler he ascribes to Christ no power except through his touching the person come and touch my daughter and she'll be well and when he was received information of her death he trembles as if there were no farther remedy we see then that his faith was feeble and nearly exhausted yet Christ yields to his prayers and encourages him to expect a favorable result and thus proves to us that his faith however small it might be was not wholly rejected though we have not such abundance of faith as we might as might be desired there's no reason why our weakness should drive away or discourage us from prayer weak faith is due to the grace of God just as much as great faith great faith is to be preferred but weak faith is not to be despised both are from God but note the sense of urgency that gyrus displayed time was of the utmost importance or so he thought his daughter was at the point of death let's wonder why did gyrus wait so long before coming to Jesus perhaps the illness had come upon her suddenly maybe that's the case but perhaps it'd been gyrus's stubborn pride that moved him to wait until the last possible moment i can imagine the pleadings of his wife to seek

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Jesus out and i can equally imagine the reluctance of gyrus to do so at the first suggestion what will others others think what will the other men of the synagogue think after i was complicit with them to discredit

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Jesus to put him out of our midst if nothing else in stubborn pride which resisted humbling i could see gyrus waiting until the last moment he could have spared himself and his wife a lot of grief and perhaps his daughter a lot of needless suffering had he come to Jesus sooner perhaps but we're the same way in our stubbornness to acknowledge that maybe we were wrong about God and his word we'll wait until we've ruined things to a point beyond recovery and then we seek him out it's a testimony to man's sinful nature that he'll hold out to the ruin of himself and others before he finally comes to Christ in faith the

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Lord has to squeeze the pride out of us but thankfully our Lord will receive us even after we have procrastinated to the point of making a real mess of ourselves and others we see that there's no hint of hesitation on the part of our

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Lord no word of rebuke it would seem that Jesus left immediately to go with him to his house and so i can imagine the hopefulness that gyrus must have felt as they began his return to his house maybe he was doubtful as to whether Jesus would come help him but then we see gyrus had to wait on Jesus while he dealt with this woman they were apparently some distance from the house between the time they that they left for the house the time they arrived much must have transpired in the thinking of gyrus i suspect he experienced impatience we read as he went the multitudes thronged him that must have slowed them down somewhat no sooner than the

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Lord started on his way he was encumbered by the crowd now this must not have been a cause of concern for Jesus there must have been a calmness about him that disturbed gyrus perhaps on the other hand we can well imagine the impatience of gyrus can you envision gyrus attempted to cut away through the crowd to make for the

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Lord Jesus as he's calmly working his way through their midst there's a sense of urgency on the part of gyrus she's at the point of death he probably experienced intense anxiety again they don't travel far and the

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Lord stops he addresses the crowd who touched me peter remarked lord everybody's touching you and we can imagine gyrus saying what does it matter who's touching you time is wasting let's get going but the

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Lord stops and deals with this poor woman all kinds of feelings must have swept over gyrus you can imagine the anxiety doesn't he know the urgency of the matter doesn't he care is he doing this purposely to me stringing me along just to punish me or get even with me for the way i treated him in the past who knows what kind of thoughts must have gone through his mind g gyrus must have questioned the concern

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Jesus had for him and his daughter but we do the same we become filled with anxiety and doubt