The FaithOfJesus2 Daily Devotional

Focus:

kjv@Revelation:14:12 @ Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

( FaithOfJesus thread begun by rRandyP )

Today's Verse:

kjv@Mark:5:21-43

kjv@Mark:5:21 @ And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.

kjv@Mark:5:22 @ And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,

kjv@Mark:5:23 @ And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

kjv@Mark:5:24 @ And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

kjv@Mark:5:25 @ And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

kjv@Mark:5:26 @ And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

kjv@Mark:5:27 @ When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

kjv@Mark:5:28 @ For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

kjv@Mark:5:29 @ And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

kjv@Mark:5:30 @ And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

kjv@Mark:5:31 @ And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

kjv@Mark:5:32 @ And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

kjv@Mark:5:33 @ But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

kjv@Mark:5:34 @ And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

kjv@Mark:5:35 @ While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?

kjv@Mark:5:36 @ As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

kjv@Mark:5:37 @ And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

kjv@Mark:5:38 @ And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.

kjv@Mark:5:39 @ And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.

kjv@Mark:5:40 @ And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.

kjv@Mark:5:41 @ And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.

kjv@Mark:5:42 @ And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

kjv@Mark:5:43 @ And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

Today's notes:

Context:

Before - 2000 Swine
After - Prophet without honour

Key Concepts:

slide:kjv@plague

What is God's righteousness observed doing?:

Moving through the press towards the rulers house to heal his daughter.
Stopping in the press to call out the woman healed.
Removing the others from the room allowing only a select to see the miracle.
Commanding the select not to tell any man of what had transpired and to feed the damsel.

What does this tell us about God's righteousness?:

Not all of the sick and suffering are being brought to Him, He is at times being directed by the Father out of His typical way to them. It may be a matter of general priority at times to be in the midst of many in order to heal and connect to greater numbers and when the priority shifts due to a particular case such as impending death to move along with a calm sense of urgency.
Even with all the madness closing in all around Him, importance is given acknowledging the courage and initiative of others. The approach for many towards Divinity is most intimidating for some, especially for the few that sense who this Prophet is and what power He holds. Fear and trembling in deed are forms of reverence, but so too they can be forms of a road block between the condition one is in and being made by Him whole.
Miracle is largely just spectacle for most, having little transformitive substance or connective tissue to fuller understanding. For some, like her parents it is nearly a right to be there and in the moment for their daughter. For a very few select, it is to be His witness of what cannot be testified of until after Jesus Himself has risen.
It is not that this miracle will not become known. It will be known the moment that the scorners and others see it. It is from whom and when it will be testified of that is of greatest concern. In one respect silence makes for a greater curiosity, in another it is cause for suspicion and rumor, testimony other than the truth. In one sense it is a relief for a ruler not to have to tell of it, in another a burning temptation and puzzle how not to tell. It is what the Father sees as righteous however, for whatever reason. Shall we suppose that we might know some reason better?

How is man reacting?:

Pressing in upon Jesus as He is moving toward the ruler's residence.
Fearing and trembling having been called out.
Laughing to scorn at the mention of sleep.

Notes:

Some would read this as the woman (and therefore us by extension) having the power all along to be whole, but needing Jesus to draw/coax that out of her, thus it is literally her faith making her whole. This does not however have to be true logically in order for Jesus' words yet to be true. The woman's faith moves her into a position of being made by His power whole. Without such faith she would not have been street side that day nor would she have been bold enough to fight her fears to move any closer into His proximity. Her resolve to slip through the considerable press after all of her previous disappointments and fatigue and uncertainties may describe her faith more than any of our academic theories. Her faith is never stated beforehand as being that her faith that will make her whole, it is only expressed as His power being able to make her whole even if she were to merely touch His garment. Faith then in this case is the totally opposite thing from what some others would wish to make it. For that Jesus gives her eternally a sizable mention in the credit.

There are some interesting similarities and marked contrasts in the two cases. One is twelve years old never having her womanly issue, the other has had an endless issue for twelve years. One the ruler falls to his knees ahead to beseech, the other the woman falls to her knees after in fear and trembling having felt the issue dry up within her. One the Lord is unexpectedly leaving where it is many came to be healed before she could get to Him, the other our Lord is delayed in coming by His acknowledgement of the faith of the other resulting in the death of the one. One if not for her faith would likely not bother the departing Lord it simply not being in the cards dealt, the other if not for her dad's faith would not bother the Lord it simply being too late to do anything about it. One is a Jewish leader holy and consecrated perceived by others as adversarial now in desperate need, the other a culturally shunned destitute woman perceived utterly defiled because of her issue and failure of her physicians in helpless need, both do the enormously courageous thing in coming to Jesus.

God is not a respecter of any person man/woman meaning that HIS good work is not dispensed because the man is an esteemed synagogue ruler nor a unapproachable destitute bloodied woman. God certainly knows how future things will proceed further with each, but HIS determination likely is not based upon whether one might have future influence among the elite Jews or among the common woman folk, just as HE likely is not detoured by the likelihood that both will remain scorned by others for the experience. Instead HE does what is right for righteousness sake regardless. The thing is that HIS good works cannot be bought by our present worthiness or such nor what we possibly may or may not be able to do for HIM if given the future opportunity. HIS good works are simply that: Good Works!

Key Messages:

What does this say about our present condition?

How many of us would have chosen not to bother the busy Lord thinking He had better things to do? How many would have thought "well it is over...the opportunity has passed"? or "the crowd is too great"? or "it just is not meant to be"? or "it will have to happen some other way"? It seems like with every honest need and every true desperation that there is a road block (perhaps several), an obstacle to overcome, a challenge that can be braved only by determination. It is our determination then that either ends the journey right then and there or pushes us further toward the actual presence of our Lord, up beyond such obstacle to where His resource can better be received to do something about it. Why this is so perhaps better tells of HIS righteousness and our intended future form.

Further Resources:

Comment Board:Mark:5:21-43
index:FAITHOFJESUSDEVOTION - Devotional Index
strkjv@Mark:5:21-43 rwp@Mark:5:21-43 mhcc@Mark:5:21-43
FaithOfJesus2 - Devotion Index

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