People Jesus Noticed — The Interrupted

Life is rarely considerate. Often life will barge in. You know the feeling, while stresses are piling up … here comes another. We know this to be true; we might even joke about it, “bad things happen in threes… what is next?” When life is hard, we can count on it being interrupted yet again with more difficulty.

In Mark 5, we read of Jairus. Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, comes to Jesus with grave urgency, “My little daughter is at the point of death…” (Mark 5:23). He pleads with Jesus to come with him, lay hands on her — “please, save my daughter.” Jesus, as always, filled with compassion, goes with Jairus. They are making their way to Jairus’ home through a crowd when, what we might refer to as an interruption, a woman who has had a 12-year-long disease touches His garment through the crowd. Now, an urgent situation has hit pause.

Jesus inquires who has touched Him - it was a woman who had heard the reports of the things Jesus had done (Mark 5:27) and trusted that even the touching of His garment would make her well (Mark 5:28). The woman, healed, comes in fear to Jesus - falling before Him, trembling, and confessing the whole truth. Jesus gives a calm and compassionate response, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” (Mark 5:34).

The story continues - it turns back to Jairus and his urgent need. This is something to consider. So many times, the people we turn to for help have “distractions” that come in the way of them helping us. So many times, we can turn to people who, either with or without thought, get distracted, and then the hope of resolution in our lives is gone. Our “savior” has become busy with something greater.

Here are some interesting things to consider. First, Jesus had the power to heal the daughter from afar, as demonstrated in Luke 7:1-10, yet He chose to go. Second, Jesus had a second opportunity to heal from afar. After the interruption, could he not just turn to Jairus and say, “It is handled, she is well - I must tend to this woman now”? And yet, He continues on the journey. Third, again, He could have healed from afar - when people came, insisting the daughter had died and that it would be a waste of Jesus’ time to continue. Could He not seek to set an example and heal her from afar?

It is so important to see what Jesus did for Jairus. He inconvenienced Himself and went the whole way, interruptions and doubts dismissed. Do you realize what this means? No person is below Jesus’ care, and no person who seeks it will be dismissed or forgotten. Life is filled with people who will be interrupted and forget you - Jesus will not.