Daily Lesson for March 24, 2014

Today's Day Lesson is from Mark 5:

22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24 And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.

Misfortune does not discriminate.

There is a woman in the village who for 12 years has suffered from a terrible hemorrhaging which made her a unclean according to religious custom and therefore a social pariah. The religious system had pronounced its verdict: she was not welcome in the synagogue and she could not touch or be touched in the village. She went bankrupt trying find medical care, but nothing worked. So for 12 long years she remained outcast - a penniless, powerless untouchable.

There is another person in the village - powerful and likely wealthy. Jairus is not only welcomed in the synagogue, he is president. In that office, it was he who likely pronounced the excommunication of the bleeding woman 12 years ago - the same year, the Bible tells us, that his daughter was born. Now that same daughter has fallen gravely ill and is at the point of death. In desperation Jairus tries everything but nothing seems to work as his daughter's life begins to slip away.

And so in desperation, Jairus comes to Jesus to beg for help for his 12 year old daughter where he is met by the woman he deemed unclean 12 years ago. And Jesus, characteristically heals them both, healing Jairus's daughter and the bleeding woman, who Jesus calls daughter also.

At some point in life every family is struck with some misfortune. Pain and suffering are the great equalizers. No one can escape these things. And the point of this story is to say that when these things strike God is there - for all. Rich and poor, powerful and powerless, in and out - at some point we will all lose control of our lives and go begging to God and God is there to reach out and touch and care for each of us as His own daughters and sons.