Mark 5:21-22
The
same physical gestures can be very different things to different people. We don’t
realize this until we are dropped in the middle of another culture and try to
communicate. I remember several years ago when the US took the battle against
Islam’s militant ideology to their soil. One of the strange things for us was
their understanding of the bottoms of our feet. For us here in the West, seeing
the souls of someone’s shoes has no significance. We sit with our feet crossed
and point the bottom of our feet at each other all the time. It means nothing.
But
this same gesture in the world of Islam is an insult. Enemies are put under
your feet. You wipe the souls of your feet in the statue of a disgraced leader’s
statue. Even when flying over in a helicopter, you don’t want your feet
dangling over the edge because you are then insulting everyone below you. You
throw your shoes at the President to show the ultimate contempt. Physical
gestures have very different meanings.
We
find in our text today another example of someone falling on their knees before
Jesus. If you remember from a previous incident that the demon possessed man
came running and begged that they not be tortured. They were filled with fear
that judgment had come.
So
if the sound were turned off and you watched Jairus’ actions, you might
conclude that he too thought judgment had come, that he was filled with fear.
But this is not the case. You can’t judge internal attitude and motive from the
externals.
Jairus
is desperate. His daughter is in grave condition. If something is not done
immediately, she will die. And Jairus knows this. He is so desperate that he
puts aside his pride, his position, his reputation and comes and begs this itinerate
preacher. This man has a position from which he projects his authority, day
after day, week after week. He is a synagogue leader. He leads a gathering of
leaders in his community. He walks in different circles than some other people.
His word carries weight.
Jesus
has no earthly position, no earthly title or qualifications. He is a nobody.
And yet Jairus comes running and falls before Jesus. He hadn’t planned to meet
Jesus there, as far as we can tell. It could be Jairus was part of the intelligence
gathering attempt by the Jewish leadership. They wanted to catch Jesus in
something He said in order to have a reason to kill Him.
But
Jairus had other more important things on his heart and mind. Whatever reason
for his presence on the beach, when Jairus sees Jesus the condition of his
daughter takes center stage. All his previous plans went out the window. He
realizes this might be his one chance to ge help for his daughter. So in that
moment, he jumps on the opportunity.
I
don’t know if you have ever been this desperate, but I have. There have been
several moments in my life when all else fell to the side. The need was so
great that every other priority didn’t matter. My schedule was cleared and the
issue became the only thing of importance.
And
in that moment, I prayed. What do you do when those moments of desperation
arise? Is your prayer one of desperation, knowing that Jesus is able? Jairus
knew Jesus was able, so he asked. Do you know that Jesus is able?