By Ramesh C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard

Thursday, Jan 15, 2009

SCRIPTURE:
 "Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe. He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.” (Mark 5:36-37, NIV)

Interpretation:
I asked myself the significance of what Jesus did by allowing only Jairus and three of his disciples to go in with him?
The men had just told Jairus in the front of the crowd that his daughter was dead and there was no pointing bothering Jesus now. However, Jairus continued to believe in God’s Will to heal his daughter but I do not think anyone else believed that. They might have been giving contradictory messages so Jesus did not let them go with Him.

God is not an Author of confusion and the people must have been causing confusion to Jairus and what he had believed so Jesus told him, 'Do not to be afraid just believe' what he had come to believe regarding God’s will. Now Jesus goes with him to his house with only three disciples.

^“When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was.” (Mark 5:38-40, NIV)                            

INTERPRETATION:
I asked myself the significance of the phrase, “After he put them all out”.
I found it very significant what Jesus did. Jesus had just come to Jairus’ house after assuring Jairus of God’s will to heal his daughter as he had believed. Jesus had also kept everyone else away who were speaking messages of confusion to Jairus because God is not an Author of confusion.

Now once again, Jairus is being given mixed messages by those in the house when Jesus addressed everyone there. Since they did not believe and were causing confusion, Jesus ‘put them all out’ and only took with Him those who believed and had peace that Jesus would confirm God’s will to Jairus. This is evident by the verse: “he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was.”

^“He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.” (Mark 5:41-42, NIV)

I asked myself the significance of what had happened?
What came to my mind was timing. Jairus had believed that it was God’s will to have his daughter healed when Jesus went with him after he had prayed and pleaded with Jesus. Later, he became very confused when he heard figuratively it was not God’s will to heal his daughter since she was dead now and no point bothering Jesus, by the men that came! There was a conflict going on in him. For he thought one thing and something else had happened.

What he had truly believed to be from God seemed impossible now because of the message he heard that was conflicting with what he had believed. But if it was God’s Will as he had believed then it should happen. When Jairus is confused and troubled, Jesus tells him to ignore those giving him contradictory messages, did not allow people giving contradictory messages, and put away people from the house who were giving him contradictory messages. Instead, Jesus told him not to be afraid and believe what he had believed all along about God’s Will giving him peace. He did believe.

However what he had come to believe as God’s will regarding healing did not happen as he expected it too. Jairus had expected Jesus to come and heal his little dying daughter. She had not died yet when he expected a healing for her. God’s will was to heal her but not from what Jairus had expected healing from. Jairus expected healing from her sickness but Jesus had healed her from her coma or deep sleep that only Jesus could wake her up from. In essence, she was dead and Jesus resurrected her.

Jesus’ timing was perfect timing. Between the time Jesus had decided to go to Jairus house and the time he had healed her daughter different things had happened. People got to see a woman being healed from a disease she had for 12 years, people got to see Jesus tell Jairus not to be afraid but believe what he had come to believe after seeking Jesus. Now, people are astonished because in God’s timing, Jairus daughter was raised from her deep sleep. If Jesus had come any earlier and healed his daughter, it would not have been as astonishing.

So, I saw God’s will and God’s timing in this passage. It was God’s will to heal his daughter but it was in God’s timing and in His ways that she was healed.

 IMPLICATIONS:
 I saw important implications for my own life. God's will is dependent on God and not on me. Also, God's will being accomplished is not always what we expect it to be. I remember the night of October 07, 2007 vividly. My mom had told me that my dad was not breathing and after the paramedics team came, they asked us 'How long has he been dead?' That question was so shocking and troubling. I went to the other room and prayed, 'Jesus, please do not let Satan take my daddy. Please bring him back to life so he can come to know you'. Jesus did bring my daddy back to life because paramedics told us that they felt a pulse and rushed him to ER.

At ER, we saw all kinds of miracles. Seventy days later, my dad had given his life to Christ. The day my dad gave his life to Christ is the day, he went to be with the Lord. We were all praying for a miracle and the greatest miracle of all is my dad being with the Lord than being without the Lord. God's will was accomplished in His timing with His purposes in mind. I thank the Lord for that. We were expecting a healing of him physically but the Lord Jesus wanted to heal him spiritually and bring our dad to heaven. I thank Jesus for saving my daddy even though we miss him very much for not being here on earth anymore.

I did not listen to the paramedics but kept praying and the Lord heard our prayers. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. What Jesus did then, I believed Jesus could even do now if it is in His precious will!!!

I ask you now dear friend, what place do you give G.O.D.S  W.I L L. in your life?
Dear friend, God's will was miraculously revealed to us in our time of trial and tribulation when it came to our dad's situation. It hurts to not have our dad here but it is joyful to know that all our prayers were answered God's  way and my dad is with Jesus in heaven.  We don't understand why God's will did not happen our way but God's ways and thoughts are not our ways and thoughts. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His thoughts.

More than anything God's will for you and me is that we acknowledge what happened at the cross. Yes friend, at the cross Jesus died for you and me that we could have eternal life when we pass through this life. Jesus' blood was shed for you and me to wash us of all our sin. It was God's will to send Jesus to the cross so we can be saved by the sacrifice of His only begotten Son.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have Everlasting Life!" (John 3:16)

Friend, God does not want us to have eternal death forever. As Jesus told Jairus, 'don't be afraid, just believe' for his daughter's life, God wants us to believe in what Jesus did on the cross for us to give us Eternal Life. Jesus paid the ransom for you and me on the cross.

Our response should be to believe what Jesus did on the cross by acknowledging that we are a sinner in need of a Savior and only Jesus' blood can make us white as snow. Once we acknowledge the sinner we are, we need to confess and repent of our sin. When we do that we are showing God that we do believe in what Jesus did for us and are asking Jesus to cover us in His blood. Now when God looks at us His judgment will pass over us because of what Jesus did for us.

When Jesus gave Jairus daughter life, Jesus is the one that took the initiative to give life. In the same way, when we are given Eternal Life, it is Jesus that took the initiative to give us that life when Jesus came back to life on the 3rd day to save. Christ's resurrection was God's will too and as complicated as it seems Jesus Christ came as God-incarnate to save humanity. Jesus wants to be the Lord and Savior of your life.

"God desires that none should perish but all come into repentance!"

Father God wants to save you friend. When we think about God's will we usually think about what is God's will for my life in terms of career, occupation, relationships, etc. God can reveal His will for us in those areas too and His will can be different for different people.

But, when it comes to Salvation, God's will is the same. He desires that none should perish but all come into repentance. This is what we call God's Universal Will. It is the same for everyone. God wants everyone to have Eternal life.

You may have questions about why then does not everyone come to Jesus and accept Him as their Lord and Personal Savior, if this is God's will for humanity?

That question is for another time. What is exciting to know right now is that God loves you so much and made a way for you to come to Him through Jesus Christ so when you call upon the Name of the Lord, you will be saved and you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit to guide and lead you.

Won't you now come to the Lord Jesus and receive His Salvation for now is the time of Salvation?

“God Offers Deliverance, Saving! Wonderfully, Is Leading Lovingly! (G.O.D’S  W.I.L.L)”/What place do you give G.O.D.S  W.I L L. in your life?

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much that we are never out of your love. No matter what is tormenting us, you are there for us. When there are days we cannot get through and loneliness has gotten the best of us because we are isolated in our torment and sin, you are still there. Just as the demon-possessed man saw you, ran to you, and fell before you for healing, we can come to you too. Thank you Jesus! You made yourself available to the man with the evil spirit. Thank you Jesus for making yourself available to us now when we call your Name for we are never out of your love and never out of your reach. You Oh Lord know what we have done; you know what we will do. You know what Satan will do to entice us and torment us. We come to you Lord and ask you for your healing presence in our lives. Take any addiction and torment that people face and fill them with your power to live for you. We know you can do it Jesus. Only you have the power to deliver us from any torment and find peace in you. Thank you so much Jesus. We come to you now Jesus and ask you to forgive us of all our sin. Deliver us Oh Lord and cleanse us with your cleansing blood. We believe in you Jesus; we believe you are the Son of God, we believe that you died and rose again; we believe you are here right now standing in our presence with the power to heal now and the grace to forgive. Help us Oh Lord as we turn this song “I Believe” into a prayer to you Oh Lord. Thank you so much for coming into our heart and making our heart your home as we ask you in. Take us in Oh Lord and be our Lord and Personal Savior as you lead us and guide us. Help us to help others as you help us! Thank you so much Jesus you are in our heart making our heart your home. Thank you for living in us. Thank you for being our Lord and Personal Savior! Thank you Jesus you have heard our prayers and answered us! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!