Detours
Luke • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewSometimes the Detour is exactly what you really need
Notes
Transcript
Scripture Reading
Scripture Reading
So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.
And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house,
for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.
Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any,
came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”
But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.”
Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.
And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.”
But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.”
When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.
Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.”
And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.
But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, arise.”
Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat.
And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.
Last year in Men’s Bible study we went through a series on the life of Joseph called “detours.” As it happens, it’s an excellent term for the dual miracles we are looking at today. The general idea is that God often takes you the “long way round,” to get you from where you are to where you need to go. God does this because it is actually what you need to be the person God wants you to be.
I. The Interruption
I. The Interruption
The situation.
Jairus is the ruler of a synagogue.
That makes him a person of authority and influence. This one, however, does not hate Jesus, and clearly believes that Jesus can heal.
His 12 year old daughter is his only child and is dying. Talk about a situation where the pressure is on to get there quick!
But Jesus’ popularity as a healing is already causing him problems. They cannot move quickly because there are so many people who want to see the famous healer from Nazareth.
The Woman
This unnamed woman had a physical problem - her “flow of blood” could have been anything, but was probably a woman’s health problem.
She used to be a woman of some means, since only the wealthy had the money to spend everything on healthcare. But she is now impoverished, since the medicine of the day does not have the cure for her.
Worse, this flow of blood would make her unclean for the entire 12 years she had it - incidentally, it’s the same length of time as the little girl has lived.
She secretly touches Jesus because she believes she will be healed if she does, and her faith is rewarded - she is healed!
Jesus causes the interruption
Notice that no one wants Jesus to stop. Jairus is anxiously trying to push through the crowds so they can get to his house before his daughter dies. The woman wants to be hidden, so she doesn’t want anyone to know. The crowds just want to be near the famous healer.
“Who Touched Me?!”
uh, doesn’t he know?
In one sense he does - God knows everything, so as God, Jesus knows.
However, humans do not know everything; and while on earth, the human nature of Jesus has to learn and grow, just like we do. Luke 2:52
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
For the incarnation to be possible, God must limit the independent use of his attributes. He does still know everything, but that isn’t always revealed.
The practical effect was that Jesus knows everything he needs to know, whenever he needs to know it. He never lacked the knowledge he needed to do the best thing in every situation.
But in this case, Jesus wants to make the woman come forward. He doesn’t want to just point her out. Thus, he has no interest in using his supernatural omniscience here. He is going to make her say it instead.
But why be so hard on the woman?
Not for himself. The last thing he needs right now is another miracle report. He’s already too famous in this town, and it’s getting in the way of him doing the ministry God has called him to do.
But for her. She has a need that is greater than the one she thinks she needs. She thinks she only needs healing. She also needs society to know she is healed, so she can be accepted again.
Sometimes God gives us trials because we need them more than what we think we need.
II. Little Faith Saves
II. Little Faith Saves
Now whenever the Scriptures repeat something, it’s usually because it’s pretty important. Luke here states twice in three verses - believe and you will be well.
That’s because Luke is making a point about believing. Faith is not strong because of strong feelings, faith is strong because of a strong savior.
The characters in this story believe that Jesus can heal, but they do not have great faith.
Jairus believes Jesus can heal, but no one thinks Jesus can raise the dead.
When Jesus suggests that she is “only sleeping” everyone laughs at him.
Nevertheless, the small faith in Jesus’ ability to heal works, not because of the faith, but because Jesus is strong.
This same phrase was said in the last chapter about salvation Luke 7:50
Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
III. Little Girl, Get Up
III. Little Girl, Get Up
Jesus does everything he can to keep this miracle a secret. Why?
He only allows the parents and his core three disciples to come with him. Even the other disciples aren’t allowed in. This is to minimize the number of witnesses.
He forbids them from telling anyone.
He is already too popular, since the point of his miracles is to demonstrate he can heal, so that he can prove he really is from God. But the point of that is so people will believe his words. People are flocking to him for the needs they think they have - healing - but they are not interested enough in what they really need - salvation from sin and a home in his Kingdom.
He describes death as sleeping. the crowd thinks he means literally asleep, when he is using it as a metaphor for death. John 11:11-13 He uses this metaphor because you eventually wake up from sleep, and the dead will eventually be raised up John 5:28-29
These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”
Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.”
However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.
Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice
and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
Jesus power is without flair - Mark tells us he spoke in Aramaic; it’s a simple, unadorned phrase, almost as if he was getting her up for school or something. It works because Jesus is God.
Jesus remains practical - when everyone is standing around gawking, he reminds them that the little girl hasn’t eaten in a while, and is hungry. She is now fully recovered from her illness, so the healing is immediate and complete.
Everyone feels their physical needs, but not everyone knows the depth of their spiritual needs.
Physical Death is temporary, eternity is forever. Are you ready?
Sometimes God creates the detour because it is what you really need.
God will end the detour in his time.
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