Hurry Up Jesus
He’s here, he’s here at last. He can help, I know he can. My daughter is so ill, but I just know that he is the one who can help.
I’ve heard so much about this Jesus – the amazing things he’s done in people’s lives – freeing them from all kinds of things that have held them and crushed them.
If he can’t help then my daughter will die, I know she will. But he’s so busy, there is so much need and so many people want a bit of him.
Yet he comes with me!
Lots of others followed too. I suppose they wanted to see what miracle he would achieve this time. There was lots of pushing and shoving, people wanting the best spots, wanting to talk to him as we jostled along.
Then Jesus stopped. He wanted to know who had touched him. Silly question if you ask me, there’s so many crowding round. Doesn’t he realise the seriousness of my daughter’s condition, how dire the situation? Time is of the essence here, and Jesus wants to ask daft questions. But then I saw it was important to him. This wasn’t just pushing or grabbing he was asking about. He knew that someone had reached out to him in their need and their life had been changed. He wanted to stop and talk to them.
But what about my daughter?
Come on, come on! Time is short.
But Jesus has time. Healing is more than about removing the physical symptoms, he wants to talk to the woman and make sure she is wholly OK. I can’t begrudge her – It’s what I want for my daughter.
Then the worst news comes.
It’s too late.
My daughter has gone.
I’d better leave Jesus to the people he can help…
But no, “Don’t worry!”, he says.
“Don’t worry?”. that’s a bit hard. My precious daughter is dead and Jesus says don’t worry?!
But he insists it isn’t too late. My daughter is not going to suffer because he stopped to help someone else along the way. Jesus has time for everyone who needs him.
So he carries on with me to my house. What a commotion there was, but Jesus pushes through it. He takes my little girl by the hand and told her to get up.
And she did.
He was right. She was not beyond his reach and his touch.
I wondered if Jesus had time for me and my daughter; I thought it was too late – but it wasn’t; Jesus was just in time, his time. I thought others were getting in the way with their needs, but Jesus gave them the same time he gave me and my daughter. He met them in their need – and he met me in mine too.
Mark 5:21-43
A Dying Girl and a Sick Woman
21 Once again Jesus got into the boat and crossed Lake Galilee.Then as he stood on the shore, a large crowd gathered around him. 22 The person in charge of the Jewish meeting place was also there. His name was Jairus, and when he saw Jesus, he went over to him. He knelt at Jesus’ feet 23 and started begging him for help. He said, “My daughter is about to die! Please come and touch her, so she will get well and live.” 24 Jesus went with Jairus. Many people followed along and kept crowding around.
25 In the crowd was a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had gone to many doctors, and they had not done anything except cause her a lot of pain. She had paid them all the money she had. But instead of getting better, she only got worse.
27 The woman had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him in the crowd and barely touched his clothes. 28 She had said to herself, “If I can just touch his clothes, I will get well.” 29 As soon as she touched them, her bleeding stopped, and she knew she was well.
30 At that moment Jesus felt power go out from him. He turned to the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 His disciples said to him, “Look at all these people crowding around you! How can you ask who touched you?” 32 But Jesus turned to see who had touched him.
33 The woman knew what had happened to her. She came shaking with fear and knelt down in front of Jesus. Then she told him the whole story.
34 Jesus said to the woman, “You are now well because of your faith. May God give you peace! You are healed, and you will no longer be in pain.”
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from Jairus’ home and said, “Your daughter has died! Why bother the teacher anymore?”
36 Jesus heard what they said, and he said to Jairus, “Don’t worry. Just have faith!”
37 Jesus did not let anyone go with him except Peter and the two brothers, James and John. 38 They went home with Jairus and saw the people crying and making a lot of noise. 39 Then Jesus went inside and said to them, “Why are you crying and carrying on like this? The child isn’t dead. She is just asleep.” 40 But the people laughed at him.
After Jesus had sent them all out of the house, he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples and went to where she was. 41-42 He took the twelve-year-old girl by the hand and said, “Talitha, koum!” which means, “Little girl, get up!” The girl got right up and started walking around.
Everyone was greatly surprised. 43 But Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened. Then he said, “Give her something to eat.”
Thank you Lord
that you have time for me.
You know my need –
and how to meet it.
Forgive me when I get impatient
that you aren’t doing what I want
in the time I want it.
Forgive me
when I think you are looking after others,
when you could be doing something for me.
Thank you that you care for us all,
and are present in our lives,
when we see it and when we don’t.
Reach out,
Lord I pray,
to those who especially need to know your touch this day,
let them know you are there with them,
as they see all that you can do.
Pam's Perambulation 