For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
Mark 5
Imagine being Jairus. How do you feel when you ask Jesus to come heal your daughter? When Jesus says yes? Then when He is delayed? When Jesus says “Don’t be afraid, just believe”? Finally, when Jesus raises your daughter? Bring all your feelings to Jesus. Jairus’ daughter was deathly sick. I imagine he was overwhelmed with desperation and anxiety But he did the right thing – he took his cares to Jesus. Jesus heard him, had compassion on him, and went with him. I imagine Jairus was filled with hope.
But then a distraction. A delay. Jairus’ situation is urgent. Time is of the essence. I can feel the desperation welling back up inside him. I can sense the irritation at this woman who is stealing his hope. Then it comes. His worst fear confirmed. They are too late. His daughter is dead.
In that moment, when Jairus was no doubt at his lowest, Jesus spoke to him. “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” (Mark 5:36b). I don’t know what was going through Jairus’ mind at that point, but Jesus’ words must have lit a small spark of hope back in him because he continued on with Jesus, doing as he was told. Jairus had faith in his desperate situation, but Jesus stretched his faith. Jesus asked him to hold on to that faith when the situation became impossible. Jairus did, and he got his daughter back.
I recognize this cycle of emotions. Life puts us through them time and time again. Do I respond like Jairus, holding onto hope when God stretches my faith? Do I remain faithful and obedient to God when others tell me there’s no use? Maybe not like I should in every situation. But overall, I pray the answer is yes. And the next time I recognize this cycle, may I see Jesus’ compassionate eyes looking at me and hear His gentle voice saying, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
Jer. 33-34
Review the promises God makes to exiled Israel; what does He promise? Who is the Branch? What does this tell you about God? I can see why the people in Jesus’ day were looking for the Messiah to be a conquering king. This prophecy through Jeremiah about the righteous Branch is one example of why. “In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety.” (Jer. 33:16a). The problem I see is that, as with everything else in Scripture, the people failed to see past the physical to the spiritual in this. They were looking for physical salvation and safety. Thus, they were expecting Jesus to overthrow the Roman government, which He obviously did not do.
What the people failed to understand is that the Roman government was not the problem. The condition of their hearts was the problem. They were slaves to sin because of their human nature. And because they served sin, they were subject to God’s just wrath. God’s promise in this prophecy, then, is to save them from their master of death so they can dwell with Him in safety, without fear of His holiness. This is precisely what Jesus did for them and for us. Because no matter where we are in history, our need is the same.