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by Nathan Buck

Last week I invited you to read Luke 8:40-48, and we unpacked a very important detail infused into that situation. When the hemorrhaging woman comes and takes the tassel of Jesus’ Tallith in her hands, she is healed by God immediately. God’s response to her faith was to heal her and affirm that He was the only one she would find her healing in. Oh, and also to affirm that it is through Jesus Christ that we are able to have relationship, healing, and restoration with/by God.

But did this woman’s healing cost the life of a little girl who Jesus was on his way to see? Did she catch God off guard or interrupt some plan in motion? What was Jairus supposed to feel or think, when this woman got healed by a “sneak attack” on Jesus, and his daughter is still dying?

Let’s continue in that same passage with verses 49-56. Take a moment and read them, then come finish this blog.

Jairus served in the temple as a priest, a faithful and God-fearing man. His daughter was dying. Although he had heard the religious leaders condemning Jesus, he chose to seek Jesus out because he believed the miracles he heard were happening through him. As Jesus blessed and sent the woman on her way, he turned back to heading to Jairus’ house. Before they could take even another step, messengers from Jairus’ house came to tell him his daughter had died.

Jesus reassures him, and asks everyone to stop mourning when they arrive. Jesus tells them she isn’t dead, and they laugh. These people knew death when they saw it, and she was dead. From a human perspective, this was a concrete ending, with no reversal. From God’s perspective, she was only asleep. Now if you read the passage, you know Jesus silences the laughter by throwing them all out and then raising the young girl from the dead. Let me show you a part of that moment that we miss, if we don’t know what I shared last week about the Tallith.

In Luke, Jesus is recorded as saying, “Child, arise.” In Mark 5:41, Jesus is recorded as saying, “talitha koum” and its translated as “Little girl, I say to you get up.” When I studied this a number of years ago, I remember coming across an explanation about why “talitha” would be translated “little girl.” Children were often addressed using the word “Talith” because as a part of their family life they would be wrapped in their Father’s prayer shawl and blessed by him. They were also said to be “in the shadow of his [their father’s] wings.” This was an expression of their father’s love, care and responsibility over his children. The prayer shawl/little tent clearly symbolizes that both children and parents are blessed when they are in relationship with each other – while living under God’s teaching, love, protection, etc.

So, not only is Jesus saying, “Little girl, arise,” but with the cultural understanding of how the prayer shawl/little tent was used in the family it could be translated with more emphasis. Jesus could be saying, “Little girl who is under my tent, arise!”

Jesus shows that He is the one who brings life, healing, and restoration again, this time by reversing death. With loving intimacy, like a good father to his child, Jesus invites her under His love and care, to have relationship with God, following His teachings, and living life to the fullest. We are not sure what Jairus’ daughter went on to do with her life. I would bet she remembered and lived her life to honor the one who gave and restored her life to her.

What about you? What or who is it that you need God to heal? Have you started believing the doubts about why God doesn’t seem to be taking action?

No one can explain for you why God is or is not taking action the way you want Him to. No one can stand in God’s defense and justify the hardship and suffering you or a loved one may be experiencing. No one has a “faith formula” that will twist God’s arm to give you the particular miracle you want. In fact, God may take the situation in the exact opposite of what you hope.

I would like to encourage you, though. Three things we know just from this passage we looked at the last two weeks:
- God’s plan is from an uncluttered perspective. He can see good even when all we see is pain.
- We can boldly take the name of God in our hands and hold on to him, trusting He’ll bring the best out of any situation.
- He invites us to walk with him, according to his ways, under his shelter – so that he can bring life and blessing to every circumstance we face
- It may take years, it may be in an instant – He will not be late, He does not forget. He will rescue His people.