Luke 8:40-56
"And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received 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 besought him that he would come into his house: For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him. And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any," Luke 8:40-43.
The world in which we live is full of wicked people who desire to make merchandise of others. They seek to take advantage of those who are sick and afflicted. Many of them do this in the name of religion. They pull on people's emotions. They catch others who are at their lowest point or at the point of death and fill them full of false hope. When the healing does not take place, they put the blame on the person who is sick by telling them they did not have enough faith. This adds to the sick person's dilemma, and the wicked religious person walks away smiling and happy that he has fleeced another person. No person on earth today has the ability to heal themselves, much less someone else. Over and over and over again these frauds have been exposed. Think about it logically, if someone truly had the gift of healing, they would be able to travel to every hospital in the world healing people, but the only time you see these people in the hospital is when they themselves are sick. Let that sink in.
These false healers, charlatans, often use what is known as psychosomatic and emotional manipulation tactics. They will use music to get the crowd going. Usually using the same phrases over and over again to cause the people to expect a feeling or rush of emotions. This false religion relies on the manipulation of emotions, the atmosphere of the place, and physical sensations which creates a false sense of divine presence or miraculous healing. These teachers rely on psychological tactics. They use music, stories, drama, and unverified claims of past healings to draw people in. It all culminates to the end of the service when people line up to get healed. Those who are there with obvious physical ailments aren't allowed to get in line, and others are so pumped up emotionally that they "feel" like they got healed only to come crashing back into reality a few days later. When confronted by people who are not healed, the false healers scape goat is to tell the sick person they are not healed because they had a lapse of faith. This again causes the sick person to come crashing down. But keep sending your money and maybe God will heal them if they sow in faith. These people are like their father the devil (John :44). For further study on false healers I highly recommend the "Strange Fire Conference" from John MacArthur and Grace Church in L.A. California, and also Justin Peters Ministries.
There were false teachers and false healers in Jesus' day just as there are in our day. Christ even warned His disciples that many false Christ's would rise up to draw away people to themselves. Jesus Christ actually healed all manner of diseases; cast out demons; raised the dead; caused the blind to see and the deaf to hear. These miracles were even verified by Christ's enemies (John 12:9-11). Jesus had performed many miracles in Galilee. While He and His disciples were gone to Gadara, the people longed for Him. Some had legitimate needs while others were there for the show. We will see as we study this passage of Scripture that there are some whose needs will cause them to take what would be considered extreme measures. We see this with Jairus and his family, and the woman with the issue of blood. Both had done all they could do, all that was humanly possible, but to no avail. As the sailors were at their wits end in Psalm 107, Jairus and this woman was also. Most of the crowd in verse 40 was looking for a show, but Jairus and this woman was looking for a miracle that only Christ could do.
"And. Behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house," Luke 8:41. Jairus was the chief ruler in the synagogue. A synagogue is a Jewish assembly or congregation held in the synagogue building for prayer, reading of the Scriptures, and exercising certain judicial powers. Jairus was the chief ruler of this synagogue. The people in that area looked up to Jairus. He was responsible for conducting the synagogue services. Having such a prominent position at the synagogue, the people would have known him and his family very well. The people would have known his need, his sick daughter, and they would have made sure that he knew that Jesus had come back. His situation was urgent; a matter of life and death.
Being a ruler of the synagogue puts him under the authority of the religious elites in Jerusalem. He was expected to be an extension of them. He would be expected to have the same stance against Jesus as they did. Jairus would be expected to mock Jesus, question Jesus, and convince the people not to follow Jesus. But instead, we find him at the feet of Jesus (Matthew 9:18). Can you picture the whole crowd standing in awe? Some maybe gasping as Jairus prostrates himself at the feet of Jesus. "He fell down" is the Greek word "pipto" and means to descend from a higher place to a lower; of those overcome by terror, astonishment, or grief. Here is the most important man in that area, and he is worshipping at the feet of Jesus. What would drive him to do this? His need of Jesus caused him to humble himself. He did not care who was watching, or what people would say, he needed Jesus.
We do not know if Jairus openly stood against Christ before this, or if he was a secret disciple like Nicademus. Either way, he is now at the feet of Jesus. Trials are beneficial, bad things in life are beneficial, sickness is beneficial, and being on the brink of death is beneficial (thief believing on the cross). No matter what is going on in our lives, it still takes the Lord to open up our eyes to see Who He is (the unbelieving thief on the cross). Turn to Mark 15:27-32; Luke 23:39-43. Jairus didn't come to Jesus mocking Him, but begging Him. "Besought" in this verse is the Greek word "parakaleo" and means to call for or upon someone for aid, to invoke God, to beseech, entreat. Jairus was begging Christ on behalf of his daughter. She wasn't able to cry out to Jesus herself.
"For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him," Luke 8:42. Jairus' only daughter is on her death bed. No doubt Jairus' feelings and emotions are running high. Again, it is a matter of life and death. In his mind, every second matters. There was a relief when Christ came back from Gadara, a relief when Jairus could get to Christ, a relief when Christ began to go with him to his home (Mark 5:23-24; Matthew 9:18-19). During our day we would have the emergency flashers on, horn blowing, yelling out the window for people to move. It is urgent! We can get all worked up into a frenzy, but Jesus doesn't. Do we really believe Romans 8:28. It is easy for us to get tunnel vision and think that we are the only ones in need of Jesus. I don't think Jairus did this. He was a humble man. We don't see him saying anything as the crowds closed in on Jesus. "As they went the people thronged him." "Thronged" is the Greek word "sumpnigo" and means to strangle completely, i.e. (literal) to drown, or (figurative) to crowd-choke, throng. As they headed to Jairus's home it was a slow go. The sense of urgency is mounting. Remember, every second counts. The crowd is pressing upon Jesus, and no doubt there is a pressure for Jairus to remain calm, and continue to trust Jesus.
In this crowd is a woman who is not supposed to be there. "And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any," Luke 8:43. For twelve years this lady has been an outcast, but all that is about to change.
Lord willing, we will learn about that next time. Soli Deo Gloria.
