Battle Plan: Skirmishes

The war has begun. Can you feel it? The tension in the air, a vague hint on the wind of smoke and something else that chills the blood. A graying sky. Battle is in the air. 

Jesus, our champion, has entered the fight. 

We’ve been following Jesus as he carries out God’s battle plan for defeating the enemies of sin, death, and the devil. We saw how he goes forward into war with the Cross as our symbol of victory, how he is powerful enough to send the Enemy running, but how he started his plan of attack hidden, subtle, coming as one of us. 

But the time has come to enter the fight. Jesus has revealed himself as the champion. And his power will be tested. 

In war, there are always skirmishes – little fights before the real decisive battle begins. Little tests of strength to see which side really has the upper hand. 

Jesus has just faced down a legion of demons that were possessing two men. We heard that story a couple of weeks ago. Now, he has crossed back over to the other side of the lake and is immediately approached by the leader of the synagogue, a man named Jairus. As soon as Jairus sees Jesus, he falls at his feet and says, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” (Mark 5:23) 

Imagine what Jesus is feeling. Here is the author of life and the creator of our bodies. The one who knits people together in their mother’s womb and who delights in the faith and joy of children. And as he steps off the boat he hears that a child… is dying.

Unless Jesus can do something.

And hearing that one of his little ones is sick? That death is standing at the door? Jesus is going to fight.

Along the way to Jairus’s house, something strange happens. A brief diversion from the path… but so perfectly timed. 

A woman sees Jesus passing. She has a disease that, despite the best efforts of the doctors who have cared for her, is going to claim her life. It is a disease that is causing her to bleed uncontrollably, and nothing can stop it. She has been fighting it, spending all her energy on breaking free of it, all her money on finding a cure. But there is no cure. Nothing more can be done. She is without hope. If she cannot find healing, she will die.

But Jesus.

She sees him passing. And she thinks, “He is so powerful and so good. He doesn’t even need to look at me, doesn’t even need to know. If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed. (Mark 5:28) I just need to touch his cloak, and that will be enough. That will heal me. Just to reach out and connect with him and trust his power. Jesus is where I will find my healing.”

So as he passes, she reaches out… and her hand brushes the end of his cloak as he passes.

And just like that, she is healed. 

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Jesus stops. “Who touched me?” he asks. 

His disciples are a little bewildered. “Um, Jesus,” they say, “there’s a whole crowd here, and they are all pressing around you as you walk past. Everyone is touching you, Jesus. What do you mean, “who touched me?”

But Jesus knows his children. He knows something has happened. And he seeks her out. And finds her. He kneels beside her, and he says, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” (Mark 5:34)

Then he stands up, brushes himself off, and turns to continue to where the little girl lies dying. But a servant has already come and approached Jairus. “Your daughter is dead,” the servant is saying. “She just breathed her last. It’s over. Don’t bother the teacher anymore. There’s nothing more that can be done.” 

You can just hear Jairus’s heart break. 

And worse, that maybe Jesus would have gotten there in time… if only he hadn’t stopped for this woman. 

Sure, she had an illness, and it needed to be healed. One life for another, right? Why should his daughter have any more right to be healed than this woman? 

But hadn’t this woman already lived a full life? Would it have been so bad for a sick old woman to die so that a little girl could live? 

Sure, all life is precious. But this was his daughter! His daughter’s life was precious!

But Jesus. 

Jesus puts a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” (Mark 5:36)

Don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid of disease. Don’t be afraid of death. Just believe.

When they get to the house, there are people all around, crying and wailing. Now, don’t misunderstand this situation – in Jewish culture, when someone died, it was the custom that friends, neighbors, and even acquaintances would surround the place and make lots of agonized noises. This was supposed to help the family feel comforted. And the more important the family, the more people would show up to mourn. So, the fact that there are so many people here making such a great commotion is a sign of how much respect and importance the people give to Jairus. 

But when Jesus steps into the scene, either no one knows who he is or they don’t respect him much. Because when he says to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” their response is to laugh. But they laughed at him. (Mark 5:39-40)

Jesus isn’t having it. He is undeterred, and he’s not going to put up with their scorn. He kicks them all out. “I have work to do,” is his attitude, “and you’re all in the way.”

Once the house is clear, he goes to the room with the little girl. He brings her mom and dad with him, along with three of his closest disciples. There on the bed lies the still body of a twelve-year-old girl. The sickness that plagued her is gone, but so is the life that once filled her. You can imagine that her mom and dad are standing there, trying not to weep, trying not to make any noise, hopeful because Jesus is here, but doubting, because what can he do now?

What can he do?

He walks up. He takes her hand in his. He whispers, “Talitha” – “little girl”, “Koum” – “get up.” Just like that. Like a dad waking a child at the end of a long car ride. Like a mom getting her daughter up in the morning. It’s time to wake up.

“Talitha… koum.”
“Little girl, get up.” (Mark 5:41)

Immediately, the girl hears the voice of her maker, her Savior, her healer. She gets up. Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around. (Mark 5:42)

And she doesn’t slowly rouse from sleep and look around and lay sick on the bed anymore. She springs out of bed, full of life and energy, bounces to her feet and starts walking around the room as though nothing had ever been wrong. As though no sickness had ever dragged her down. As though death had never once touched her. Here she is, alive and well and healthy.

And her parents are amazed. Astonished. Overwhelmed with joy and completely awestruck by Jesus.

And you can imagine Jesus just standing there and smiling. Disease? Death? Are these enemies that are too strong for Jesus? No. He has faced them down and proven stronger than them. He has a bigger battle to fight, but he has proven he is up to the challenge.

“Don’t be afraid; just believe.” (Mark 5:36)