The Day Between

Impossible Situations

Oh, the challenges of physical fitness!  Attempting to get in shape can feel like an impossible situation - finding time to exercise, finding an exercise that doesn’t hurt me, and following through with whatever that is – yikes!  It is not easy. 

I was accompanied on my walk this morning by the village street cleaner.  I left my house and there he was with his big noisy truck.  We turned up the same street.  He even backed up when he got ahead of me.  Now he was after fallen leaves, not my companionship, but it was disturbing all the same.  Anticipating his choice of street to turn off on, I exited a different one, but there he was again when I rounded the corner.  Now I am thankful that I live in a nice area that takes street cleaning seriously, but his presence reminded me of the unexpectedness of life.  We try our best to avoid problems and unforeseen circumstances only to round a corner and be faced with the same.

I’ve been praying on my walks, usually for my children.  Lately, I’ve also been praying for several friends and acquaintances, some of whom have fallen victim to serious illnesses.  Dealing with our own physical issues, ill health in folks we love, unhappy marriages, wayward children, severed relationships, general hardship and suffering around the world can feel overwhelming.  It often seems like things never change.  We pray, we wait; we might get angry or even depressed.  Is it over yet?  Will it ever be?

In Mark chapter five, we get a view at three impossible situations – the demon possessed man, the sick woman, and the death of Jairus’s daughter.

They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes.

Now Jesus had just spent a long day teaching the crowds in chapter four.  In the evening, he told his disciples to get in the boat and go to the other side. Was it just to get away from the crowds?  Did He need a break?  Or did He have an appointment to keep?  On the way, there was a storm that scared his seasoned fishermen disciples senseless and a command to “be still” that could only come from the Creator of wind and waves.

 When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, and he had his dwelling among the tombs.  And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.  Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gnashing himself with stones.

Jesus no sooner stepped foot on dry ground when He meets this hopeless case.  There was no help for this man.  Chains couldn’t hold him.  Nothing relieved his torment.  He ran around in the places of the dead screaming and cutting himself.  Is it even possible to imagine his desperation?

 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; and shouting with a loud voice, he said, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God, do not torment me!”  For He had been saying to Him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”  And He was asking him, “What is your name?”  And he said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”  And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country.  Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain.  The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them,” Jesus gave them permission.  And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.

            Isn’t it curious that Jesus can heal the blind, make the lame walk, quiet a storm with a word, and feed thousands while His disciples wonder who He could be, but demons know Him immediately from a distance?  

It seems that Jesus arrived at this Gerasene shore just to meet this mess of a man.  What was impossible for everyone else, Jesus took care of in a matter of minutes.

And the people came to see what it was that had happened.  They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the “legion”; and they became frightened.

This crazy, tormented soul was clothed and in His right mind sitting at Jesus’s feet.  Frankly, the only place we can be covered and sane is at the Lord’s feet.  Most of us need to spend more time there.

This radical change was too much for the town folk, so they asked Jesus to leave.  After sending our now sane fellow back home to testify of the great things God had done for him, Jesus returned to the shore He had left the night before.  Someone was waiting for him.

When Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and so He stayed by the seashore.  One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, fell at His feet and implored Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.”  And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him.

Being a synagogue official, it’s possible that Jairus wouldn’t have come to Jesus had he not been so distraught.  He would do anything to not lose his beloved daughter - even seek out a questionable teacher of whom the religious leaders of the day did not approve. 

On the road to his house this happens.

A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse – after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak.  For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” 

If I could just touch Him!  Twelve years of medical treatment that had done more harm than good – does this happen today?  Do we run around searching for cures, spending tons of money?  How many acquaintances do we know are selling protein shakes, supplements, essential oil, green things, and bowel cleansers?  How’s the clean, green, organic, raw, vegan, Paleo diet thing working?  How’s that gym membership going?  Traditional medicine - is it always any better?

This was a desperate woman.  How could she not be when struggling with a debilitating illness for twelve years?  She wasn’t going to ask for anything – she just wanted to touch Him.  Her illness was shame inducing – a woman with a flow of blood was unclean in that culture.  She couldn’t afford to bring attention to herself.

Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.  Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?”  And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”  And He looked around to see the woman who had done this.  But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”

Jesus is so kind and loving.  He didn’t call her out to embarrass her or rebuke her, but to bless her.  He didn’t have to acknowledge her – she could have quietly gone on her way with her healing, but He wanted to affirm her faith and give her a blessing.  In the midst of suffering it is easy to feel sorry for ourselves, think God doesn’t really care, that He doesn’t really love us.  It simply isn’t true.  He loves us and He knows what we are going through.

While He was still speaking, they came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter had died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?”

This is pretty cold.  Since Jairus is insisting on embarrassing the powers that be by asking Jesus for help, he could at least stop now since his daughter is dead.  This messenger made no attempt to soften the blow.

But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.”  And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 

Do you remember the reaction of the townspeople when they saw that the demon-possessed man had been healed?  What was the reaction of the woman when she was discovered?  Jairus had been so anxious and afraid that he would be too late in getting Jesus to his daughter, and it turned out he was. Even when our fears are realized, Jesus is enough. 

When the storm was out of control, Jesus asked His disciples, “Do you still have no faith?”  He respected the fear and rejection of the Gerasenes and left them to their own devices.  He commended the woman for her faith, despite her fear.  And He tells Jairus to replace his fear with belief.

They came to the house of the synagogue official; and He saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing.  And entering in, He said to them, “Why make a commotion and weep?  The child has not died, but is asleep.”  They began laughing at Him.  But putting them all out, He took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where the child was. 

It is remarkable how these mourners went from weeping to laughing.  Maybe they were not that sincere in their sorrow for this family.  I love how Jesus can clear a room and get to the heart of a situation.

Taking the child by the hand, He said to her, “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).  Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old.  And immediately they were completely astounded.  And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that something should be given her to eat.

Ever practical, Jesus raises this child from the dead and then commands she be fed.  He knows what we need.

There will be times when we will face impossible, hopeless, desperate situations.  Don’t believe the lie that God doesn’t know or care.  Don’t let fear cause you to reject the Lord.  Don’t be afraid to believe the possible.

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.  In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid.  What can mere man do to me?

This I know, that God is for me (Psalm 56:3-4; 9b).