38. Jairus

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Jairus was a man of the religious order, he would have been educated, positioned, powerful and networked into society, but pain, suffering and death have a cold inevitability for us all. As you have seen and know, his daughter dies and Jairus is thrown into the worst situation of his life, but at the same time a wonderful opportunity. 

Idea 1: Religious systems & opportunities I found it interesting to consider that Jairus, committed, dedicated and focused on the religious system of the day hadn’t the ingredients in place to deal with this disaster. It is fair to say that for any father who has lost a child, there isn’t a lot of preparation we allow our minds to do, but it certainly undid Jairus. 

Yet at that moment Jesus was in full force and provided an incredible moment of resurrection, with only three of these being recorded in the gospels. 

The lack of tools Jairus had in his system of belief was brought into a place of hope in Jesus. Have you been in that place where life has done a number on you and you just weren’t prepared, at all, for the situation you found yourself in? What happened? Was there an opportunity in there too? 

Idea 2: Head In times like this, when we find our world imploding and our tool kit inadequate to deal with the issues, a few things need to happen in our head and heart.  Our heads need to focus on the truth not the lies, the realities of our situation. Our heads also need to inform our bodies too to react, move, sit, stand, lay and rest. But also our heads need to process and transmit hope to our hearts, Jesus says to Jairus ‘just believe.’

Can you imagine that battle? In your head I mean, to just believe that your daughter would live again, having only ever seen death as final? This concept was new, unbelievable but here was Jesus telling him to just believe! 

Sometimes we need to keep hearing stuff, others to keep telling us stuff in the chaos to help our heads believe, but it needs to get to our hearts too. 

Have you ever been in this place? 

Idea 3: Heart I think this is where the rubber hits the road, when Jairus allowed the words of Jesus to sink into head, slice through the doubt, fear, confusion, grief and pain. His heart must have longed so much for this to be true, and as he stood there holding on in hope Jesus allowed his daughter to breathe again. WOW! 

Are there things you know God is showing you, teaching you that need to move from the head to the heart? 

What are they? Call them out. 

Action

Turn this stuff into prayer, personally and individually, and make some of this stuff accountable too, remind one another of it as you go on.