Clothesline - Edition 207

By Rev. Elizabeth L. Nelson, Pastor

July 3, 2024  

The Gospel for this past Sunday gave us a wonderful story of what life is like walking with Jesus. There is camaraderie, sharing, conversation, healing—a typical day in the life of Jesus and his followers. And for us believers, there is a special message: Jesus is always with us and Jesus always has time for us.

The story begins as Jesus is approached by Jairus a leader of the synagogue. He tells Jesus that his daughter is near death, and he asks Jesus to come and heal her. What? A leader of the synagogue…filled with amazing faith…asks for a miracle from the one man whom his peers want to eliminate? That’s exactly right! And what does Jesus do? Scripture doesn’t give us Jesus’ response in words, but Jesus simply follows Jairus. And word gets around…let’s follow them and see if Jesus can really keep this child from dying.

But on the way, a strange thing happens. A woman in the crowd, who has her own serious illness, believes in her heart that if she just touches Jesus’ clothes, she will be healed. Would you have that much faith? I wonder if I would. Her sickness has made her an outcast. She isn’t even supposed to leave her home. But she hears that Jesus is close by. Her faith is stronger than her fear of the crowd. She touches Jesus’ clothes, and Scripture says she is immediately healed. How do we know that? Because it also says, “Jesus sensed that power had gone out of him.” And you have to chuckle at the oh-so-human dialogue that happens next between Jesus and his disciples.

Jesus says, “Who touched me?” to which the disciples say, “Really, Jesus? Do you see how many people are surrounding us?” The frightened woman hears this dialogue; yet, she comes forward…face to face with Jesus. What as amazing moment that must have been for her. Oh, what any one of us would give to look into the eyes of Jesus…if only for a moment in time!

But Jesus’ day isn’t over yet. As he and his disciples continue on to Jairus’ house, word comes to the group that the little girl has died. And we know how the story ends. Jesus ignores the awful message, continues to Jarius’ house, and brings the little girl back to life. Thus ends a typical day in the life of Jesus.

This wonderful “day-in-the-life-of” Jesus has a message for us: Jesus will always have time for us. He’s never too busy to answer our requests. No problem, however big or small, is unimportant to Jesus. He made us; we are his. And he walks with us through every day of our lives. So if ever find yourself thinking: My needs are too trivial for Jesus, remember the insignificant woman who dared to touch Jesus’ cloak and the important official of the synagogue. No one is beyond the saving grace of Jesus!