THE HEALING TOUCH

Gospel of Mark #16

Pastor Dennis Clanton

Woodland Church

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

(Mark 5:21-43, NLT) “Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.” Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?” His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.” While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.” But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of James). When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed. Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat.”

1. JESUS ALWAYS RESPONDS TO FAITH IN ORDER TO BUILD MY FAITH.

(Mark 5:30, NLT) “Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”

2. MY FAITH DOESN’T HAVE TO BE PERFECT.

(Mark 5:34, NLT) “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”

a. Desperation

(Mark 5:25–26, NLT) “A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse.”

b. Information

(Mark 5:27, NLT) “She had heard about Jesus, ….”

c. Direction

(Mark 5:28, NLT) “For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”

d. Substitution

(Mark 5:30, NLT) “Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”

3. God’s delays are always due to grace and love.

(Mark 5:35, NLT) “While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”

We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and canceling our plans … sending us people with claims and petitions. … It is a strange fact that Christians and even ministers frequently consider their work so important and urgent that they will allow nothing to disturb them. They think they are doing God a service in this, but actually they are disdaining God’s “crooked yet straight path.”  –Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Martyred Christian

4. God’s delays reveal His wisdom.

(Mark 5:36, NLT) “But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”

5. God’s delays lead to His healing touch.

(Mark 5:41–43, NLT)  “Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed. Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat.”

6. God’s delays carry through all tragedies.

(Daniel 3:17–18, NLT) “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

a. Mourn the losses.

b. Separation is not forever

c. Wait for the resurrection.

d. Trust God.

e. Tell others about God’s power.

GROWTHWORK

1. God’s blessings never seem to line up with my timetable.

2. God’s blessings are always far more than you could have imagined.

3. God’s grace is usually contrary to the ways of our culture.

4. God’s grace is not magic.