Faith Like Heroes: Mark 5:21-23

Sometimes life boils down to a simple risk versus reward analysis.  If you see someone walking by who needs help, are you willing to step out of your comfort for the reward of being the hands and feet of God?  If you see someone who looks like they are having a bad day, are you willing to risk getting sucked into their drama for the potential reward of making them smile, feel seen, and feel loved?  Of course, it’s not always positive.  If you get invited to a party where people are doing things that they really shouldn’t be doing, do you risk rejection and choose not to participate for the reward of staying true to your character?  Or, do you risk losing your character for the reward of belonging?

Jairus is one of my heroes in the Gospel story.  [Spoiler, the woman whose story interrupts Jairus’ story is an even bigger hero to me.]  Jairus is a ruler of the synagogue whose daughter is dying.  While there is a huge gathering of observers around Jesus, he falls to the feet of Jesus and asks Jesus to save his daughter.

There are two main reasons why I love Jairus’ story.  The first is his absolute faith in Jesus’s ability to heal.  He displays faith akin to the Roman centurion of Matthew 8:5-13.  There is no question in Jairus’ mind; he knows Jesus can heal his daughter.  Jairus doesn’t ask Jesus if He can heal the sick girl, he tells Jesus that if He will just touch the girl with His hands she’ll be healed.  This is incredible faith.

The second reason I love Jairus’ story is far more subtle.  Remember that Jairus is one of the religious elite.  He was a ruler of the synagogue.  As a ruler of the synagogue, there can be little doubt he is aware of how the religious elite in other places have reacted to Jesus.  He must be aware that the religious elite are already trying to figure out how to get rid of Jesus.  Jairus comes to the feet of someone whom many of his peers would rather see dead and places himself in a position of considerably lower status.  He is more than willing to risk his status for the sake of his daughter.

In the risk versus reward analysis of Jairus’ life, the reward of healing his daughter is worth the risk of every bit of his status in the community.  This is an incredible display of faith.  This is also an incredible display of love.  In Jairus we see a foreshadowing of the cross.  Here is a man who would trade his own livelihood for the sake of someone else.  That’s what Jesus did for us on the cross.  Jesus risked His whole life for our sake.

Sometimes life boils down to a simple risk versus reward analysis.