According to Your Faith

After healing the daughter of Jairus and bringing her back to life, "Jesus departed from there" and "two blind men followed Him" (Matt. 9:27a). They kept "crying out and saying, 'Son of David, have mercy on us!'" (v. 27b).

"When He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him" (v. 28a). What house? I can't say definitively, but Jairus served in a synagogue and they were in the vicinity of Capernaum, so this is most likely the home of Peter, where Jesus usually stayed when in the area.

"Jesus said to them, 'Do you believe that I am able to do this?'" (v. 28b). He was interested in what they believed. Did they know who He was and did they believe that He could restore their sight? "They said to Him, 'Yes, Lord'" (v. 28c). They did understand, and they believed! Belief is important in having your prayers heard and answered.

"Then He touched their eyes, saying, 'According to your faith let it be to you.' And their eyes were opened" (vv. 29-30a). Belief and faith go hand-in-hand. Jesus encouraged them to confess their faith in Him, but He was the one who healed. Their faith was important, but it did not heal them. Jesus healed them by the power of His grace.

Again, "Jesus sternly warned them, saying, 'See that no one knows it'" (v. 30b). As we have noted before, it is not yet time for a full revelation of who Jesus is. Yet, as usual, these two men pay no attention, but spread the news of their healing by Jesus to everyone who would listen "in all that country" (v. 31).

It is important to understand, as Jesus taught here, our faith is important in having our prayers heard and answered, but our faith does not answer our prayers, nor does faith heal us. Jesus does. By the power of His grace, Jesus answers prayers and heals. Amen.

Little Girl, Arise!

"When Jesus returned" from the region of the Gadarenes to the shores of the Sea of Galilee near the city of Capernaum, "the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him" (Luke 8:40). Many people waited with great anticipation for Jesus to return and preach the Word of God, as well as to heal those among them who suffered from various ailments.

"And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying" (vv. 41-42a). Jairus was essentially the head of the synagogue. He was responsible for the maintenance of the synagogue building and the organization of the worship services (what we today would call a trustee or a deacon).

As Jesus was going with Jairus to his home (v. 42b), a woman made her way through the crowd, "touched the border of His garment," and was healed (v. 44). Jesus acknowledged her healing, and "while He was still speaking" with her, someone from Jairus' home came and said, "Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher" (v. 49).

Jesus heard what was said, turned to Jairus and said, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well" (v. 50). What a word of comfort that must have been! Yet somehow, even though that word came from Jesus, I can imagine that Jairus was still overtaken by grief. Who wouldn't be? I know I would be. It would seem that actually seeing her alive is what would help the most.

"When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl" (v. 51). Outside the home there was quite a scene. According to tradition, people gathered and "all wept and mourned for her" (v. 52a). But Jesus said to them, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping" (v. 52b). They then began to ridicule Him because they knew "she was dead" (v. 53).

Jesus then went into her room, "took her by the hand and called, saying, 'Little girl, arise'" (v. 54). We know that she had indeed died because her spirit or soul had left her body. When Jesus said to her, "Arise" (v. 54b), "her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat" (v. 55).

Of course, "her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened" (v. 56). Again, it wasn't time for Him to be fully revealed as to who He is and why He came. But the people outside would figure it out when they saw the little girl alive and well.

Any time Jesus speaks to your heart and mind with that still small voice, take note. Listen to what the Lord says and trust Him. He will never fail you. He will take care of your needs and bless you greatly. Again, just trust Jesus. Amen.

The Woman Who Told the Whole Truth

Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, summoned Jesus to come to his home and heal his twelve-year-old daughter (Mark 5:22-23). As Jesus was making His way to Jairus' home, He sensed a surge of power go out of Him (v. 30a). But before we continue, let me set the stage for this miracle by describing the very painful ailment of this woman.

"Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years" (v. 25). This is something that I know very little about. It involves the monthly cycle of a woman's menstrual period. In the case of this woman, her monthly flow of blood would not stop, but continually flowed in her "for twelve years" (v. 25). It was extremely painful, and also quite embarrassing. She had been ostracized by society and treated much the same as a leper. She had seen multiple physicians, "spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse" (v. 26).

"When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, 'If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well'" (vv. 27-28). She believed in Jesus. She believed all she had heard and had faith in Him. "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well" (v. 28).

"Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction" (v. 29). She was trying to be very stealth-like so as not to be noticed, but of course, Jesus knew what had happened: "And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, 'Who touched My clothes?' But His disciples said to Him, 'You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, "Who touched Me?"'" (vv. 30-31).

Then Jesus "looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth" (vv. 32-33). And how did Jesus respond? "He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction'" (v. 34).

Jesus recognized her faith, her great faith, and He confirmed her healing. If we believe in Jesus and have faith in Him, even a little faith, we can come to Him and be healed. Even if we are not healed, many were in the throng of people crowding around Him and even touching Him, yet they were not healed; still we know that Jesus will give us strength for the day and guide us through anything. Just trust in Jesus every day. Amen.

The Man Who Lived in the Tombs

Jesus and His disciples sailed across the Sea of Galilee "to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee" (Luke 8:26). Galilee is located to the north and west of the Sea of Galilee, with Capernaum on the north shore. From the northwest shore they crossed the sea to the southeast shore, to the Hellenistic or Greek town of Gadara, which is about six miles southeast of the sea and east of the Jordan river. Gadara was a member of the Decapolis, a league of ten Greek cities.

"And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs" (v. 27). A strange man indeed! A man who was out of his right mind; and for good reason. He had long been taken over by many demons. He had no control over what he was doing.

"When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, 'What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!' For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness" (vv. 28-29). The man was controlled by demons and he had strength that was anything but human! Even heavy chains and shackles could not hold him.

"Jesus asked him, saying, 'What is your name?' And he said, 'Legion,' because many demons had entered him" (v. 30). This is not a name, as such. In Greek, the word "legion" means "many." It refers to a regimen of many soldiers gathered together in the Roman army.

The demons begged Jesus not to "command them to go out into the abyss" (v. 31). In Mark 5:10, they begged Jesus to "not send them out of the country." "Out of the country" (v. 10) or "into the abyss" (Luke 8:31) carries the thought of a permanent punishment. They would rather be cast into the many pigs feeding nearby.

"Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned" (vv. 32-33). Mark 5:13b adds that "there were about two thousand" swine. A legion can be up to as many as three thousand or more. Mark estimated about two thousand swine. That means this man was possessed by at least two thousand demons! No wonder he had no control.

The herdsmen ran and spread the word throughout the region of how Jesus had cast out these demons (Luke 8:34). "Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid" (v. 35).

"They were afraid!" Afraid of what? They were told how Jesus had healed this man (v. 36), but instead of rejoicing, they "asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned" (v. 37). They didn't understand in the least. That is why "they were seized with great fear" (v. 37b). We need not fear Jesus, but rather, we should embrace Him by faith and sit at His feet and learn from Him.

"Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, 'Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.' And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him" (vv. 38-39). Tell people about Jesus! Let them know what He means to you. Amen.

Stretch Out Your Hand

As was His habit, Jesus "went into their synagogue" (Matt. 12:9b). It was the Sabbath. Jesus was there to teach the people. While He was teaching, it was discovered that, among the congregation, "there was a man who had a withered hand" (v. 10a). The Pharisees were also present, but they had an ulterior motive. So they asked Jesus, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" (v. 10b). They wanted to find a way "that they might accuse Him" (v. 10c), so as to draw the people away from Him.

The Pharisees were jealous, you might say. They resented the crowds of people that followed Jesus. The fact that they all flocked to Jesus meant they did not follow the Pharisees. That didn't sit well with them and they wanted to discourage the people from following Jesus. They would tell any lie to draw the people away. Jesus saw right through their schemes.

Jesus turned and addressed the Pharisees directly. In answer to their question, He asked them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?" (v. 11). Then He added, "Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath" (v. 12).

See the difference? The Pharisees defined healing as work, while Jesus defined it simply as doing good. It may be against the law to do work on the Sabbath, but it was not against the law to do good on the Sabbath. We should follow the example of Jesus and do good, not only on the Sabbath, but every day of the week!

Then Jesus turned back to the man before Him and said, "Stretch out your hand" (v. 13a). And he was healed; his hand was fully restored: "And he stretched it out, and it was restored as full as the other"(v. 13b).

The Pharisees weren't happy: "Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him" (v. 14). The enemies of God will never give up; They will never quit persecuting God's faithful people. Do not give them the satisfaction of watching you walk away from Jesus. Follow Him faithfully every day without fail. Jesus has your back. He will take care of you. Amen.

Just Say the Word

Jesus had finished teaching His disciples, along with the crowds that followed Him everywhere, having given His sermon on mount. Then we are told in Luke 7:1, "Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum." Jesus was likely headed for Peter's home which served as headquarters for His Galilean ministry, as well as the place where He stayed when in Capernaum.

Upon entering the city, Jesus has an interesting encounter. We are simply told, "And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die" (v. 2). In the parallel passage in Matthew 8:6, the centurion clarifies the situation, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented."

The centurion, an officer in the Roman army that commands one hundred men, "when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant" (Luke 7:3). When the elders "came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving" (v. 4). They noted that this centurion "loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue" (v. 5).

"Jesus went with them" (v. 6a). As He began to approach the centurion's home, He came upon a second wave of messengers: "The centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, 'Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, "Go," and he goes; and to another, "Come," and he comes; and to my servant, "Do this," and he does it'" (vv. 6b-8).

As I have said before, Jesus recognizes great faith and He honors such faith. "When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, 'I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!'" (v. 9). The centurion, a Roman officer, sent word through his friends to Jesus, telling Him simply, "Say the word!" (v. 7b). That's all! Just, "Say the word, and my servant will be healed" (v. 7b).

And guess what? Jesus just said the word and the paralysis left the servant and he was healed. We are told, "And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick" (v. 10). Jesus did not lay hands on the servant. He did not even lay His eyes on either the servant or the centurion. He just said the word, as the centurion asked, and the servant was healed.

Have a little faith. Jesus said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you" (Matt. 17:20). When you trust in Jesus by faith, He will watch over you. Amen.

A Right Fishy Story

If you are a fisherman or you have friends who are, you probably heard many an exaggerated fish story. When I was struck by lightning on the boundary waters of northern Minnesota in 1979, we gave the doctor who arrived at our campsite in answer to prayer the fish the boys caught as payment for his "tent call." We told him that he better make up a good fish story as to how he caught them because his people would never believe the truth. But in reality, people see through the tall tales but will believe the miracle story because, as they might say, "No one could invent such a wild story!"

Well, Peter has a great fish story of his own! The story is found in Luke 5:1-11. There we read, "So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat" (vv. 1-3).

I stood where this is believed to have taken place in the land of Israel. It was a natural amphitheater along the shore of the Sea of Galilee (same body of water as Gennesaret), not that Jesus needed one to be heard by thousands. You could stand by the shore, speak in a normal voice, and be clearly heard way up at the top of the hill!

As usual, large crowds followed Jesus everywhere. They came to hear Him preach and teach the word of God, as well as to be healed of their various ailments. For a little breathing room, Jesus asked Peter to "put out a little from the land" (v. 3a). He then "taught the multitudes from the boat" (v. 3b).

Then it happened! When He finished preaching, Jesus said to Peter, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch" (v. 4). Peter was hesitant: "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net" (v. 5). Peter thought it would be a waste of time, but he would do as Jesus asked.

Regardless of what you think about what Jesus asks you to do, remember who He is, that He is the Son of God, the Savior, and do as He commands. Follow the word of His still small voice and you will not go wrong.

When they (Peter and likely his brother Andrew) cast their nets, "they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking" (v. 6). "So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats so that they began to sink" (v. 7). Wow! What a catch! It was beyond anything they had ever dreamt of.

Take note of Peter's response: "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell at Jesus' knees, saying, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!'" (v. 8). They were all "astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon" (vv. 9-10a).

And now the purpose for this miraculous catch of fish: "And Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men'" (v. 10b). They are to become fishers of men! Jesus was calling them to join His disciples that very day and follow Him. If you will follow Jesus faithfully, you will learn to catch men and bring them into the kingdom of God.

"So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him" (v. 11). That word, "forsook," literally means, "left behind." In other words, they left everything behind to follow Jesus. They left their families, their homes, their possessions, their boats, their fishing business, all to serve Jesus as fishers of men.

We need to do the same. Leave everything and follow Jesus faithfully. If He leads you to foreign lands, go. If He leads you to foreign places in this country, go. If He leads you to fish for men right where you are, do it. Be faithful to Jesus and He will be faithful to you. Amen.