Death In Our Homes

Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him gladly, for they were all expecting him. Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.
(Luke 8:40-42)

Jairus, unlike the rest of the crowd, waited for Jesus in his time of need and then approached Him. He didn’t just want to see and hear Him; he waited for the Saviour because he wanted Him to do something for him, Jairus.

Why do we wait for Jesus? Do we really long for His help? It’s useful to hear a sermon, it’s good to pay attention to the Bible, but you need humility to take your problems to Jesus.

Jairus was a church leader. It probably wasn’t easy for him to humble himself before a barefoot Christ in front of others but he set aside his status, that of being a teacher of people, maybe because his need was so great. It wasn’t only Jairus who approached Jesus; Jesus approached Jairus. This is the only way the encounter could have happened.

Jesus came from heaven, His home, to this earth where He became homeless. He wants to create a home in each one of us. Jairus approaches that Jesus, the Jesus who seeks a home in our hearts. He cannot say to Jesus, "Come to me and rest," because there is death in his home; his daughter is dying. What tremendous mercy when we can admit that there is death in our home! In inviting Jesus, in pleading with Him to come to him, Jairus confesses that the biggest problem is in his home. He takes the death that is there very seriously.

Death threatens every home but not everyone calls out to Jesus for help.

[LH, (c)2003]