November 13 A Father’s Plea

Luke 8:41-42 Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.
 
The synagogues were established to be Sabbath-day teaching places. They functioned much as the church is to be today to protect, proclaim and follow God’s Word. Jairus, the synagogue ruler, was one of several rulers who oversaw the care of God’s Word in the scrolls (We know these scrolls as the Old Testament.) in the synagogue. He also guided the Sabbath Day preaching from the scrolls and the community’s obedience to the scrolls. You might say he was God’s law enforcement officer. Jairus was not a man who would submit himself to anyone’s authority. He was the town’s authority.
   But then his daughter became deathly ill. What would he do? What could he do? The options were practically non-existent. Child mortality was high. Death seemed imminent.
   Then Jairus saw hope. There was an option after all. His name was Jesus, and he just walked into town. The news was that this wandering rabbi had healed many. Jairus perhaps remembered how the scrolls spoke of God’s promise of physical healing as in Isaiah 58:8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Should Jairus believe in such promises? Could he trust the reports about this Jesus of Nazareth? What was the source of Jesus’ authority? Some even said he did the devil’s work. What is there to do when one is desperate for God – listen to the doubts or hear from Heaven?
   Jairus (meaning “he will awaken”) would experience the Spirit’s awakening power. In need, he would humble himself before the Lord. He then took a faith step that day to plea to the Most High authority for his daughter. With the slightest light of hope, this man who protected the Word of God on the scrolls, went to the Living Word of God, who had walked into his town. He would discover, indeed, how God’s Word is alive to save.
  
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the Word made flesh. Grant to me a living faith that trusts you for each aspect of my life, especially those things that threaten the ones most dear to me. In your name I pray. Amen.