Today, as we approach the healing of the young girl, I am very mindful that there are those in our immediate church family, friends, and our church family that no longer attend at Broken Arrow that have had or are having experiences with their children and serious health related problems. I pray that I communicate a message today that offers nothing but encouragement to all.
On March 17, 1997, Baby Boy Lundy was born into this world. It was one of the most amazing and awesome days of my life. Not wanting to overlook my baptism, my wedding day, or Maleah's birth, I can say that I have rarely experienced such joy as when I heard Collin's first cry, saw his arms and legs move all around, or felt and smelled his baby skin. (As I am sure most parents believe) I had never seen a more beautiful or perfect little child.
That glorious day was interrupted by a nurse, that I must admit I already did not like. For whatever reason, I did not trust her and took issue with her when she said that Collin was not acting right - he was too lethargic. I very much took issue with her when she took Collin from Lorey and told us that she was going to take him to the nursery so that he could be checked out. This was my child and he was perfect and nobody was going to tell me otherwise. However, the doctors agreed that something was wrong but they could not be sure what. Like many other babies that "get checked out" Collin absorbed what seemed to be hundreds of pin pricks and had dozens of tests run. He was moved to NICU and monitored and Lorey was given a room that she could stay with him. The only thing we knew was that he was too lethargic and his heart rate was too high.
For several days this went on and I visited every morning, every afternoon, and every night. I will never forget the helpless feeling that I had and the hundreds of tearful prayers that I sent up to heaven. I said prayers nearly every waking minute that I could: in the car, in the office, in the elevator, in bed, every time that I entered the hospital, scrubbed down so that I could see Collin, and then again when I left the hospital. I am sure that many in our circumstance would probably ask, was God hearing my prayers? Was he too busy to care about this single child when so many other people were suffering in the world?
In today's lesson, we have a man with a twelve year old daughter who was dying. Jairus found Jesus and was painfully pleading that Jesus come to his house and save his "little girl". As the day passed and Jesus made his way through the crowd to the house, the words came that every parent fears more than any other message: "Your daughter is dead". I do not want to imagine the grief that he felt but understand his words that he next spoke: "Don't bother the teacher any more."
Have you ever thought that God has more important things to do than to answer our prayers or piddle with our little ailments or conflicts. After all, this is the creator of the universe, the overseer of all things and here I am asking him to.... Jesus' response to Jairus is an encouragement to everyone in all levels of need: "don't be afraid, just believe...." One of my favorite passages in the Bible expresses the question "who am I to God" and then provides an answer: Psalm 8: O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Jairus thought that Jesus could no longer help or that any further requests would be a "bother". We must always recognize that God's love for us is real and that he will never be bothered when we take our needs to Him. "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" Hebrews 4:16. The end result may not be the same as it was for Jairus and his daughter but we should not fall into the worldly trap that we are insignificant in the scheme of God's plan. After all: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" John 3:16.
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