Harvest Pointe Christian Church, Milford Ohio is a non-denominational Christian Church (Church of Christ) on the Eastside of Cincinnati OH

People Who Are Desperate | Series: The People We Meet | 06-22-08

People Who Are Desperate
Luke 8:40-56

  I. Desperate People.

 II. Need an Active Faith.

III. To Endure the Darkest Hour.

Full Text 

Like Jesus, we all meet desperate people along the way.

A marriage is falling apart.
Someone is dying.
A teenager is pregnant.
Someone is overseas in the war on terror.
A spouse is abused.
A business is in trouble.
Someone's finances are in shambles.

As that little saying goes,
"The light at the end of the tunnel
might be another train!"

And people are desperate.
Maybe you are one of those who is desperate.

Everyone experiences times of hopelessness.

Henry David Thoreau once said,
"Most men live lives of quiet desperation."

The situation is beyond our control and
it seems that there's nothing we can do about it.

If you've never been there,
I guarantee you will be someday and
you'll want help from the Lord.

1st, let's look at 2
I. Desperate People.
that Jesus met along the way.

These 2 people were very different but
they had one thing in common:
They had nowhere else to turn, but to Jesus.

So let's see how Jesus helped them in their time of need and learn some lessons
He wants us to learn.

Now, remember, we have seen Jesus
traveling throughout the region of Galilee
teaching and healing and raising the dead.

Jesus and His 12 apostles head across the sea of Galilee
and as they sail, a storm hits.
The boat is swamped and in danger of sinking.
Jesus is so exhausted he is sleeping through it all.

The disciples wake up Jesus,
who tells the wind and waves to be quiet,
which they do,
then Jesus lays back down and goes to sleep!

In Luke 8:25 we see the response of the disciples.
"In fear and amazement they asked one another, 'Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.'"

They get to the other side of the lake,
where Jesus heals a demon possessed man.

Then, they sail back to Galilee,
which brings us to our text today.
We read in Luke 8:40,
"Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him."

Matthew and Mark both tell us that
Matthew threw a great feast for Jesus.

Let's hear a little of what happened at that feast
from Matthew himself.
Matthew 9:10-13.  "10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and 'sinners' came and ate with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, '"Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?'
12On hearing this, Jesus said, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'  For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'"

Now, picture this scene.
Matthew was a tax collector that
Jesus had called as one of His 12 apostles.

In Israel at that time,
tax collectors were considered traitors and thieves.
The taxes they collected went to Rome,
who had conquered them.
Their method of collection promoted dishonesty.

So Matthew puts that life-style behind and
follows Jesus.

When they get back to his home town,
Matthew throws a big feast and
invites all his friends to meet Jesus.

[By the way, if you want to introduce someone to Jesus,
food is still a great attraction!
People still like to eat!]

When I was young we sometimes
wanted to have more fun than
some others wanted us to have.

When someone did not want to join in the fun or
especially if they didn't want us to have fun,
we sang them a song that went,
"Every party has a pooper
that's why we invited you.
Party Pooper!
Party Pooper!

Matthew threw a party and
the party poopers showed up - the Pharisees.
These were the religious and civil rulers of the nation.

Today it would be like
a group of senators showing up at your door,
investigating you and
trying to find some way to charge you with something.

And they demand of Jesus,
"If you're such a righteous holy-man,
why are you being so unholy by
associating with traitors and sinners?"

The sinners were all those people who
were liars and thieves and
had sex outside of marriage and
all those other people that
the religious snobs refused to associate with.

But the tax collectors were ostracized anyway so
they could be friends of sinners.
It didn't matter.

Jesus told them He was a spiritual doctor and
it was the spiritually sick that needed Him!

Foiled again!
It infuriated the Pharisees every time
they tried to trap Jesus and
He made them look stupid
with His obvious answers!

So, here we have the top politicians in Israel,
super-ticked off at Jesus,
frustrated they can't find an excuse to
execute Jesus.

And into this tension packed scene,
comes a desperate man.

Luke 8:41.  "Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house."

Jairus is a ruler of the synagogue.
The synagogue is like our church.

Jairus was a member of a board of elders that
controlled, not only the synagogue,
but also the city.
In the Jewish system the religious leaders
were also the political leaders.

When Jairus fell at Jesus' feet,
it was a recognition that
Jesus was greater than he was.
It was a recognition that
Jesus is Lord!

I guarantee you
this did not endear Jairus to the Pharisees.

They didn't want Jesus recognized as Lord.
They wanted to eliminate Jesus!

And to top it off,
he's begging Jesus to come to his house!

This would be like the Mayor of Cincinnati
walking in on a Senate investigative committee and
ignoring the Senators and
recognizing the person being investigated
as higher than them all.

And then asking the person being investigated
to leave the meeting and come with you!

You talk about political suicide!
Any hopes Jairus had of moving up
were out the window!

In fact, it was not a question of
"Will I ever get a promotion again?"
It was now a question of, "Do I keep my job?"

What would make a man so desperate that
he would throw away his political career like that?

Verse 42.  "Because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying."

Can you imagine having a 12 year old daughter dying?
And even worse, your only daughter?


Imagine the crushing blow to the parents.
The doctors are helpless.
There is no place to turn.

Suddenly, Jairus reaches out to his last hope.
Jesus is back in town.
He's heard about Jesus healing people.
Probably even seen some healings.

At this point he forgets about politicians.
He forgets about careers.
The only thing that matters is his little girl.

Sometimes it is in the darkest of times that
we learn what is most important.
People are more important than careers.

So Jairus rushes to Jesus.
Luke 8:42 concludes, "...As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him."

Jesus immediately leaves the feast.
He leaves the Pharisees behind.
He heads off with Jairus.

Obviously, the crowd follows.
"Come on everybody!  Let's see a miracle!"

Everyone wants to be first to Jairus' house
so they can have a ringside seat.

The crowd quickly grows to where
the street can't handle the mass.
Everyone is pushing and shoving and
Jesus is getting squeezed.

In the midst of this chaos,
we read in Luke 8:43,
"And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her."

Max Lucado writes, "This woman's chronic menstrual disorder would be difficult for any woman of any era, but for a Jewess nothing could be worse. No part of her life was left unaffected. Sexually, she could not touch her husband. Maternally, she could not bear children. Domestically, anything she touched in the house was considered unclean. Spiritually, she was not allowed to enter the temple to worship. She was physically exhausted and socially ostracized."

Mark tells us that this woman had spent all of her money
trying to find a cure,
but had only gotten worse.
She was desperate.

Warren Wiersbe points out
the interesting contrast between
these 2 desperate people.
Here was a man interceding for his child and
a woman hoping to find help for herself.
The man's name is given;
the woman is anonymous.
Jairus was wealthy, a leading citizen, but
the woman was a lowly person and was broke.
Jairus had been blessed with
12 years of joy with his daughter;
now he might lose her.
The woman has experienced 12 years of misery
because of her affliction and
now she's hoping to get well.

Jairus' need was public;
the woman's need was hidden.
Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue, but
the woman's hemorrhaging made her unclean and
she could not enter the synagogue to worship.
Jairus' concern was life threatening but
the woman's problem was not as serious as his.

These 2 people were so different, and yet,
both were so desperate.

Both turned to their last resort - Jesus.

Now, let's see how desperate people
II. Need an Active Faith.

Let's turn our thoughts back to the woman.
Luke 8:44.  "She came up behind [Jesus] and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped."

There was no where else to turn.
But now, Jesus was near by.

She had to get to Him.
She was desperate!
But how, with the shoving crowd?

She battles and squeezes and
works her way towards Him.

I wonder if someone didn't knock her to the ground and
she just reached up and
touched the edge of Jesus' robe,

Maybe she lunged between somebody's legs.

Maybe she forced her arm between 2 people
just to touch Jesus.

I don't know, but
with almost a superstitious faith,
just to touch Jesus' clothes
she finds healing.

This woman had a faith in Jesus that was
alive and active.
It produced the action needed.

McGarvey and Pendleton write, "Faith healed her by causing her to act as to obtain healing.  Faith thus saves:  not of itself, but by that which it causes us to do.  It causes us to so run that we obtain."

If your faith in Jesus does not cause you to serve Jesus,
your faith is dead.
James 2:26 says, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

This woman had to fight her way to Jesus.
Her faith was active and alive.
SHE WAS DOING WHAT SHE COULD!
But there is more.
Verses 45-46.  45'Who touched me?' Jesus asked.
When they all denied it, Peter said, 'Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.'
46But Jesus said, 'Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.'

I find it interesting that
this woman did not scream to get Jesus' attention.
She just quietly touches Him.

Maybe it was the embarrassment
of her problem that
caused her to not scream for Jesus' attention.

Maybe, after being ostracized for 12 years,
she didn't feel worthy to speak to Him.

Maybe Jesus was seriously trying to talk to Jairus and
this woman was too respectful to interrupt and
she thought, "If only I can touch Him,
I can be healed without bothering Him.

We don't know, but
when she reached out and touched His cloak,
she was instantly healed.

Then Jesus asks something strange.
"Who touched me?"

Peter says, "What do you mean? 
Everybody's pushing and shoving. 
You were rammed by 6 of us in the last 5 seconds, and
you're asking, 'Who touched me?'" 

It's like in a football game.
2 seconds left in the game.
The offense is down by 5 points
(that's usually the Bengals).
1 yard to go for a touch down.
Only 1 play left in the game.
It's do or die for both teams.

The center hikes the ball.
The quarterback hands the ball to the running back and
17 guys pile up in the middle of the line.

The officials are trying to peel the guys off the pile
to see where the ball is.

And suddenly, from the middle of the pile,
a voice is heard,
"Somebody touched me!"

Duh!

Well, Jesus responded, "Someone touched me;
I know that power has gone out from me."

Now Jesus is getting a little more specific.

I'm sure Jesus stopped and
had everyone's attention.

The woman knows Jesus is asking about her.
It was Jesus' power that had healed her.

Some people ask,
"Didn't Jesus know who touched Him?"

Of course He did.
We've already seen Him reading people's minds.

Jesus wasn't looking for information.
Remember, He was helping desperate people.

Verse 47.  "Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed [I wonder if Jesus was looking right at her when he said this?  But the woman], came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed."

Why did Jesus embarrass this woman
by having her tell her story to everyone?

One reason is
Her relationship with Jesus needed to be
personal and not nameless.
It is more meaningful to look someone in the eye and
speak to them, rather than
simply a touch and be gone.

Another reason is
Jesus wanted her faith to be in him,
not in superstition about his clothes.
He didn't want her to have the mistaken notion that
there was some magic power in his cloak.

Christian faith is not faith in yourself.
It is not faith in faith.
It is not even in a building or
a symbol of the cross.
Our faith is in the person of Jesus Christ.

John 3:16 says, ""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."

Her healing needed to be made public.

People needed to know that she was healed so that
she could regain her normal place in society
immediately.
She was no longer under the severe prohibition that
she had endured for 12 years.

People needed to accept her like Jesus did.

Now, here is a prime reason.
Her healing increased the faith of Jairus.

Jairus thinks his world is caving in now.
In moments, he will be completely devastated.

He's going to need to trust Jesus
like never before.

Psalm 34:18.  "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Verse 48.  "Then [Jesus] said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.'"

This is the only time in the Bible that it's recorded that Jesus called anyone this word for daughter.
It's an affectionate term.

Somebody wrote, "To the loved a word of affection is a morsel, but to the love-starved a word of affection can be a feast."
And Jesus gave this woman a banquet.

This woman's active faith brought healing and peace.

God may not always take away our pain in this life.
But always remember it is temporary.
She suffered for 12 years.
Others suffer longer.
But one day, every tear will be dried.

Now, we've been focusing on this woman.
What's been happening with Jairus?


His daughter is dying.
He wants Jesus there yesterday.
This man is anxious to get going!

Now let's see that
Desperate People Need an Active Faith
III. To Endure the Darkest Hour.

Verse 49.  "While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. 'Your daughter is dead,' he said. 'Don't bother the teacher any more.'"

Reading between the lines,
whoever brought word was really saying,
"You've made a big enough fool of yourself already.
You may have even ruined your financial future.
Whatever you do, don't bring Jesus to your house!"

Suddenly, Jairus, the desperate man,
is crushed.
How could he not go from desperation to despair?

But before he can respond,
Jesus speaks up.

Verse 50.  "Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, 'Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.'"

Now Jairus has to make a choice.
Will He trust Jesus or listen to the messenger?

Not only is this his darkest hour,
it is a turning point in his life.


He stands at a crossroad.
Which way will he go?
Will he believe with an active faith or
will he hopelessly turn away from Jesus?

The healing of the woman gave credence to Jesus' words:
"Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed."
Could it be possible?

Maybe he had heard about
Jesus raising the widow's son from the dead.

Now Jairus begins to hope against hope.
He is a desperate man again.

So Jairus ignores his friend's silly counsel.
Why?  Because Jesus was his only hope.

Jairus had to endure that long hard walk home
where his only daughter lay dead.

But Jesus walked that road with Him.
Jesus was with Jairus every step of the way,
even while his heart was breaking.

Always remember.
During your darkest hour,
Jesus will be walking beside you.
Believe that with an active faith.

Never give up.
Jesus will send His people to help you.
They will stand beside you.
They will be His shoulder to cry on.
They will bring you His encouragement.

Verse 51.  "When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child's father and mother."

Jesus is about to do something precious and sacred
and He wasn't going to grandstand and
use the moment for fame.

Only the parents and Jesus' 3 closest disciples
were to witness this awesome miracle.
The sensation hungry crowd that had followed him
was shut outside.

Verse 52 begins, "Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her...."
McGarvey and Pendleton write, "Mourning began at the moment of death, and continued without intermission until the burial, which usually took place on the day of the death.  Even to this day Oriental funerals are characterized by noisy uproar and frantic demonstrations of sorrow, made by real and hired mourners.  Flute-players, then as now, mingle the plaintive strains of their instruments with the piercing cries of those females who make mourning a profession."

Have you ever seen the clips on television of
a funeral procession in Israel or an Arab nation?
Surrounding the casket are people shrieking their pain.

This is the scene Jairus arrives home to.

Many of the mourners were professional mourners.
They got paid to scream and cry.
It allowed the family to mourn
without being conspicuous.

Verse 52-53.  "52Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. 'Stop wailing,' Jesus said. 'She is not dead but asleep.'
[The Bible often uses the term "sleep" for death.
We have the confidence that we're going to wake up in Heaven!]  Verse 53 says, 53They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead."

These people weren't really mourning the little girl's death.
They were professionals.
They couldn't help themselves.
They have to stop wailing to laugh at Jesus.

Even today, when someone says
they will one day be with that loved one
who has gone on before,
some will give that condescending smile,
like they really don't believe it.

After everyone was out, we read in Verse 54-56,
"54But he took her by the hand and said, 'My child, get up!' 55Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened."

Jairus and his wife were amazed.
Jairus had a faith in Jesus, but
it wasn't strong enough to
keep him from being amazed.

But that's just the way God is.
No matter what we pray for or
how confident we are that He will work things out,
when he does, we are still amazed, aren't we!

I wonder what the professional mourners thought
when that little 12 year old girl came out to greet them?

Were they upset they lost some cash?
Or were they amazed and
celebrated with Jairus and his family?

2 lessons today.
First:  When you are desperate,
reach out to Jesus with an active faith
As you rely on Him, do what you can.

Secondly:  With that faith, endure your darkest hour,
knowing that Jesus is walking beside you
every step of the way.

Romans 8:28 assures us God can take
the pain Satan sends and use if for good.

The road may seem long,
but it will one day end.
And one day in Heaven we will rejoice together.

Do you have an assurance of Heaven?

If not, come forward with an active faith.
Give your life to Him as
you repent of your sins and
are baptized into Christ
knowing that even in your darkest hour,
Jesus will be walking with you every step of the way.

Or maybe you've already done that and
would like to place your membership with us,
then come forward as we stand and sing.