Matthew 9:18-26 - Homiletics

The raising of the daughter of Jairus.

I. THE FATHER .

1 . His position. He was a ruler of the synagogue, a dignitary of the Jewish Church, The Pharisees once asked in scorn, "Have any of the rulers believed on him?" Here was one who certainly believed. Possibly he may have been one of those elders of the Jews whom the centurion had sent to Christ. If so, he had seen both the power of Christ and his sympathy with sorrow and suffering. Now sorrow had come very near to him, and he sought for his own needs the Lord whom he had before entreated in behalf of another. Those who intercede for others are blessed in their own souls; mercy is twice blest. The Pharisees were beginning to hold aloof from Christ, to question his authority. A ruler might have felt some difficulty in preferring a request to him just then. Jairus thought nothing of such matters in the presence of his great sorrow. He came, perhaps to the publican's house, and, ruler though he was, he fell down at Jesus' feet and worshipped him. Sorrow often softens the proud heart, and brings the humbled soul to Christ; sorrow is a blessed thing if it leads to the feet of Christ, if it teaches us to worship.

2 . His prayer . His little daughter (she was but twelve years old) was at the point of death—so near her end that he described her (according to St. Matthew's abridged narrative) as already dead. He thought the breath would go forth before he reached the Lord. He believed that Christ could help him even now. But the anguish of his soul was intense; he poured forth his prayer in the broken accents of grief.. "Come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live." It was wonderful faith; he believed that Christ could recall the parted soul, and restore his dead child to her father's arms.

3 . The Lord ' s readiness. Jesus arose, perhaps from the couch in the house of Matthew, and followed Jairus from the house of feasting to the house of mourning. There are strange contrasts in human life. Here gladness, and there sorrow; here light and feasting and song, there wailing and the anguish of the bereaved, the death-agony and the faintness of departing life. The Christian should be prepared for both—to weep with those that weep, and to rejoice with those that do rejoice. He may take his part, like the Lord, in the innocent enjoyments of life; he must sometimes, like the Lord, contend earnestly for the faith; but, like the Lord, he should be ready to leave the festive table, or the disputes of controversy, to comfort the afflicted and minister to the dying. Therefore he should live always in the Spirit; therefore he should strive, whether he eats or drinks, or whatever he is doing, to do all to the glory of God. The disciples followed Christ from the house of Matthew to the house of Jairus; we should be ready always to follow him whithersoever he teeth.

II. THE AFFLICTED WOMAN .

1 . Her trouble. She had long suffered from a wasting disease. For twelve years, the whole life of the little daughter of Jairus, she had been afflicted. She had tried every means of relief, she had applied to physician after physician, she had submitted to many painful remedies, she had spent all that she had; but she found no help—she grew worse. It is a sad history. There are many such now—long wasting sicknesses; vain efforts to recover health; hopelessness. But still, as ever, there is the Saviour's ready sympathy. If he does not work outward miracles as of old, he works spiritual wonders still. He gives patience, peace, holy hope. He turns suffering into blessing.

2 . He , timidity. She had heard of Jesus. He had done many mighty works. Now he was on his way to a yet more wonderful exercise of power. He had heard that the damsel was dead, yet he arose and went. What would he do? A great multitude followed him in intense, awful expectation. The poor woman mingled with the crowd. She knew that she was accounted unclean; she was full of shame and timidity; she feared to meet the look of Jesus; she came behind him in the press, and touched the hem of his garment. He might do something for her; he might heal her on his way to the house of Jairus. Something of the wondrous power that was to be exerted there might flow in upon her and stay her sickness. People hear of Christ now; they know what he has done, what he is doing for others; one miracle leads to another, one conversion to another. Circumstances differ. Some come straight to Christ, like Jairus; they open their grief to him, they bring him at once to their house, to their heart. Others are more fearful; they feel the defilement of their sin; they tremble. But they must come; none other can save them. They come, drawn perhaps by others, in the throng that follows Christ. They know not what to say; they cannot shape the longings of their hearts into words. They come behind him; they touch the hem of his garment; the Spirit maketh intercession for them with groanings that cannot be uttered.

3 . Her faith. She said within herself, "If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole." Her faith was not like that of the centurion—there was, perhaps, something of superstition in it; she seems to have thought that the healing power diffused itself from the Person of our Lord, apart from the action of his Divine wilt. Her error somewhat resembled that of those who think that God can act only through the unconscious laws of nature, not by the conscious intervention of his almighty will. She was wrong. But be felt her presence, he knew her trouble and her faith; it was by the act of his will that virtue went out of him, and healed her sickness. So it is in the realm of nature. Not a sparrow fails to the ground without our Father. But if, her faith was uninstructed, it was strong and living. His touch, she felt in her heart, would heal her sickness. Multitudes touched our Lord as they thronged round about him in the press; but one touched him with the hand of faith. That one he knew at once. He saw her not with the outward eye—she was behind him; but he knew her heart. "The Lord knoweth them that are his;" but many that say to him, "Lord, Lord," he hath never known. Various motives brought that crowd together—curiosity, excitement, and such-like. They thronged round our Lord, eager to see what he would do. "Master, the multitude throng thee, and press thee," said St. Peter. They followed him closely, watching him intently. We are not told that they received any benefit from their nearness to the Lord. Bodily presence was not enough; there was need of something deeper. There were many eager eyes; there was one faithful heart. People fill the churches now, they join in the services, they come to the Holy Communion. It is well, it is necessary; but something more is needful for salvation. They must put forth the hand of faith, they must touch the Saviour; then power will go forth from him, and heal the sickness of their souls. The poor woman came in deep humility, in weakness and trembling; so must the penitent come to Christ. She came behind him; she sought only to touch his garment; she was content with the lowest place. Only to touch his garment, only to feel his life-giving power—that was enough; it would take away her uncleanness, it would heal her sickness.

4 . The Lord ' s thoughfulness. He was bent on an errand of love. The poor father was in intense anxiety; the crowd was full of eager anticipation; but bore was one who needed his help. He must stop, even on his way to raise the dead. Mark his calm, majestic collectedness. In his holy unselfishness he had time and thought for every suppliant. He was not vexed with interruptions, as we are apt to be; he waited on his way. The Lord has work for us every day; it is not always the work which we had marked out for ourselves. If it is his work, it is blessed. We must put aside our own plans, and do what he bids us.

5 . His inquiries. He asked who had touched him. it was not for his own information; he knew the thoughts of all men. ]But he felt the touch of faith—the one touch in all that throng that arrested his steps and claimed his grace. It was well for her to know that it was his sovereign will, not any virtue inherent in the hem of his garment, that had wrought the miracle. It was well, too, for the multitude to learn the great lesson that faith in Christ hath power to heal.

6 . His mercy. He turned him about, he saw her. She came, fearing and trembling, and told him all. She feared that she had presumed too much, but the good Lord at once reassured her. "Daughter," he said (it is the only time, as far as the Bible tells us, that he used that endearing word), "be of good cheer." He comforted her in her trembling awe, as now he comforts the humble and penitent. And then came the blessed word, "Thy faith hath made thee whole." It was he who saved her; it is he who saves sinners now. But faith is the hand put forth to touch the Lord; faith is the instrument, Christ is the cause of our justification. The Lord puts great honour upon faith. He marvelled at the centurion's faith; it filled him with admiration. Let us pray, "Lord, increase our faith," that, like this poor woman, we may be made whole from that hour when with the hand of faith we touch the Saviour.

III. THE HOUSE OF JAIRUS .

1 . The Lord ' s sympathy. He felt for the father's grief; he knew the anguish of his soul. "Be not afraid," he said, "only believe." Trust in Christ is the one only comfort in deep sorrow. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me." He would not allow the curious, excited crowd to intrude upon the parents' grief. Only the Lord and the three most favoured apostles entered the chamber of death. The delicate tact of true Christian sympathy is a precious gift; we must learn it of the Lord.

2 . The preparations for the funeral. There was an unseemly noise; hired mourners and minstrels were mingling the hypocrisy of grief with the real sorrow of the bereaved. The Lord reproved them. "She is not dead," he said, "but sleepeth." They misunderstood his words. They showed their want of feeling by laughter and ridicule in the presence of the dead. But he put them forth; they could not resist his simple dignity, his tone of tranquil authority. And now he was left alone with the chosen three, and the father and mother of the maiden. Christian funerals should be quiet, without display; they should be cheered with Christian hope. "She is not dead, but sleepeth." The Lord Jesus should be present. He will come if we ask him. His sympathy brings peace among tears, comfort, humble hope.

3 . The word of power. He took the little hand; it was still and cold; it lay motionless in his. Death and life were brought into close contact; the dead maiden and the Lord, who is the Resurrection and the Life. He spoke but two words. There was no effort, no excitement, no display; only two simple words. But the parted soul heard; it returned at the Lord's command; the hues of health came back to the pallid cheeks, and the little maid arose. They were astonished with a great astonishment, but the Lord was still and calm. It was no wonder to him, for he is God Almighty. It was but an anticipation of what he will do hereafter on a vast and awful scale. "All that are in the graves shall hear his voice," as the maiden heard that day. We shall hear him then; we shall come forth; God grant it may be unto the resurrection of life!

LESSONS .

1 . Come to Jesus in the hour of bitter sorrow; he will come to those who come to him.

2 . He knows all our troubles, all our hidden griefs. "Be not afraid, only believe."

3 . Be not content with outward forms; put forth the hand of faith, and touch the Lord.

4 . "Arise!" he says. May he give us grace to listen now, to hear and live, that we may share the resurrection of the just!