Nougat 30

Hello

Blessed Saturday to you.

In today’s Holy Nougat, there’s a challenge for each of us. How shall we respond?

“Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, comes. Seeing Him, he falls at His feet.

When she heard about Yeshua, she came through the crowd from behind and touched His garment.” Mark‬ ‭5:22, 27‬ ‭TLV‬‬

Him, a leading priest or a senior elder in the synagogue; her an outcast because of her ill health. Never should the twain meet! The laws of cleanliness prohibited that; even if they were related (and there is no indication that they were). Yet, they had something in common – Both were desperate. Covid-19 type of desperate. His 12-year-old daughter needed a right-now miracle to save her life; she was reaching out to Jesus as her last resort after 12 years of illness. She was sick for as long as his daughter was alive; but she still had Hope.

Their motives were similar; their approach – a lot different. As a leader, Jairus has the authority to approach Jesus face to face. He did.

But

He also recognized Jesus’ authority. He knelt before Jesus. For a man of Jairus’ ilk, that was telling. And as a devout Jew (he WAS a leader in the synagogue!!), that was one shade short of heresy. Proper Jews did not acknowledge Jesus’ authority and Lordship in those days. In fact, many thought Jesus was a charlatan and said so to His face. For Jairus to publicly bow before Jesus signaled his faith and desperation.

The woman was Invisible. Her sickness made her so. As a woman, more so as a sick, ‘unclean’ woman; she had NO right to approach Jesus.

But

She did. She also reached out – from behind; where she would not be easily noticed, especially in the thickness of the crowd. She broke ranks and did what she had to do. For her to squeeze her way through the crowd and touch even the fringe of Jesus’ shawl signaled her own faith and desperation

And here we are. It is still legal in most countries to profess faith in Jesus. The actions of Jairus and the unnamed woman affirm that anyone can approach Jesus. That Jesus can be approached without fear of bodyguards or security detail.

Are we hungry enough, desperate enough, to risk humiliation by kneeling down before him or reaching out despite convention?

What do we have to lose?

In Christ’s love and grace . . .