Mark 5:25-28 (KJV) "And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, {26} And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, {27} When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. {28} For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole."

Mark 6:1-3 (KJV) "And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. {2} And when the Sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? {3} Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him."

This is a rather lengthy section of Scripture today, but sometimes we miss the bigger picture, the greater truth, because we fail to see the whole context of the teaching. The Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword ... but often we only look at little bits, put only small amounts of the Scripture in our devotions and sermons, and fail to see the greater truth that God is trying to teach us. These three accounts all weave together like vines from a grape root. We can draw a sweet cluster of grapes from each vine, but when all three are examined - together - only then can we make our bellies full!

Mark 5:22-23 (KJV) "And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, {23} And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live."

Jairus was a archisunagogos {pronounced ar-khee-soon-ag’-o-gos}, an important man in the synagogue, the Jewish religious meeting place. The synagogue was where the Jews gathered to read and study God's Word. There were two officers in the synagogue, chazan, the bishop or overseer of the congregation; and rosh, the head or ruler of the congregation. The chazan took the book of the Law, a scroll, and gave it to the Rosh, or ruler. The Rosh, in turn, appointed who shall read the different sections. Though there was only one Temple in Jerusalem, each province could have a synagogue, a place where the Scripture was read and studied. Jairus was the chief officer of the local synagogue, an important man. In fact, when our Savior came into an area He often visited the local synagogue, and it was the Rosh who invited our Savior to read and teach the people. Jairus probably knew Jesus from meeting Him in the synagogue.

Jairus was an important man! One does not become the ruler of the synagogue overnight. He has to work, and study the Law. Perhaps he had to sit under the great Rabbis of his day. Perhaps he had degrees on the wall of his study. Sometimes the rulers of the local synagogue achieved their exalted position because of family, or because of political connections. These men were exalted and, truth be told, had great power in their area.

Though rulers of the synagogue were powerful men, often they were not saved, nor did they have any true relationship with God our Father. They looked good on the outside, but they were merely whited walls, pretty outside but miserable on the inside. Many of the "rulers of the synagogue" showed their true colors as our Lord Jesus walked this earth. It was a ruler of the synagogue that condemned Jesus for healing on the Sabbath!

Luke 13:11-14 (KJV) "And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. {12} And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. {13} And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. {14} And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day."

Can you imagine that? Telling God that He cannot heal, cannot heal on the Sabbath! God made the Sabbath, couldn't He heal on the Sabbath? Jesus gave the Sabbath to Israel when He wrote it on tablets of stone on the Mountain - can't Jesus correct the suffering of one of His children on that same day? The rulers of the synagogues were not necessarily saved men, but they were powerful men.

Jairus was different than the other rulers of the synagogues. Though he had achieved greatness, though all eyes turned to him when the Jews gathered to worship, though his opinion was sought after and his favor curried, the Jairus that we see in our text today put aside this greatness. The Bible tells us that Jairus fell at Jesus' feet when he saw Him. The Bible goes even farther in the Book of Matthew, for here we read:

Matthew 9:18 (KJV) "While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a (Jairus) certain ruler, and worshipped (proskuneo {pronounced pros-koo-neh’-o}, Imperfect Active Indicative, kept on worshipping) him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live."

Jairus did not merely fall down with anxiety when he reached Jesus - Jairus worshipped Jesus when he came to Him. In fact, in the original Greek we see that Jairus kept on worshipping Jesus. Jairus recognized Jesus, not just as the mere son of a carpenter, nor as merely a man, but Jairus - broken Jairus - saw Jesus as Who He truly is - the Messiah, the Savior, Almighty God Who walks among us. Only God should be worshipped. God warned Israel:

Deuteronomy 8:19 (KJV) "And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish."

Psalms 81:9-10 (KJV) "There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god. {10} I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it."

Only God is to be worshipped. Jesus Christ told Satan in the wilderness, when that old Devil asked Jesus to worship him:

Matthew 4:10 (KJV) ".... Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."

Worship belongs to God. Jairus, this Ruler of the Synagogue, fell to his knees - broken and worshipping Jesus. Something broke Jairus, and that something was the impending death of his daughter. His little girl, perhaps his only child, lay at death's door. Jairus had seen Jesus in the Synagogue, had given Jesus passages to read. But Jairus saw something else when tragedy struck his household.

He saw Jesus, very God of Very God, walking and healing as only God can do. Jairus looked at Jesus and did not see what the unbeliever saw. He did not see there mere son of a carpenter, but he saw the Son of God. He, like David, cried out:

Psalms 30:2 (KJV) "O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me."

Psalms 6:2-3 (KJV) "Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed. {3} My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?"

But unlike David, Jairus cried out for the healing of his daughter, the healing of his family.

Application: Beloved, Jairus had to be broken before God could use him. Jairus had to be broken before Jesus could heal His daughter. God can use the broken, and God can bless the brokenhearted - but God can do nothing for the man or woman who will not bow their knees to Him. Jairus' blessing came when he bowed his knees to God Almighty, worshipped Him, and pled with Him for salvation. In fact, Jairus kept on calling out to Jesus {parakaleo pronounced par-ak-al-eh’-o, Imperfect Active Indicative, "kept on calling on"}, And immediately Jesus started on the journey that would bring his child back to life.

Unless you are broken, God cannot use you. Unless you yield to Him, God cannot bless you. Unless you bow your knees to Jesus,

James 4:10 (KJV) "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."

And keep on humbling yourselves in His holy presence, He cannot bless. Jairus would humble himself in Jesus sight, worship Jesus, and our Lord would raise his child from the dead. God can work with a broken person. God can bless the broken believer.

Mark 5:25-28 (KJV) "And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, {26} And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, {27} When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. {28} For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole."

As our Lord Jesus headed to Jairus' home He passed through a crowd of people, and as He passed through this crowd He passed and unnamed woman who had an issue of blood.

What is an issue of blood? All four of the Gospels report the incident, and all four describe the woman as having "an issue of blood" Perhaps she had had a child twelve years before and this started the problem - perhaps not. We do not know why this was occurring, but we do know that the Law says:

Leviticus 15:25-27 (KJV) "And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean. {26} Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation. {27} And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even."

While this woman had an issue of blood she was considered, under God's Law, to be unclean. Anything she touched was to be considered unclean, and anything she sat on was considered unclean. In keeping with the Mosaic Law the woman should not have rightly been in a crowd of people. As someone considered unclean, she no longer enjoyed the touch of her husband nor of her children. By being in the crowd she showed how desperate her situation had become.

This woman was at the end of her resources. When the problem started twelve years before she started visiting physicians, doctors, people with great knowledge and glowing credentials. The King James says:

"she had suffered many things of many physicians"

Though other translations render these words differently, I think this is a wonderful and useful - even a perfect translation for us. This woman suffered many things of many physicians. She ran from first one physician to the next. Perhaps at each she cried out, "Heal me!", yet time after time the arm of man failed to bring blessing or relief. Beloved, there's nothing wrong with going to the doctor when you're sick - I've been a time or ten myself. But God alone heals! Jesus alone can heal the body. You can put a cut on a corpse, and no matter what you put on the wound, it will not heal.

This woman's will had to be broken. She had to reach the point where, when she saw Jesus, she no longer saw a carpenter's son. She saw Jesus coming - and saw God. Just as Jeremiah cried out:

Jeremiah 17:14 (KJV) "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise."

This woman's heart cried out in wonder and joy when she saw Jesus approach. She had been to doctor after doctor, spent every dime she had, yet she was still in terrible illness. The Gospel of Luke says:

Luke 8:43 (KJV) "And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any"

This is so much like us all, isn't it? When we are confronted with pain we often run about, scurrying here and there, looking for relief. We go from place to place seeking satisfaction, spending money, yet we often stop and wait for Jesus to pass by. Don't get me wrong. I'm not like the Christian Scientists nor the Jehovah Witnesses who says that doctors are bad. I believe doctors are good, and that God often uses doctors to treat what ails us. No, Beloved, we are right in going to the doctors, going to specialists who can treat us. But in so doing do we often forget Jesus? When we go to the specialists, do we forget to approach the One Who enables the specialist to do the work?

Application: There are times when we need to yield our will to the Will of God, to draw near to Jesus in prayer and touch the hem of His garment. There are times when we need to pray then, after praying, wait on Jesus to pass by.

Isaiah 30:18 (KJV) "And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him."

Isaiah 40:31 (KJV) "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

This woman, bless her, waited for Jesus. She waited for Him to pass by. She stopped running through life, seeking her own solutions, and in faith reached out as He passed and touched the hem of His garment. There was nothing special about the clothing that Jesus wore. In fact, it was more than likely the rough robes of the Carpenter. It didn't matter to this woman that His robes were rough looking. It didn't matter that He wasn't dressed in finery. This woman looked beyond that which appeared so obvious and, in faith, reached out and touched our Master - and at that moment she was fully healed.

Mark 6:1-3 (KJV) "And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. {2} And when the Sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? {3} Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him."

For many people this is the story of their lives. They come to church, hear the words, and go home. They see the Carpenter in His rough clothes. They see the outward, a Man from Galilee. They ask the question, "Is this not the Carpenter, the son of Mary?"

Jairus saw Jesus and, in spite of His rough garb, His carpenter's clothing, saw that this was God with us. Jairus kneeled down in worship and because he believed, in spite of what his eyes told him, his daughter was returned to life.

That unnamed woman with the issue of blood reached out and reverently touched the hem of His garment. She paid no attention to the outward, that Jesus appeared in her midst as a lowly Carpenter, a Rabbi, a mere man. Though Jesus wore no golden robes, no king's crown, was proceeded by no honor guard, she believed in Him, reached out, and with just the lightest of touches received healing as her reward.

God blesses the broken and the broken hearted. God blesses the submissive will. And, Beloved, God often pours His greatest blessing only in the least obvious of packages.

Israel demanded a king so they could be like "all the other" nations:

1 Samuel 8:5-7 (KJV) "... now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. {6} But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. {7} And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them."

So Samuel anointed Saul to be king. Outwardly he was beautiful, great king material, but inwardly he was full of himself, unfit to be king. God's choice of king would come from the fields, a little shepherd, a boy with a heart for God's Will and God's ways.

1 Samuel 16:10-14 (KJV) "Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these. {11} And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. {12} And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. {13} Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. {14} But the spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him."

David would come from obscurity, but would be the greatest king - outside of Jesus - that Israel ever saw. God can bless you if you are broken to His Will, if you are surrendered to His Word.

Exodus 4:10-12 (KJV) "And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. {11} And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? {12} Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."

God chose a stuttering man - Moses - to lead Israel out of bondage. God chose an unsavory character - Jacob - to be the father of Israel. God used a harlot - Rahab - to save His people. God wrote His Gospels through a Tax Collector, a Doctor, and some Fishermen. God preached perhaps the greatest sermon ever preached through Peter, one of those fishermen.

And God sent His Son Jesus Christ among us, born of a Virgin, born in a feed trough, raised by Joseph a common Carpenter. Yet Jesus Christ is more, much more than a common Carpenter. He is God the Creator, our Savior who came to die for our sins. The hands which perhaps, as a child, helped Joseph cut wood and drive nails, these hands - the rough hands of a carpenter - would have nails driven through them into wood. This Carpenter, born in obscurity, would be lifted up high into the air, and all the sin that you or I would ever do would be poured out on Him. Jesus Christ would pay our penalty. The Carpenter Himself would become the chief cornerstone, a brick upon which our salvation would rely.

Ephesians 2:19-22 (KJV) "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; {20} And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; {21} In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: {22} In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."

Those who looked at Jesus and saw only the obvious, that He was a Carpenter - well, they would not be blessed. Those who looked on Jesus, and in so looking saw beyond His dress - well, they - we - would become fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.

If you like Jairus look beyond yourself, and fall down in worship of Jesus, then you and your family will be saved. If you like the unnamed woman would reach out to Jesus in faith, Jesus has not changed. Your life can be as radically altered as that woman's life was altered, if you only reach out to Jesus. But if you follow the crowd of unbelief, if you look no farther than His rough garb - if you see only the Carpenter passing by - then you will not be blessed.

Application: God can only bless the broken. God can only use the yielded, those submissive to His will. As the Bible says:

1 John 5:11-13 (KJV) "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. {12} He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. {13} These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."