Holy Desperation Mark 5: 21-24; 35-43
Opening- The story is told of a woman locked her keys in her car. Her child was also in it, and the motor was running. So she began to pray and ask for God to send someone who could open the door. Just then, a very rough looking man appeared on a motorcycle, a gang member. He said, "Ma'am- I'll be happy to help." So he got off his motorcycle, took out a "slim jim" from his back pack, went over to the running vehicle and slid the "slim jim" down inside the window and opened the door. The woman said, "Thank you, thank you, sir! You are such a good man!" The motorcycle gang member said, "You are welcome, ma'am. But I am not a good man. In fact, I only got out of jail last week. I went to prison for five years for Grand Theft Auto." At once, the woman looked up to heaven and prayed, "God, thank you! You not only sent someone to open my car, but you also sent me a professional!"
Most of us here have experienced, at some point in time, what we would consider desperate circumstances. It may have been searing physical pain, a long-standing financial problem, or perhaps, as in the case of our text, the grave sickness of a loved one. According to Webster's New World Dictionary Of American English, to be desperate is, "having a very great desire, need" However, there is usually an aspect of anxiety attached to this feeling of great desire or need. So much so, that one is willing to do almost anything to have that need met. You see desperation drives us to seek a solution—to find deliverance. Such was the case with Jairus (Ja-i'-rus), a religious leader in the synagogue of Capernaum. His teenaged daughter was deathly ill, and he wanted her to live more than anything in the world. He was desperate to find a solution, and he went some distance to where Jesus was to get it. When he heard of Jesus' miracle-working power, he knew that this must be the solution to his dilemma.
A desperate person possesses a desperate passion. I call it a Holy Desperation. I call it that because it is desperation that literally drives us into the arms of a loving and compassionate God who alone can do something for our desperate need. And we won't stop until will have it and pray until they get it or until it gets them. Holy Desperation. In the story of Jairus we see:
I. AN ATTITUDE OF CONCERNED DESPERATION
A. Jairus' Respect. Mark 5: 22 "And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet. It is rather significant that the name "Jairus" means, "whom Jehovah enlightens". Jeremiah 33: 3 says, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty (hidden) things, which thou knowest not." There is always an element of enlightenment in the process of prayer. Jairus was about to receive enlightenment concerning the power and person of Jesus Christ.
[2] When Jairus fell at the feet of Jesus; he fell partly in exhaustion- anquish, but also in adoration and submissive respect. Matthew, speaking of this same incident, translates the idea as, "worshipped him" (Matt.9: 18a). This simply means that Jairus "…bowed down before him as an expression of profound respect- reverence. Frustrated because of the crowd, probably, desperate because he was fearful his daughter would die, but still reverent in the presence of the only One who could meet his deepest need.
B. Jairus' Request.
1. His request was characterized by desperation. Mark 5: 23a "and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death. NOTE: [1] The English version somewhat softens the meaning of this phrase. It means that Jairus kept begging, perhaps repeatedly and desperately"
[2] The words "…at the point of death…" mean, "to be in the last gasp" (Jairus was simply relating to Jesus in the most urgent terms, that his daughter's death was imminent. I think its clear to us that although the Scriptures doesn't say it, its quite clear=Jairus wasn't begging for himself, he was begging for the life of his daughter so much that if it were possible he would have changed places with her.
2. His request was characterized by love. Mark 5: 23a "…My little daughter…"
NOTE: Most scholars agree that Jairus used these words as a term of endearment. They obviously do not refer to her size, since we are told in verse 42 that she was twelve years old. Archeologists tell us that in the first century, most young girls that age were almost grown up women, so she wasn't little in that sense. But he still called her his baby girl. According to Luke 8: 42, this was Jairus' only daughter. Her well-being was extremely important to him. He loved her so much he wasn't going to hang around and watch her die- he had to do something…
3. His request was characterized by faith. Mark 5: 23b "….Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."" This father exercised some bold faith in Jesus Christ. He said, "Lord, if you'll just lay Your hands on my daughter, she'll live. I believe we need to come to God with this same kind of bold faith. If God ever lays His hands on this church, dear friends, it will live. It will burn more brightly for Christ than ever. Frankly, dear friends this is often the point we have to come to that will shake us out of our complacency and into dependency. We see this man, Jairus, with a high social position, a man known among the people, a man of prestige and power, but a man who had a desperate need- Sir you will never become so powerful, so popular., that will never rise so high that your problems, and your troubles can not reach you or you think you don't need God or that you can do it entirely on your own. If you do, may I respectfully say- just wait! My friends, I think you all know what I am talking about.
Who among us have not felt that rousing anguish of Jairus within us the past few weeks? I have seen some of you pray like I have never seen you pray before. We are not likely to have a significant encounter with God until we become desperate. There we will get a such a wonderful revelation of God that we are willing to make known to the world the truth of His Kingdom regardless of the price. And God has done some amazing things this month, not just restoring health to a teenage girl but we have seen the lost saved, we have seen relationships restored, we have seen people renew their commitment to Christ, and we have seen people healed. It is this Holy Desperation that moves us from taking God for granted to holding on to Him for dear life, as though everything in life depends upon Him, which of course, it does.
4. His request was characterized by an immediate response. Mark 5: 24 "So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.." Jesus Himself said and I, even if I be lifted up from the earth I will draw all men unto me" John 12:32
II. AN ATTITUDE OF CONSTANT DEPENDENCE
A. A Message That Engendered Fear. Mark 5: 35 "While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?"
My how this father's heart must have leaped to his throat when he heard the word. Just when the news couldn't be any worse, it did. There are very few, perhaps a few in this room, that knows what it is to hear news like this, especially when it involves your own precious children. It's the call that every parent fears. Words cannot describe the awful combination of shock, grief, and heartache it is to get a call like this. I hope I never get a call like this myself, but I have had to make a call like this and friend let me tell you it is almost as bad. And when you get that call, all kinds of emotions whirl around in your mind. One of the first things you want to do is to blame somebody- or worse. Perhaps Jairus began to blame himself for not having found Jesus sooner. But my dear friend, your biggest fear does not disturb Jesus in the least. God's power does not end with the possible. He specializes in impossibilities.
And always in a situation like this, there is always somebody who thinks they know how you should deal with that situation. Can you imagine someone so callous and heartless as to say to a grieving dad, who is fighting back the tears, saying, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" I'm glad the culture we live in has some compassion in it to know better than to tell someone- "Hey, your loved one just died!" We have a lot of euphemisms for this-we'll say, "passed away," "gone home to be with the Lord," "gone to meet his maker," "gone to his reward", "gone to glory," etc. When we lived in Germany, they didn't have words like that- they'll call you up and say, "So and so is dead!" And I would think- so heartless, so cruel, so real! But if this person's heartlessness wasn't bad enough, they had to throw in "Why trouble the Teacher any further?" As if this person could presume what Jesus wanted to do at that moment. This messenger was a messenger of fear. Ever know anybody like that? I mean they'll run over somebody just to tell people bad news! OR they love to incite fear and panic into everybody else: "Sure hope this plane don't crash!" Speaking of desperation, people like that are desperate for attention- they love to be in the know as though they are the spokesman for God on earth. For one brief moment they hog the spotlight just so they can show how important they are. The idea of this message seemed to be that there was no more hope. The situation was final. What did they know? For that matter what do any of us really know?
B. A Message That Encouraged Faith. Mark 5: 36 "As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."
When we are in desperate situations like these we have to remind ourselves, like Jesus reminded Jairus, that God is never the author of fear. The Bible plainly tells us, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (II Tim.1: 7). It may seem obvious, but we need to be constantly reminded that anytime we are living in fear, we cannot be living in faith.
[2] Jesus was telling this man, "…to continue believing, even in the presence of death" That is the test of desperate prayer and desperate faith- to continue believing when everyone around you says that hope is lost. Illustration- my father.
III. AN ACT OF TOTAL AND COMPLETE DELIVERANCE
A. The Commotion Of Hopelessness. 1. The sorrow over the fatality.Mark 5: 38 "Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.." Do you know what the word tumult means? It doesn't look very friendly, does it? The word translated "tumult" means "a noise, uproar" [2] The words "those that wept and wailed" refer to professional mourners who were hired to put on a demonstration of sorrow for the occasion. As though they really needed that! Imagine it- professional wailer? I know people who do that and more for free! I think if it had been me I would say "get these people out of here!"
2. The scorn of faithlessness. Mark 5: 39 "When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping."
40 And they ridiculed Him. NOTE: [1] The meaning of Jesus' assertion that the girl was "not dead," was simply that her condition was not permanent.. By the same token, death is not a permanent condition for anyone who dies in Christ.
[2] Some so-called religious scholars suggest that this young girl wasn't really dead, but that Jesus merely awakened her from a coma or some such condition. However, Luke, the physician, recounting this same event, says that the people, who laughed at Christ's statement that the girl was not dead, did so, "knowing that she was dead" (Luke 8: 53). If you don't believe that Jesus can raise the dead or heal the afflicted or move mountains in time of need, boy do I feel sorry for you!
Ray Stedman tells the story of an alcoholic [who] became a believer, was asked how he could possibly believe all the nonsense in the Bible about miracles."You don't believe that Jesus changed the water into wine do you?" "I sure do! Tell you what, you come to my house and I'll show you where Jesus changed beer bottles into food and whiskey bottles into furniture."
Holy Desperation takes you right to the brink of your worst fears and then some, but this is where you find the presence of God where you most need Him. When you are that desperate and people say, or all appearances show that there is no hope look into your hand my friends and that is where you find the hand of God. Those are the times when you have no more strength in your hands to cling to Him, that's where He is clinging to you, and will never let you go. I will never leave you, nor forsake you, He says.
B. The Comfort Of Christ's Help.
Mark 5: 40b "…But when he had put them all out (ekballo—"to throw out"—
But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. 41 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." 42 Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement.
Only Christ can do this my friends. Have you had your prayers answered like this- you can if you are desperate enough, with Holy Desperation to go to the One who can help you when you find yourself in a desperate situation. The thing is, there may be some of you in that situation right now and they don't even know it. You are desperately lost and the only one who can get you out of this situation is Jesus. Some of you may already be saved but you won't know the power and extent of your faith until a desperate situation has been thrust upon you. Are you willing to trust Christ in Holy Desperation this morning enough to know that there is deliverance beyond your desperation, that there is help beyond your helplessness.
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