Don't bother?

"Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?" Mark 5:35

Ouch what a let down. This is from the story in Mark 5 of the synagogue ruler who begged Jesus to heal his dying daughter. Jesus agreed and began to follow the man. However he was intercepted on the way.

As he was traveling to the synagogue ruler's home, he realized that power had gone out of him. A bleeding woman had touched his cloak and was healed. He stopped to find out who she was. After a few moments she came forward and confessed to touching him. I'm sure there was several minutes of interaction here, a brief pit stop.

In the mean time... the daughter has died. Men from the synagogue's rulers house met them and said not to bother since she is dead. As I read this I can almost sense the attitude... "don't bother him. He let us down by helping this crazy bleeding woman... and now she is dead."

How devastating! Now the synagogue ruler could have let bitterness and anger take root right then. After all he was desperate enough to seek Jesus out as a last resort to heal his dying daughter. He was a "respectable" Jewish synagogue ruler. Jesus was still an amazement and so controversial.

But Jesus didn't let that happen. He ignored the men and said to the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe." I read it as if he was saying "Don't worry, I got this!"

The story continues on with him traveling to the synagogue ruler's home where he heals the girl. She immediately gets up, walks around and has something to eat. Another amazing miracle of Jesus.

However this morning... I read a little more into the story...

On the outside it may appear that Jesus got distracted by helping the bleeding woman. I can only imagine the turmoil that was going on in the synagogue ruler's heart. I'm sure he was thinking "hurry up! My daughter is dying while we are dealing with this crazy, unclean woman!" Then to have his men add salt to his wound by saying to give up since his daughter had died. Argh, I can't imagine the pain.

But Jesus is Jesus...he never forgets or lets go. While it may appear that he is busy with other people's stuff... he never forgets about our own. He always comes through in his own way and in his own time. He didn't give up on the father's plea to heal his daughter. He won't give up on our pleas either. He loves us too much to let that happen.

All we need to do is

"Don't be afraid; just believe."