18 While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. 20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”
Let me say the obvious. We are different. We like to think so at least. We are different from everyone in the room. The interesting thing I see is that we like to emphasize our difference whereas God also emphasizes our similarities.
For mankind status is important and it is noted in this story. The first man is Jarius and a man of high status in his community. We find these details included in Marks telling of this story (Mark 5:21-43) He is an important person because he is a ruler of the religious people at a synagogue. He had leadership abilities and managed people, organized programs, particularly in this community where religious life was very important. Everyone who was Jewish would go to synagogue or temple. To be the religious leader of that in a local area was a very important position. He was a respected and wealthy man.
Now contrast that with the status of the woman. Many women in our society are still claiming to be treated inferior to men. In Jesus day there was no comparison in the culture of how women were treated. They were property with one good trait- to birth and children and add to that cooking and caring for the family. If a woman was childless, she thought herself worthless. This lady could never raise children because she was afflicted with an ailment of vaginal bleeding that wouldn’t stop. She was not only a woman, not on the same level as a man, but she was a social outcast for her bleeding. Lev 15:25-30 explains that she was unclean due to her condition. She would not be allowed in the synagogue in which Jarius was the ruler.
Differences are obvious. He was rich, she was poor spending what money she had on the doctors, and they weren’t able to help her.
Our culture likes to look at status and put people into social categories. It isn’t long when we meet people that we try to figure out their job, education, family, and background.
When we look at differences it seems many things have nothing to do with our efforts. Some people are born with higher I.Q. and have advantages. Some are born into a privileged family with financial abilities to pay for things that influence a person’s perception of self and others. Some have talents in music, art, mechanics, and various vocations.
There are differences in circumstances beyond our control in where we were raised, or even the culture in which we were raised.
Application: What areas of your life are such over which you have no control? What areas do you sense you have some control? Where does faith and trust in a sovereign God come into play?
These different people came to Jesus in different ways, yet both with faith. That seems to be a starting point when Jesus crosses their lives.
Prayer: Father God, help me to see all people and circumstances through your eyes and respond in a way that demonstrates Your love and grace.
