Luke 8: 40-56 Get Up! The Kingdom Is Here!

Luke 8:40-56 Get Up! The Kingdom of God is Here!

[40] Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. [41] Just then there came a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his house, [42] for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, who was dying.

As he went, the crowds pressed in on him. [43] Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. [44] She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. [45] Then Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" When all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the crowds surround you and press in on you." [46] But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me." [47] When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. [48] He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace."

49] While he was still speaking, someone came from the leader’s house to say, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer."
[50] When Jesus heard this, he replied, "Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved." [51] When he came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him, except Peter, John, and James, and the child’s father and mother. [52] They were all weeping and wailing for her; but he said, "Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping." [53] And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. [54] But he took her by the hand and called out, "Child, get up!" [55] Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he directed them to give her something to eat. [56] Her parents were astounded; but he ordered them to tell no one what had happened.

What is happening in this scripture? – Here is a story, with a story inside of it. It’s like a sandwich. Jesus greets a crowd waiting for him, and they welcomed him. The leader of the local synagogue, Jairus, falls at his feet and begs him to come to his house to heal his 12 yr old daughter, who is dying.

On the way, a woman who has been hemorrhages for 12 years touches the fringe of his clothes, and immediately the hemorrhage stops. Jesus feels power go out from him, asks who touched him, and the woman, trembling falls before him and declares before the entire crowd why she touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. Jesus, instead of withdrawing from her, for a menstruating woman was considered unclean, says to her “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. In front of a crowd, on the way to the synagogue, Jesus blesses a woman who is bleeding and tells her HER faith healed her. Can you hear the walls falling down?

Luke wants us to know that the leader of a local synagogue falls down before Jesus. As the story continues, someone says to Jairus, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer.” It’s too late. Might as well accept reality. No need to trouble the healer any longer. It’s too late. But Jesus says, “Do no fear. Only believe and she will be saved.” He continues to the sad home. Many are weeping. Some laugh at him when he tells them something only a crazy man would say, “Do not weep, for she is not dead, but sleeping.” He takes her by the hand and calls out “Child, get up!” Her spirit returns, and she gets up at once. Jesus tells them to give her something to eat. Jesus swears them to silence.

A desperate father falls at Jesus’ feet, he begs for a dying child, a hemorrhaging woman, a pressing crowd, his fringe touched, power goes out, healing happens. Again falling at Jesus’ feet. A dead child, weeping and laughing disbelievers, a hand is touched, a spirit returns, a child is revived. Illness is conquered. Death is overcome. The Kingdom of God is present.

To me this story is not about special effects, or even about if you believe enough, your dying child or your cancer or whatever is wrong, God will cure. It is about healing. It is about humbling and begging. It is about loving your daughter so much you will do anything to save her. It is about being so aware of Jesus and what he can do, that even being on the fringe of his love will stop whatever is bleeding you to death. It is about not giving up, even in the face of death, even after death has brushed you with his wings.

Rev. Frederick Beuchner once said that at times like this, God is useless, meaning we cannot somehow manipulate God into doing what we want him to do. He goes on to say that it is his presence that makes the difference, and our presence too. We may not always be able to cure, but through Christ we can be healed, and by carrying his presence to others, be part of this healing for others. We can help spirits return to those thought dead. We can take people by the hand, and feed them. This is how God changes the world, one preacher, one bleeding need, one lost and spiritless and hungry child at a time. And we are all lost, spiritless, hungry children.

But we cannot allow the walls that we erect to keep us apart, stop us from reaching out and saying to people, Get up! Jesus is here!

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