Jairus was a leader in the local religious community and his daughter was terribly ill. Perhaps he’d seen Jesus in person, teaching and healing. Maybe Jairus had only heard others talk about Jesus and his power to heal. There aren’t any clear cues in the gospel passage to tell us what led Jairus to come to Jesus, falling at his feet and begging Jesus to come heal his daughter. We just read that this important man set aside dignity and decorum to beg for help.
An unnamed woman had heard about Jesus. She had been ill with bleeding for 12 years. After the long, desperate (and expensive) years of suffering and seeking help, just hearing about Jesus power to heal was enough. She made her way through the crowd until she was close enough to touch Jesus’ cloak (his outermost garment).
There are so many differences between these two people who seeking out Jesus in this gospel passage. One was male and the other female – complex and important distinctions in their day as well as our own. One was important and held a public leadership role while the other was anonymous. One approached Jesus directly and boldly while the other tried to slip in unnoticed. Despite these and other differences, they both sought out Jesus out of desperation. Jairus knew his daughter was terribly sick and perhaps knew she was dying. The woman was at the end of her options and her funds to seek healing. And in their encounters with Jesus, they both received the healing they were desperate to find.
In their desperation, the woman and Jairus were moved to seek out help from Jesus. Out of their desperation, they desperately grasped hope that became faith in Jesus’ ability to heal and transform.
God is present in our moments of desperation. Even when we don’t find the healing we seek, God is with us, enfolding us in love and hope. Hope can be the lifeline that moves us to discover and reach out for possibilities, options, solutions, or just the courage to continue. May the very hope that moved Jairus and the unnamed woman to seek out Jesus fill us in our moments of desperation and bring healing and transformation.
Peace,
Alicia