<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><div><div><br></div>Mark 5;21-24<div><br></div><div><b>21. &nbsp;And when Jesus had crossed again to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him; and he was beside the sea.</b></div><div><b>22. &nbsp;Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and seeing him, he fell at his feet,</b></div><div><b>23. &nbsp;and besought him, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. &nbsp;Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.”</b></div><div><b>24. &nbsp;And he went with him. &nbsp;And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Please notice the contrast between the crowd that <i>“gathered” </i>and <i>“thronged”</i>&nbsp;around Jesus in this reading, and the great crowd that begged Jesus to leave their region yesterday.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;&nbsp;Were the people on one side of the Sea of Galilee different than the other side? &nbsp;Answer, No. The difference was that those now gathering around Jesus in today’s reading felt no threat to their livelihood. &nbsp;They were indeed the same sinners on both sides. &nbsp;The difference was that today’s crowd was seeking and expecting help and blessings of healing from Jesus, while yesterday’s crowd had come to realize that when Jesus enters their lives, he seeks to change us,&nbsp;i<span>n ways our </span><span>carnal flesh resists, to the point of outright rejection of Jesus.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>The sinful flesh desires a god who serves&nbsp;according to the&nbsp;will of the flesh. &nbsp;The true God seeks to cleanse us so that He may dwell&nbsp;within us, and&nbsp;give us power to deny the sinful flesh and serve the will of the Father.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>In today’s reading Jairus is described as, <i>“one of the rulers of the synagogue”. &nbsp;</i>Such men were&nbsp;charged with not only taking care of the building physically, but also the&nbsp;selection others to lead worship and bring teachings to the people. &nbsp;They may or may not themselves be a Rabbi, but their position was one who organized the life of the synagogue. &nbsp;It was a highly esteemed office, greatly respected by the people. &nbsp;One who is recognized as a theological authority in themselves.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Yet, here we see Jairus when he saw Jesus come before Jesus and, <i>“fell at his&nbsp;feet.” &nbsp;</i>This was&nbsp;an act of utter abasement, an act of complete humility, it greatly honored Jesus. &nbsp;It was a display of helpless desperation. &nbsp;All his position and authority meant absolutely nothing in the face of the impeding death of his <i>“little daughter”.</i></span></div><div><span><i><br></i></span></div><div><span>Death is no respecter&nbsp;of position or authority. &nbsp;Death is the&nbsp;great&nbsp;leveler, the terrible equalizer, who reduces all men to nothing but dust. &nbsp;There is only One who has authority over Death, the Lord of Life, Jesus the Christ.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Jairus, (having known that Jesus had healed many others from that region)&nbsp;has hope in no one else. &nbsp;</span></div><div><span>Jesus alone is the Lord of Life, no other has such power. &nbsp;Remember this, when you are tempted to consider one world religion as equal to all others. &nbsp;Christianity stands alone, as the only hope of humankind in the face of Death.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>We have already been raised to newness of Life in our baptism <u>into Christ.</u>&nbsp; Physical death holds no fear for Believers. &nbsp;That is why we should never stop gathering together publically for worship. &nbsp;The world needs to know, we the Church, need Holy Communion more than we need physical life. &nbsp;We can suffer all, even physical death, but we cannot stop receiving the Lord’s Supper. &nbsp;When Jesus says, <i>“As the Father has sent Me, even so, I send you” &nbsp;</i>(John 20;21) this is exactly what He is talking about; His Bride the Church set before the world without fear.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Prayer: &nbsp;Most Merciful Heavenly Father, we praise you that death has been conquered for us. &nbsp;Bless us to live fearlessly, in Jesus we pray, Amen.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Love,</span></div><div><span>Dad/Baba/Eric</span></div><div><span>Grandpa PicklePastor</span></div><div><span>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</span></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><br></b><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Mark 5;21-24
21.  And when Jesus had crossed again to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him; and he was beside the sea.22.  Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and seeing him, he fell at his feet,23.  and besought him, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death.  Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.”24.  And he went with him.  And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.
Please notice the contrast between the crowd that “gathered” and “thronged” around Jesus in this reading, and the great crowd that begged Jesus to leave their region yesterday.
  Were the people on one side of the Sea of Galilee different than the other side?  Answer, No. The difference was that those now gathering around Jesus in today’s reading felt no threat to their livelihood.  They were indeed the same sinners on both sides.  The difference was that today’s crowd was seeking and expecting help and blessings of healing from Jesus, while yesterday’s crowd had come to realize that when Jesus enters their lives, he seeks to change us, in ways our carnal flesh resists, to the point of outright rejection of Jesus.
The sinful flesh desires a god who serves according to the will of the flesh.  The true God seeks to cleanse us so that He may dwell within us, and give us power to deny the sinful flesh and serve the will of the Father.
In today’s reading Jairus is described as, “one of the rulers of the synagogue”.  Such men were charged with not only taking care of the building physically, but also the selection others to lead worship and bring teachings to the people.  They may or may not themselves be a Rabbi, but their position was one who organized the life of the synagogue.  It was a highly esteemed office, greatly respected by the people.  One who is recognized as a theological authority in themselves.
Yet, here we see Jairus when he saw Jesus come before Jesus and, “fell at his feet.”  This was an act of utter abasement, an act of complete humility, it greatly honored Jesus.  It was a display of helpless desperation.  All his position and authority meant absolutely nothing in the face of the impeding death of his “little daughter”.
Death is no respecter of position or authority.  Death is the great leveler, the terrible equalizer, who reduces all men to nothing but dust.  There is only One who has authority over Death, the Lord of Life, Jesus the Christ.
Jairus, (having known that Jesus had healed many others from that region) has hope in no one else.  Jesus alone is the Lord of Life, no other has such power.  Remember this, when you are tempted to consider one world religion as equal to all others.  Christianity stands alone, as the only hope of humankind in the face of Death.
We have already been raised to newness of Life in our baptism into Christ.  Physical death holds no fear for Believers.  That is why we should never stop gathering together publically for worship.  The world needs to know, we the Church, need Holy Communion more than we need physical life.  We can suffer all, even physical death, but we cannot stop receiving the Lord’s Supper.  When Jesus says, “As the Father has sent Me, even so, I send you”  (John 20;21) this is exactly what He is talking about; His Bride the Church set before the world without fear.
Prayer:  Most Merciful Heavenly Father, we praise you that death has been conquered for us.  Bless us to live fearlessly, in Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa PicklePastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”



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