Matthew 9:18, 20-22, 24-25 While He was saying these things to them, a ruler (synagogue official) entered [the house] and kneeled down and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just now died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.” Then a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the [tassel] fringe of His outer robe; for she had been saying to herself, “If I only touch His outer robe, I will be healed.” But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Take courage, daughter; your [personal trust and confident] faith [in Me] has made you well.” And at once the woman was [completely] healed. He said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead, but is sleeping.” And they laughed and jeered at Him. But when the crowd had been sent outside, Jesus went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up (AMP). A lot is happening in these few verses. Jairus’ daughter had fallen ill and died, having heard of Jesus’ miracles, Jairus sought out Jesus to heal his daughter. While hearing about Jairus’ plight, a woman also was searching for Jesus whom she had heard about to obtain her healing. Eventually, these two people’s worlds collided. Their encounters with Christ teach us as Christians a profound lesson about our gifts and ministry. With Ministry Comes a Great Responsibility We cannot take our gifts or ministry for granted. It is not something we just do; it is a lifestyle where we must represent a sacred God in a holy manner. This means we must always be available when He calls us to respond to any situation. Remember the words of Jesus: “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38). Our ministry and our gifts are not about us but about Him. We are here to live and act not according to our own desires, but to fulfill His will. This perspective directly influences how and when we use our gifts. This brings us back to the situation of Jairus and the woman. Jesus, our King, carried an extraordinary gift. There was nothing that anyone could bring to Him that He could not address with a solution, cure, or answer. Although we are limited in the gifts we can operate in, there is something about how Jesus used His gift that we must notice in these encounters with Jairus and the woman. Jesus was being pulled in two different directions simultaneously. The masses knew who Jesus was and what He could do, so He was practically on call 24/7. He had to be ready whenever the Father needed Him to solve a problem or situation. It was never about Jesus’ will, timing, or preference, but always about responding to the Father’s promptings. On this particular day, Jesus needed to address two different situations in two different locations, demonstrating the profound responsibility that comes with ministry. Jesus did not complain, feel overwhelmed, or place any limits on the people seeking what they needed from Him. He understood the purpose of the power and authority He carried and used them accordingly. We too must come to understand the purpose of our gifts and callings. Yes, they are primarily to edify the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:1, 7, 14-17, 21-25; Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16). However, we must also pay attention to how Jesus handled the situation described in Matthew 9:18, 20-22, and 24-25. When we carry something as profound as Jesus did, many will seek to benefit from our gifts. Therefore, we must make ourselves available whenever and wherever our gifts are needed. This is why Scripture encourages us to count the cost. Luke 14:28 says, “For which one of you, when he wants to build a watchtower [for his guards], does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to finish it?” Additionally, Luke 12:48 states, “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.” We need to count the cost of what we will have to sacrifice and what will be required of us before committing to do the will of the Father. Our goal should be to effectively administer the gifts God has given us. To do this, it must be about His will and not our convenience. Our gifts will often inconvenience us and pull us in many different directions. Their faith made the difference We cannot emphasize this enough: one’s faith and beliefs play a crucial role in whether a person will be healed. This level of faith in Jesus’ healing ability is truly supernatural. While we can say we have faith in Jesus’ healing power because we have read about it in the scriptures, it is our heart and mindset that reveal the truth every time. People may not be able to discern what you truly believe based solely on your words, but Jesus can read our hearts. He knows what we are genuinely thinking and feeling. If our hearts do not align with our words, Jesus must first correct our heart posture before granting us our true desires. This is how Jesus works. It is essential that we genuinely believe in His power to receive what we desire. Without true appreciation for His gifts, we won't be motivated to proclaim what the LORD has done for us. We won't be inspired to desire these gifts to aid in healing others, and this mentality does not benefit the Kingdom's work. Our mission is to bring Kingdom realities from heaven to earth. We are to be problem solvers like Jesus. We are either the ones carrying a gift to solve someone’s problem or we know someone who has a gift that can help. However, this must first be a conviction in our hearts. Imagine what Jesus did for Jairus and the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. Once they received what they needed from Jesus, they could not keep it to themselves. They likely told many people about what the LORD had done for them. But before this could happen, they both had something that made it easy for Jesus to fulfill their desires: they had supernatural faith in Jesus' ability to heal. Did we notice their responses when they stood before Jesus? When Jairus finally reached Him, he "bowed down before Him and said, 'My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will become alive again.’" (Matthew 9:18, NASB). The phrase 'bowed down before' comes from the Greek word proskyneō (G435), which means to honor someone by kissing their hand as a token of reverence. It also means to fall to one’s knees and touch the ground with one's forehead to display profound reverence. Despite being a leader of a synagogue, Jairus humbled himself to acknowledge Jesus' power and authority. This reminds us of the importance of honoring those who hold specific authority. When we acknowledge people for the power they carry, we can fully benefit from their gifts. Jairus had faith that Jesus could bring his daughter back from the dead. He put a demand on Jesus' gift by saying, "Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live" (Mark 5:23). Jairus first honored Jesus by bowing down to Him. His search for Jesus to do the impossible demonstrated his faith in Jesus’ healing ability. Jairus understood the power of laying on hands, believing that if Jesus laid His hands on his daughter, she would live. The phrase 'she will live' in Greek is zaō (G2198), meaning to breathe. Jairus knew his daughter would breathe again with Jesus' touch. The woman’s faith was as strong as Jairus'. Upon hearing about Jesus, she believed that merely touching the hem of His garment would heal her. Both individuals had supernatural faith in Jesus’ healing power. Their hearts were rightly positioned toward healing. All Jesus needed to do was respond to their faith and confidence in Him, resulting in their instantaneous healing. They benefited from Jesus' gift because they truly believed in His ability to heal. Let’s summarize Ways to Obtain Healing:
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