Handling Trouble – Part 5

If you can see it coming, don’t wait until it’s in your face to deal with it.

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Mark 5:24, 31, & 40 – And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.   And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?   And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.

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In the scenario from which our Text for Today comes, the potential for problems, for trouble, for misunderstanding was rampant.  Jesus certainly recognized it, and because of that, He made decisions that thwarted situations that could have greatly hindered, or even stopped the flow of the power of God.  Yesterday we saw how potential trouble seemed to be handled so easily on the street where Jesus healed the woman with the issue of blood.  Remember the potential conflict there; an unclean woman with an issue of blood; potential for stoning; she is delaying a leader in the synagogue; the crowd is pressing; some looking for a way to fault Jesus.  Just imagine the potential chaos.

But let’s look further.  As this part of the scene was unfolded, Jairus was informed that his daughter was dead.  Remember, Jesus was surely delayed by the woman.  But Jesus comforts and encourages Jairus to, “Be not afraid; only believe.”  Jesus knows He will now be entering a house where mourners are weeping loudly.  The people in the house are looking into the face of death.  Should He allow the crowd that has just seen a noted miracle to come with Him to the house?  What would that outcome be?  The potential for conflict was high.  So instead of allowing the entire crowd to follow Him, He went into prevention mode.  He only took three of his disciples with Him to the house of Jairus.  He left the other nine in the street to control the crowd, to keep them at some distance, and to prevent people whose emotions are high from a confrontation with people whose emotions were, to some degree, crushed at the death of a child.

But there is more.  When Jesus arrives at the house of Jairus, He said, “Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.”  When He said that, those in the house mocked Him.  Can you see the potential conflict between them and those on the street who had just seen a miracle?  It was at that point that Jesus had to push the envelope even more.  He had to remove the doubt and unbelief so faith would have a clear path in which to operate, so He had the three disciples with Him to put out the scorners.  This entire scenario in Mark 5:22-43 if thickly laced with potential conflict, strife, and trouble.  But Jesus handled it for He was prepared for it.  Prepare yourself.  Trouble is waiting.

Manna for Today – Mark 5:22-43; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; 1 Corinthians 1:10