One On One: 100 Days With Jesus--Ministry YearsSample

Traffic: The One who is always on time

At times, waiting for an answer from God feels like an ambulance driving through heavy traffic. Turn the siren louder if you want, but the cars aren’t moving. You can’t get through. You’re in a hurry but God is not. 

It must have felt like that to Jairus, the leader from the synagogue who sought out Jesus when his sick daughter took a turn for the worse. 

Jesus can help. He restored blind men and the lame. He delivered the demoniac over in the Decapolis. He can save my sweet lamb. I must get Jesus to her. And fast! 

When Jairus asked Him, Jesus agreed to come. But right when they pushed through the foot traffic in Capernaum, something stopped Him. No, no, let’s go, let’s go. Don’t you understand my daughter is dying? 

But Jesus didn’t sense the urgency. He paused on the crowded street, turned, and asked the ridiculous question, “Who touched me?” Jairus almost picked Jesus up to carry Him home. 

Then Jairus saw his servant in the crowd, and every bit of hope drained out of him. The servant confirmed it: She’s dead. Urgency: over. They were too late.

Then why in the world would Jesus say, “No fear, Jairus, only believe”? Believe what? She’s gone. Nevertheless, Jesus pressed on. He cut through the crowd and through the wail of mourners at Jairus’s house and went right to the room where Jairus’ daughter lay dead. 

She was already cold and gray. Her spirit—gone. Her whimsy—gone. The 12-year-old who danced and laughed—gone. That is, until Jesus reached for her limp hand. He leaned in and whispered to her, “Talitha kum!” Aramaic for “Little   lamb, stand up!”

And life flickered behind her eyelids and a rosy warmth filled her cheeks. Then the little sleeping beauty woke up, healthy and whole. 

That day Jairus learned a mysterious lesson about God’s timing and purposes: they’re not the same as ours.

That was then. What about now? 

What about the day we plead with God for help, and all we get is silence? If you’ve not done that yet, you will. The one who follows God by faith is always asked to wait. And at least as important as what you wait for, is the work God wants to do in you while you wait. This side of heaven we won’t know what God is up to but no doubt, God is at work, writing a story of such beauty and symmetry our minds can’t receive it now. 

The view of life in front of us is only half the story. 

If you’re waiting, continue to pray. Continue to believe. And in the meantime, be certain God is not only better than your fears, He’s also better than your hopes.

Tomorrow: One on one with Jesus and cancer