Jesus Says, "Get Up!"
Jesus turned water into wine, healed lepers and paralytics, calmed storms, and cast out demons. But the gospel from Mark 5: 21-24a, 35-43 illustrates that a super miracle happens whenever Jesus Says, "Get Up!" He makes that happen with life-giving promises and death-defying power. July 12, 2009.
It’s rare, but do you recall the morning when your eyes peeked open about fourteen seconds before the alarm was supposed to go off? You swung your legs out of bed, hit the floor with minimal creaks and groans, ready to face the day – like the first day of vacation when you’re already packed, and all you have to do is jump in the car or get to the airport on time. But more often than not – Rinnggg! Arghh! You’d just as soon slap it off, roll over, reposition the pillow, and ignore the day. You don’t really want to get up, and it almost feels like you can’t get up. But what if your bed was a casket?
Jesus turned water into wine, healed lepers and paralytics, calmed storms, cast out demons. But the gospel for this day from Mark chapter five illustrates – for the characters in this account and for us – that a super miracle happens whenever Jesus Says, ‘Get Up!’ (he makes that happen with life-giving promises and death-defying power).
This one gets to me. Every time I read it, I can’t help thinking back to when my kids were little and got sick and to all the parents I’ve met who have dealt with sick kids. Did your heart go out to Jairus and his wife, too? There’s nothing sadder than seeing a parent hold a child who is ill – coughing, wheezing, limp in your arms. They can’t tell you much more than, “It hurts,” leaving parents with a horrible feeling of helplessness. Here was Jairus looking into the eyes of his twelve year old sweetie, daddy’s little girl, thinking, “I wish I were the one who was sick.” Every parent wouldn’t have it any other way. Her head drops onto his shoulder. She dozes off, only to jerk awake in a fit of fever, screaming at the nightmarish hallucination. He parts her hair, dabs a cool cloth on her forehead, touches her cheek, and wipes away the tear that fell from his. “What can I do?” he mutters to himself. “The doctor said nothing will work.” Jairus could almost feel her life force slipping away, and he couldn’t stop it any more than he could prevent water from evaporating on a dusty, dry summer day. “What can I do? I know. I’ll go find that teacher named Jesus. I heard he has performed miracles!”
Sounds simple, right? That’s what we would have said. But take a closer look at what this meant for Jairus. He was one of the synagogue rulers. Every word from Jesus’ lips, every work from his hands was like chalk screeching on a blackboard for religious leaders down in Jerusalem and for synagogue rulers in Capernaum like Jairus. “We don’t care what miracles he’s done. He’s wrong. He’s of the devil, and he keeps knocking us up side the head. Who does he think he is?” But Jairus, tear-filled, heavy-hearted, and downright desperate, was willing to try anything. So, he came there. Now look at this! Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him. Jairus was helpless.
Mark reports, “Jesus went with him.” No objections. No challenge, “Why are you asking me? Why should I help those who have lived as though they can help themselves?” No questions asked. Jesus, the healer, the Savior, went with him, which can only mean that Jesus must have said, “Jairus, get up from your knees. Let’s go!” But on the way some men came from the house of Jairus … “Your daughter is dead” … “Why bother the teacher anymore?” Jairus was probably about to turn to Jesus and say, “Forget it. Thanks for the try.” That’s when Jesus spoke up. He didn’t say much, but what he did say is astounding. “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” In other words, “Get up!” which was more than, “Stand up,” but meant, “Pick up your heart, your spirits. Look to me. Trust me. I care about you and your little girl, and I can do things that will boggle your mind. “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” In those words Jesus was offering Jairus a life-giving promise and death-defying power.
He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James, and John. What do you think was going through Peter’s mind? “I’m not afraid to go in to that room, but I am afraid I’ll put my foot in my mouth like I usually do.” How about James? “I know what I’m supposed to say, ‘I’m sorry for your loss.’ But I’m afraid we’re too late, and we’re just going to get in the way.” And John? “I’ll be honest. Being in the same room with a dead body gives me the creeps. I don’t even like to squish bugs.”
What did Jesus say to these disciples? The exact dialog is not recorded here, but I can imagine his voice in the softest tones, “My dear friends, what I just said to Jairus I say to you. Don’t be afraid; just believe.” In other words, “Get up!” which was more than, “Take a deep breath and ratchet up your courage,” but meant, “Pick up your heart, your spirits. Look to me. Trust me. I care about you and this little family, and I can do things that will boggle your minds. Don’t be afraid; just believe.” In those words Jesus was offering these three disciples a life-giving promise and death-defying power.
What Jesus did in that little bedroom for that little girl ranks as one of his all-time, big miracles, ranking right up there was raising young man of Nain from the dead and later Lazarus. Death is the big separator. It tears families apart, and it seems so final. But Jesus turned what seemed to be the final act in the play of this girl’s life into a short intermission. When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” Sleep does not end our existence. By his life-giving promises and death-defying power, Jesus turns death into a sleep which did not end this girl’s existence and won’t end ours.
All of Jesus’ miracles are amazing, but they had a specific purpose – not to raise eyebrows and create a “Wow!” aura around Jesus but to back up his claim, “I’m God. Pick up your heart, your spirits. Look to me. Trust me. I care about you, and I can do things that will boggle your minds. Don’t be afraid; just believe.” He took her by the hand and said to her … “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” In those words Jesus offered a life-giving promise and death-defying power. Immediately the girl stood up and walked around.
Where do we fit in this story? Oh, there we are in verse thirty-eight, standing with those people crying and wailing loudly. We cry, too, at this touching scene, but we also shed a tear on the inside when we feel guilt get stuck like glue to a corner of our heart because of what we did in secret or because we don’t know what to do with the anger we have toward someone who has hurt us.
Where do we fit in this story? When Jesus said that the child is not dead but asleep, they laughed at him. We’re not in this verse, are we? We pat ourselves on the back because we would never laugh at what Jesus says or tells us to do. We would never pray, “Lord, I’m going to ask for something, but I know you won’t do it,” even though he invites us to pray boldly and without doubt. We would never consider unmarried people living together to be OK even though God wants the marriage bed to be kept pure (Hebrews 13:4). We would never figure, “I’ll give God an hour on Sunday or Monday, and the rest of the week is mine,” even though God’s command to live a life worthy of the calling we have received (Ephesians 4:1) means twenty-four/seven Christian living. We would never hide private perversion even though God says, “Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality”(Ephesians 5:3). We wouldn’t laugh at Jesus, would we? It’s time for us to leave the crowd and fall at Jesus’ feet with Jairus, pleading earnestly, “Lord, I’m dying. Please come and put your hands on me so that I will be healed and live!”
My friends, Jesus hears us, and says, “Get up!” and he makes that happen with his life-giving promises and death-defying power. He raises our spirits and gives us life. What is life, real living? In spite of what the media and our earth-bound, sin-side want us to believe, life is really not about making money or being comfortable or pain free. Real life, real living means enjoying God’s pardon for all our sins and his energizing presence so we can cope with whatever comes our way, see the silver lining in life’s clouds, and keep our eyes heaven-focused. Jesus is life and gives life. He raised a twelve year old girl from the dead. At this they were completely astonished. Considering what he did for you and me, aren’t you?
You might be surprised that at the end of this account Jesus gave the three disciples and Mr. and Mrs. Jairus strict orders not to let anyone know about this. At this point in his ministry he did not want the crowds to think of him as a magic man or a Mr. Fixit, losing sight of the real miracle he came to do. But once the all-time greatest miracle occurred – all sins of all people blanketed by his blood – and once he got up from his tomb, then he gave orders to Peter, James, John, Jairus, and to you and me, “Let everyone know that when I say, ‘Get up,’ miracles happen.”
We were born in a spiritual pine box casket, dead on arrival. Sure, our little hearts were beating, and we cried out from the doctor’s whack, but spiritually we were as dead as a rusted, motorless car up on blocks, lacking the spiritual engine to rev up and go. But Jesus touched us with his life-giving promises and death-defying power at our baptism, calling to us, “Get up!” and get up we did. Now every time we are down in the dumps and think our problems can’t be fixed, Jesus comes, takes our hand as he took the hand of Jairus’ little girl, and says, “Get up!” with such tenderness and yet such force that our spirits soar to new heights. We can look forward to each day no matter what time the alarm goes off because Jesus makes every day a great day, up to and including the day when our lifeless forms in the earth hear his call, “Get up!” and all who trust in him will be raised to eternal glory, never to be “alarmed” again. Amen.
Preached at Grace Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI (http://www.gracedowntown.org/) on July 12, 2009
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