Wednesday, September 30, 2009

LITN VIII, Verses 40 - 56

40. When Jesus returned to the other side, a throng welcomed Him, because they were all expecting Him.

41. And from out of the crowd, a man named Jairus, a well-known synagogue leader, came and literally fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with Him to come to his house.

42. He made this request because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was sick and at the point of death. Jesus immediately agreed to accompany the man back to his house, but as He was on His way, the desperate and excited crowds almost crushed Him.

43. But there was a certain woman in the crowd who, despite the mass hysteria that often manifested when Jesus was in healing mode, had the intention of making personal, physical contact with Him. This particular woman had been subject to a serious hemorrhaging situation for twelve years, and no one in that whole time had been able to help her get any relief from it.

44. So, believing that this was her last chance at wholeness, she made her way through the sea of people, and came right up behind Him. When she got within arm's reach of Him she grabbed the edge of His cloak, and clutched it with all her might. Immediately her bleeding stopped.

45. "Who touched Me?" Jesus asked. Peter replied to Him, "What do You mean? People are crowding in and pressing against You...they're all touching You!"

46. But Jesus said, "No...no...this was different. Someone touched Me...I mean really touched Me...and something unusual just happened in that touch, because I could feel power and energy drain out of Me through the connection."

47. Then the woman, realizing that she could not remain anonymous, came trembling and fell at His feet. And in the presence of all the people, as a reverent hush fell on them, she told why she had touched Him, and how she had been instantly healed through it.

48. Then, smiling, He said to her, "My daughter, your own faith has healed you. Go in absolute peace."

49. But while Jesus was in mid-sentence, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader, and said to him "Sir, your daughter is dead...don't bother the Teacher anymore."

50. Upon hearing this, Jesus grabbed Jairus by the shoulders and said, "Look at Me...before you react to the news...before you say a word...before you respond with any emotion, whatsoever...just believe...don't say anything...don't feel anything...don't grieve...don't cry...don't be seized with alarm, or struck with fear. Do one thing, and one thing, only...only believe!" So Jairus did as he was told.

51. When they arrived at the house of Jairus, Jesus refused to let anyone go in with Him except Peter, John and James, and the girl's father and mother.

52. Meanwhile, all the people there were wailing and mourning for her. Jesus instantly put a stop to all the drama and said, "Stop wailing! This girl is not dead...she's only sleeping!"

53. The mourners and wailers in the room switched, almost automatically, from crying to laughing...laughing at Him, that is...jeering at Him, and sarcastically telling Him that He was out of touch with reality.

54. But, unfazed by their negative reaction to His creative words, He gripped her firmly by the hand and said, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"

55. And at these simple words, her spirit returned, and she jumped right up and started walking around! Then Jesus said to her parents, "She's alive! Give her something to eat!"

56. They were totally astonished, but He instructed them not to tell anyone what had happened.

10 comments:

karl cobos said...

Hey Bishop, just wanted to let you know that Sean Lennon and Yoko Ono are on the View right now.

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Yeah, I'm watching it (when I should be writing)...thanks...

Unknown said...

I have a promise to "return" on verses 1-15 but I've got to mention v.50...very cool. I actually JUST used it to get back in the right mindset!

PattiL007 said...

and from a couple of days ago... v.18, "So consider carefully how you listen...how you hear. See, it's not just what you hear that affects you, it's how you hear it. Your perception determines what you attract to yourself...

It couldn't be clearer unless by direct revelation spirit to spirit...

Bish...you're doing it again...so adept at translating the Word to make it easier for even the youngest sheep to comprehend...thank you!

CU ALL ITB 2NITE!

Blessings Blog Fam!

Anonymous said...

Love the picture between 53 and 54. Looks like Jesus is standing between two dimensions with his hand extended to the rising girl. As one seeking to understand the bride analogy more this speaks to me of the bride as a rising girl willing to take the Groom's hand and go with Him into another state of being.

Hope the pictures you use on the blog will be included in the GITN series. They add much to the inspiration that makes the reader think beyond normal limits.

Godspeed
Johnny

Izumi/JOY said...

v.40 - they were all expecting Him. Wow... Who exactly?

v.44 & 45 - the wording of "sea of people", and how this particular woman grabbed Jesus' cloak, caused me to re-read Matthew 14:31.

v.47 - I'd always presumed that her trembling was due to weakness from the pre-existing condition. Or, fear of retribution from the religious leaders, etc.. Now, I wonder if it was because she made contact with abundant life; entered into pre-existence.

v.48 - her own faith - did it reflect His? That why He smiled and addressed her as "daughter"? (reminds me of Matthew 12:50 and 18:20)

"Absolute peace". I like that.

v.50...

Karl said...

I agree with Johnny about the pictures, if possible.

v.46...no, I mean REALLY touched me.
"yes, the touch of the faith in her spirit that connected with His, powerful!"

Ya know, last night's word about the hills being brought low (in our minds) to prepare the way of the Lord reminds me that in Luke 8:14,15 it says that WORRIES choke the word and it cannot grow and produce fruit...so then unless the mountains and hills of worries are brought low we hinder his word that is traveling on the way and His glory from fully appearing to all humanity.

Let us prepare the way for HIS WORD (seed) which remains forever by letting the flesh part of our humanity (worries, worldy concerns of mountains, valleys, grass and flowers) to be leveled...

...then we (as spiritual Jerusalem), go up on a different kind of high mountain and we proclaim "good news" loudly, boldly, unafraid!..TO THE CITIES OF JUDAH (maybe this is ALL people?) saying...

"HERE is your God!"

Could this "HERE" signify the Holy Spirit here among/within us (His Jerusalem?)Isaiah 40:9
...for see, the Lord God comes with strength and power to establish His rule(Kingdom?). v.10

Doesn't the kingdom of God come with power of the Holy Ghost?

verse 11 ends with the words of our being His flock, which He protects, gathers, carries, and leads.(wonderful King and great Shepherd)

Karl said...

Interesting how the appearance of the brain itself is like valleys, mountains and hills!

(thinking of last night's talk out of Isaiah 40:3-5

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Thanks for the feedback...and thanks for hanging in there with me, the remnant of you who are still here...this home stretch to finish The Gospels In The Now is challenging, to say the least, because nearly all these stories have been covered in the other gospels already...I keep looking for a commentary that says chapters 9 - 24 aren't in the orginal text so that I can be done with this, but, alas, Luke wrote all of it, so I have to keep on keepin' on...

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Johnny, I won't be able to use the pics that I've used on the blog because it would be a licensing and copyright nightmare to contact all the artists and get permission from all of them...

I have experimented with a painting of my own for the cover, but I'm not sure I like it...