THE KING’S BUSINESS
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from h e r ow n lips. Je su s k n ow s th e sin n e r’s sto ry b u t it is sw eetest m u sic in H is e ars w h en th e sin n er h im self tells it to Hi'm. A n d H e said u n to h er, “D a u g h ter, th y faith h a th m ad e th ee w hole.” T h is is th e only w om an w h om Je su s is reco rd e d as h av in g -ad d ressed as “d a u g h te r.” S h e n eed ed th a t co m fo rtin g w o rd , an d ten d e rly d id it fall from th e lips o f H im w h o w o u ld n o t “b reak th e b ru ised reed , o r q u en ch th e sm o k in g flax ” (v . 3 4 ). T h e w om an ’s fa ith m ad e h er w hole, because it op en ed th e g a te fo r th e h ealin g p o w er o f Je su s to flow into body an d soul. Je su s h a d been delay ed on th e w ay, an d m ean tim e th e little g irl died. I t seem ed as- if Je su s w as n ow to o late. I t o ften tim es seem s so, b u t H e n e v er is. W h e n th o se aw fu l w o rd s, “T h y d a u g h te r is d ead ” 'fell on th e ears o f Ja iru s, h is faith w av ered , his h e a rt san k a n d fe a r seized h im ; b u t Je su s buoyed up h is sin k in g fa ith w ith th e g lo ri ous w o rd s, “ F e a r n ot, o n ly b elieve.” H e is saying I t still to ev ery trem b lin g h e art. Je su s p ro p o ses b u t o n e cu re fo r fe ar, th a t is fa ith (cf. J o h n 14:1 A . R . V .) . F e a r com es from u n b elief; fearlessn ess com es fro m fa ith (Is. 2 6 : 3 ; 5 0 :1 0 ; 1 2 :2 ). F a ith an d fe a r can n o t c o -ex ist in th e sam e h eart. W h en fa ith com es in fe ar goes o u t an d w h en fe a r com es in fa ith h as g o n e out. Je su s p u ts H is ow n su re p rom ise u n d e rn ea th J a iru s ’ sin k in g fa ith (c f, L u k e 8 :5 0 ). T h e re w as b u t one condition, “only believe.” T h a t is th e o n e co n d itio n o f th e en jo ym en t o f all G od’s p rom ises (M a rk 9 : 2 3 ; J o h n 1 1 :4 0 ). Wednesday, June 16. Mark 5:38-43. Je su s fo u n d an u n seem ly tu m u lt a t the hom e (cf. M att. 9 :2 3 R . V .). I n h e a rty d isg u st a t th e tum u lt, H e. ask s, “W h y m ak e ye a tu m u lt an d w eep ?” H e g iv es a good reaso n w h y th e lam e n ta tio n sh o u ld cease a t once, “T h e ch ild is n o t d ead , b u t sleep- eth .” T h e sam e re aso n h o ld s fo r all o u r Tuesday, June 15. Mark 5:35-37.
frien d s w ho h av e fallen asleep in Je su s— th ey a re n o t d ead b u t sleep (1 T h ess. 4 :1 4 ; A cts 7 :6 0 ). T h ey m ày n o t w ak e q u ite as soon as J a iru s ’ d au g h te r, b u t w ak e th ey Surely shall, an d it w ill n o t be long (1 I h e s s . 4:16, 1 7). Je su s’ sta tem en t w as re ceived w ith d erisiv e la u g h te r, an d th e re seem ed to be good g ro u n d fo r th e d erisio n , so fa r as sen se co u ld see th e m aid en w as d ead indeed. T h e sc o rn ers h a d reaso n an d com m on sen se on th e ir side, b u t n o n e th e less th ey w ere w ro n g . O n th e o th e r side w as n o th in g b u t th e w o rd o f th e S o n of G od, th a t w as th e sole g ro u n d fo r faith an d hope th a t J a iru s h ad , b u t it w as enough. W h en reaso n an d com m on sense arev on on e side an d th e n ak ed w o rd o f th e S o n of G od on th e o th er, th e tru ly w ise m an w ill n o t h esita te w h ich to accept. O u r L o rd e n te red in to n o a rg u m e n t w ith th e sc o rn e r s ; H e sim ply “p u t th em all o u t.” T h a t w ill be H is final tre a tm e n t o f all sco rn ers (R ev . 2 1 :8 ). A n d n o w com es th e w o n d ro u s story,- th e sc o rn ers an d th e fo rm al m o u rn ers a ll gone, Je su s w o rk s. H e ap p ro ach es th e bed, H e tak es th e d ead ch ild b y th e h and, H e u tte rs tw o w o rd s, “D am sel, a rise.” I t is d o n e ! S h e arises, w a lk s, O , g lo ri o u s C h rist! an d som e sw eet day, H e w ill speak th e w o rd to o u r sleep in g loved ones an d th ey , too, sh all a rise to sleep n o m o re (Jo h n 5:28, 2 9 ). Thursday, June 17. Mark 6 :1 , 2. ’ Je su s n ow re tu rn s to N aza re th , th e hom e o f H is boyhood. A t H is last visit, th ey h a d rise n “up an d cast H im fo rth o u t of th e city, a n d led H im u n to th e b ro w o f th e hill, th a t th ey m ig h t th ro w H im d ow n h ead - lo n g ” (L u k e 4 :3 9 ), b u t H is n ev er-w eary in g love still y e arn s fo r th ese old acq u ain tan ces an d H e goes back ag ain to p re ac h an d teach a n d bless. H is o ld -tim e frien d s ask, “W h en ce h a th th is m an th ese th in g s ? ” T h a t w as a n a tu ra l an d im p o rta n t q u estio n , a q u estio n th a t no ra tio n alistic c o n stru ctio n o f th e life o f Je su s can an sw er. T h ese frien d s o f H is b oyhood k n ew v e ry w ell th a t th e re w as n o th in g in h is h um an p aren tag e,
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