Chapter # 8 Paragraph # 7 Study # 1
June 28, 2009
Lincolnton, NC
(537)
AV Translation:
40 And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people
gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.
41 And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:
42 For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.
43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,
44 Came behind
him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press
thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
49 While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's
house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.
50 But when Jesus heard
it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.
51 And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.
52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.
53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.
56 And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.
1901 ASV Translation:
40 And as Jesus returned, the multitude welcomed him; for they were all waiting for him.
41 And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him to come into his house;
42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as he went the multitudes thronged him.
43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, who had spent all her living upon physicians, and could not be healed of any,
44 came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately the issue of her blood stanched.
45 And Jesus said, Who is it that touched me? And when all denied, Peter said, and they that were with him, Master, the multitudes press thee and crush
thee.
46 But Jesus said, Some one did touch me; for I perceived that power had gone forth from me.
47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people for what cause she touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
48 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
49 While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's
house, saying, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Teacher.
50 But Jesus hearing it, answered him, Fear not: only believe, and she shall be made whole.
51 And when he came to the house, he suffered not any man to enter in with him, save Peter, and John, and James, and the father of the maiden and her mother.
52 And all were weeping, and bewailing her: but he said, Weep not; for she is not dead, but sleepeth.
53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
54 But he, taking her by the hand, called, saying, Maiden, arise.
55 And her spirit returned, and she rose up immediately: and he commanded that
something be given her to eat.
56 And her parents were amazed: but he charged them to tell no man what had been done.
Luke's Record:
- I. The "Intro": Jairus' Plight.
- A. The highly contrastive "welcome" of the crowd.
- 1. The Gerasenes had asked Him to depart from their region.
- a. The cause of their request seems to be the fact that He represented too great of a change.
- 1) He valued the finely balanced dance of "deliverance" coupled to "acquiescence" over the "economy".
- a) He was adamant that the legion of demons had to give up their host (deliverance).
- b) He was also willing to permit them to make some of the decisions that were to be made on the heels of His demand that they leave the man (acquiescence).
- 2) They valued the "economy" over the multitude of destructive consequences that naturally flow out of money-grubbing idolatry.
- a) Demon possession does not just "happen"; it has to have a conducive setting in the hearts and minds of those whose attitudes provide the "general tenor" of the culture.
- i. As soon as Jesus began to declare "Truth" in the synagogue, the demoniac who was in attendance erupted (Luke 4:33).
- ii. It is no accident that the pig-based economy of the Gerasenes provided a conducive setting for a legion of demons to be present.
- b) The destruction of the pigs was simply the inevitable consequence of their choices to put value upon detestable things.
- 3) The text couches this reaction to "too great of a change" in the words "they were seized by a great fear".
- b. The request, if honored, was going to destroy them all just as their other "requests" had led to the destruction of the pigs.
- 1) Jesus did honor the "major" request. He clearly understood both the depth of their depravity and the nature of His calling, and knew that they would not respond. He immediately acquiesced to their request with the same understanding that He showed in Paul's ministry in 1 Corinthians 3:2 and in His own ministry in John 16:12.
- 2) Jesus, however, also left a "seed" in their midst that was going to work against their abandoned self-destruction.
- 2. Those of the Galilean region (particular place unspecified) were "welcoming".
- a. The word translated "received" is only used by Luke in the New Testament. It is an intensified form of a word that indicates a reception that has no "objections" attached to it. Luke used the basic form in 9:48 to say that if a person "received" a child in Jesus' name, he had also "received" the Father. With that kind of result, "receiving" is a potent act. Therefore, the intensification of that "potent act" is notable. The crowd/multitude had absolutely no objections to Jesus' presence.
- b. It is not hard to find the reason for the "welcome".
- 1) The "culture" of Galilee was steeped in law-keeping. It was enormously hypocritical, but it did, at least, give lip service to "right values".
- 2) Jesus' treatment of the people of Galilee had been significantly gracious in multitudes of healings and exorcisms.
- a) When the "truth" does not matter a great deal to people, health and deliverance from oppression will always win them over.
- b) Even though Jesus was aiming for the reestablishment of "Truth" by His gracious miracles, even those not interested in that agenda were plenty willing to take what He freely gave because of their perception of the good of what He did.
- i. The perception was misleading in that it did not reveal the price of acceptance of the benefits without acceptance of the agenda. According to Luke 10:15, the price of dividing the benefits from the agenda is "Hades".
- ii. There is a universal "law" that "grace" does not override: Luke 12:48 declares that acceptance of "good" lays a heavy "obligation" upon the one accepting it. This is not contrary to "grace". Romans 1:14 clearly identifies Paul as a "debtor" because of the grace given to him. 1 Corinthians 9:27 intensifies this attitude held by Paul. Paul was the "apostle of the grace of God". He was not contradicting his own doctrine with this attitude. He understood grace as most of us do not.
- iii. The perception by the "welcoming committee" was ignorant, but it was real.
- c) Jesus had not shown His attitude toward the economy of Galilee as He had toward that of the Gerasenes (when He did, He was put to death -- Mark 11:15).
- B. The enormously hypocritical actions of Jairus.