WHEN JESUS SHOWED UP

It never ceases to amaze me how Jesus shows up in the dark and difficult places of our lives. One such example is told in Luke 8.

Jesus, already being thronged by crowds of people eager to hear His words, is begged by Jairus, a cleric and a man of some importance, to come to his home and heal his dying daughter.

Jesus agrees and begins making his way to Jairus’ home. As He walks through the busy, crowded streets, a woman who has been sick for 12 long years catches hold of His clothing for a moment, and the Bible says she was healed immediately.

Just then, messengers arrive from Jairus’ house, saying, “It’s too late, your daughter has died. Don’t bother Jesus any longer.” But Jesus says, “Don’t fear; only believe and she will be made well,” so they continue to the house.

When they arrive in the midst of great mourning, Jesus leaves the scoffers outside, taking only the girl’s parents and a handpicked few inside, and calls the child to arise. And arise she does, a 12-year-old girl no longer snatched away by death, but restored to life.

There’s a beautiful message in this passage for each of us—that wherever we are and whatever our situation, there is healing and restoration available. The woman who had suffered for 12 agonizing years must have wished for death; instead, Christ gave her a new lease on life in a moment, along with forgiveness and peace. The 12-year-old girl whose life suddenly ended before it had hardly begun was granted a continuation, along with full healing.

Jesus still turns to us in the midst of our confusion and says, “Touch Me, and be restored.” Crowds of thoughts, voices of doubt, or years of pain and struggles cannot keep us from being recognized by Him; all it takes is a moment of reaching out and believing.

We might feel like our whole life—our plans, dreams, family, or health—has died abruptly, and we’ll never rise again. But our Lord knows that we’re only sleeping. He holds our hands when we can’t lift ourselves, gently calling us to arise and continue on.