“My little daughter is at the point of death. Please come and lay your hands on her, that she may be made healthy, and live.”
The crowd gathered by the shore turned their eyes to the man kneeling at Jesus’ feet. He was a middle-aged man with graying hair, well-known among the people of Capernaum. This was Jairus, one of the leaders of the synagogue in Capernaum, known for overseeing the largest synagogue in Galilee.
“Isn’t that the synagogue leader? Why has he come here?”
Hearing the crowd whispering around him, Jairus bit his lip hard. Yet, at this moment, the stares of the crowd no longer mattered to him. In trying to hold on to his role as a synagogue leader, he was now about to lose his beloved daughter. Though he still felt the eyes of the people on him, he resolved not to let their opinions sway him any longer. Overwhelmed by the sudden tragedy, Jairus swallowed bitter tears, regretting his past. He had many chances to act, but he did nothing. Now, it felt as if he was being punished for his inaction.
* * *
“Daddy,”
his daughter whispered from her bed.
“My dear, what is it you want to say to me?”
Jairus asked gently.
“Daddy, have you heard the stories about Jesus?”
“Jesus? You mean the one from Nazareth?”
Jairus’s tone became uneasy.
“Yes, Jesus heals people. He healed a man with leprosy, and just recently, he healed the centurion’s servant.”
“I’ve heard such things, yes…”
Jairus looked indifferent. He knew the rumors about Jesus were spreading everywhere. He had seen people who were healed by Jesus, and he even knew the royal official whose son was healed, as well as the centurion whose servant had recovered. Though everyone around him spoke highly of Jesus, Jairus and his fellow Pharisees and scribes viewed Jesus in a negative light. Jesus’ teachings were remarkable, but sometimes his words caused great controversy.
He remembered a time when Jesus was at his house in Capernaum. Pharisees and scribes from Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem had come to observe him. They sat around the house, watching his every word and action. Jairus was there too. Jesus performed miracles, healing many, and the crowd grew so large that there was no room even at the door. Some men brought a paralytic, and when they couldn’t get through, they removed the roof and lowered the man on his bed.
It was Jesus’s own house, so whether he chose to be angry or not was his decision, but that wasn’t the real issue. The real shock came from what Jesus said next.
“Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you.”
At these words, not only Jairus but all the Pharisees and scribes were stunned. Only God can forgive sins, and yet Jesus declared the man’s sins forgiven. It was a statement they considered blasphemous. Faces darkened, and whispers spread among the religious leaders: “Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone.”
At that moment, Jesus spoke again:
“Why do you think evil in your hearts? Why do you reason these things in your hearts? For which is easier, to tell the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”
“The authority on earth to forgive sins.” It was an unimaginable claim. Jesus was declaring that he had the power to forgive sins, just as God does. Even if he truly believed it, Jairus thought, Jesus should not have said such a thing in front of so many Pharisees and scribes. Instead of “Your sins are forgiven,” he could have simply said, “Get up, and walk.” He had said it deliberately, almost as if he truly had the authority to forgive sins, wanting everyone to believe it.
The paralytic stood up, picked up his mat, and walked out, praising God. Those who witnessed it exclaimed,
“We never saw anything like this!”
“We have seen strange things today.”
They gave glory to God, but the Pharisees and scribes, including Jairus, were not pleased. After that incident, synagogue leaders whispered that it would be better to avoid Jesus. His words had gone too far.
“Daddy, what are you thinking?”
his daughter asked softly.
“Ah, nothing.”
Jairus replied.
His precious daughter, the apple of his eye, should never have fallen ill with such a terrible disease. If only she were healthy, she could be outside, laughing and playing with her friends…
“Do you think Jesus could heal me too?”
A faint, hopeful smile lit up her face. Yes, perhaps Jesus could heal her. He had healed even paralytics. But if Jairus brought Jesus to his home, his position as synagogue leader could be at risk. He had worked so hard to reach this point, and if he became the subject of gossip among the Pharisees, he might lose everything. That was something he could not allow.
“You’re already being treated by a good doctor. You’ll recover with his help.”
“But I want to be healed by Jesus…”
Her smile faded, and Jairus’s heart ached, but he could not give in. He could not risk his role as one of the leaders of the largest synagogue in Galilee.
But where had she heard these stories? He had told his wife never to mention Jesus in front of their daughter.
“Where did you hear these stories?”
“The lady who lives in the area near the synagogue often visits and tells me about Jesus.”
“You mean the one in front of the synagogue… Simon’s mother-in-law?”
“Yes.”
Simon’s mother-in-law, the mother of Jesus’ disciple, lived near the synagogue. She had always been kind to Jairus’s daughter, and he was grateful for her kindness. But now, it seemed she had given his child false hope. He decided he would have to limit her visits from now on.
From that day on, he brought in even more doctors, but his daughter’s condition showed no improvement and only grew worse. As the situation grew desperate, his wife begged him to invite Jesus, but he stubbornly refused. Then, last night, his daughter’s condition suddenly deteriorated. She lost consciousness, her breathing became faint. Jairus rushed out to find Jesus, but learned he was in Gadara, across the Sea of Galilee. Beating his chest in regret, he realized it was too late to send for him, and it was already night. But this morning, he heard Jesus had returned. Rumors spread that Jesus had performed incredible miracles there, and crowds gathered to see him. It was frightening to approach Jesus in front of such a crowd and ask for help, but no parent can stand by when their child’s life is at stake.
Jairus no longer hesitated. He rushed to the shore where Jesus was.
“Please, save her.”
His voice trembled with sobs. Overwhelmed by regret and despair, Jairus saw his own sins in the face of this crisis. He desperately sought forgiveness—not for his daughter’s sins, but for his own. Jairus longed for forgiveness and for his daughter’s life to be saved.
As Jairus wept, he felt a warm, comforting hand on his back. It was a gentle touch, reassuring him that everything would be all right. It was Jesus’ hand. Jairus wiped his tears and led Jesus toward his home. The disciples and the crowd followed them.
The passages from Matthew 9:2-6, Mark 2:5-12, Luke 5:22-26 quoted in this narrative are taken directly from the World English Bible (WEB) translation.
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