Mark 5:21-28

²¹ When Jesus had crossed over [in the boat] again to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. ²² Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet ²³ and pleaded with him repeatedly, “My little daughter is in her last moments. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be rescued, and live.” ²⁴ So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. ²⁵ And there was a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years. ²⁶ She had been put through much suffering under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but grew worse instead. ²⁷ She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his coat, ²⁸ for she said, “If I only touch his clothes, I will be rescued.”

the right rescuer

Both of these people were looking for rescue – Jairus for his daughter, the sick woman for herself. They both came to the right person for that rescue. They were both what that society would have considered rich. But the woman had spent all her wealth on the pursuit of health — with no cure. Jairus was probably both wealthy and influential. But none of that matters when your daughter is dying.

I stood beside a father one day as he was facing the death of his young daughter. I longed to give him the rescue he needed for his daughter. There are no guarantees in life, but coming to Jesus is always the right choice.

LORD, we need rescue, for ourselves and for our loved ones.