Jesus Christ ministered to that very needy demonized man in such a powerful and effective way, and yet, the local people told Jesus to take His ministry elsewhere.
That is one of the things I find hard to believe in the Bible.
You will find the details of this recorded by a doctor in Luke Chapter 8.
When Jesus is not wanted, He will move on and go where He is needed and wanted.
Here He comes to a group of people who were waiting for Him to return.
They are ready to welcome Him.
They were expecting Jesus to come back.
Now, that's the attitude to have - to be expecting Jesus to come to you - and when He comes welcome Him.
What a pleasant relief it must have been to Jesus - following that incident on the other side of the Lake - where He had been rejected - told to push off - and now He is among folk who welcome Him and receive Him and want His ministry.
A man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, comes right up to Jesus Christ, and falls down at Jesus feet, and pleads with Jesus to come to His home.
Jairus was a deeply religious man - a local leader - and he has a massive need in his life.
We can be committed to God and still have huge problems.
The best thing to do is - bring them to Jesus.
Do check the details in the text.
Jairus says - Come to my home - I have one daughter - she is twelve - and she is dying.
Jesus, she is very ill - and Jesus agrees to go to the home of Jairus.
As Jesus and Jairus are walking along the road - surrounded by thronging crowds - an unnamed woman - who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years - tried to get close to Jesus.
She had been going to all the surgeries.
She had seen all the surgeons.
She had spent all her money on various treatments - and nothing had worked.
She is unhealed - still bleeding.
After 12 years of this she is weary and weak, and she comes to Jesus desiring to be healed - but determined to remain anonymous.
She had to move quickly to get through - to push through the crowd somehow - without being noticed.
There was no way she could make an appointment with Jesus on this occasion, but in her mind she is determined to touch and receive a touch from the Living God.
She comes up from behind and touches the edge of His cloak - His outer garment - and she experienced healing, and she is no longer bleeding.
Verse 45.
Jesus asks, "Who touched me?" And Peter and all the people say - "O be fair - the crowd is bound to touch You - look at all the people bustling around.
" But Jesus knew something special had happened.
Jesus knew that someone had touched Him and some had been healed.
Jesus realised that something good had flowed out of Him.
Most of the healing miracles is Jesus Christ touching someone in need, but here it is someone in need touching Jesus.
And you can do that today - by faith.
Touch Him.
The woman saw and realised that she could no longer hide and remain anonymous.
She had wanted a private blessing - she wanted private ministry - she wanted to get her need met and perhaps run away inconspicuously - without anyone knowing - without sharing what Jesus had done - and Jesus would not on this occasion allow her to do that.
This He was not going to permit.
Sometimes, Jesus wants things out in the open - no private blessings in little corner - no slipping in and slipping out.
In verse 43 she is an unnamed needy woman, but in verse 48 Jesus calls her daughter.
Jesus takes time to hear her story and to comfort her, and to give her not only healing but wholeness, and He also sends her home in peace.
God's help is available always, and it is given to those who seek Him.
Nothing results from apathy.
God honours consistent constant persistent faith.
This woman was not going to allow her past prevent her from having pain and suffering and discomfort dealt with by Jesus Christ.
She was not going to let the crowd around Jesus keep her from Him.
She was determined.
There is a time when it is right to be pushy! Have we forgotten where Jesus was going? As Jesus is speaking with this dear needy woman who had been suffering so much for 12 years - news comes from Jairus' house.
"Your daughter is dead - your 12 year old girl has died - don't bother the teacher any more - the teacher cannot do anything now, Jairus.
It is too late.
The delay has been too long.
We are sorry - we are sorry that you were not able to be there at the end.
" "Jesus - are YOU too late? Could You not have spent time with this sick woman some other day?Your delay has meant that my wee girl is dead!She had been bleeding for 12 years - another day would not have made all that much difference!"It is all there.
Sometimes Jesus allows things to go wrong as we see them - terribly wrong! Verse 50 - Jesus heard the news being brought to Jairus, and He intervenes - "Don't be afraid - just believe.
Don't give up Jairus - have faith - and she will be healed.
" Jesus is so composed and poised.
He is so in control - and Jesus is going to answer Jairus' prayer - even though it does appear that He has left matters too late.
Jesus comes to the home of Jairus - but He does not allow the crowd to go in - on the father and mother- and three disciples who were very close to Jesus - Peter, James and John.
Some were already mourning - weeping and wailing - and Jesus said - STOP WAILING - she is not dead but asleep.
They laughed at Him - they scorned Him - they ridiculed Him.
At such a critical moment they mocked Jesus, but this does not throw Jesus.
Matthew tells us He put them all out.
Jesus would not have faithless mockers around when He performed this miracle.
Jesus took the little girl's dead hand and said - "My child - get up - come on - arise - sit up.
" And - her spirit came again - and up she got - and Jesus told them to give her some food to eat.
And, mummy and daddy were astonished.
They were amazed.
We do become surprised at times when Jesus answers our prayers.
At this time He says - "Now don't tell anyone what has happened.
" What a strange command.
Would they be able to keep quiet about this wonderful miracle which Jesus had performed?Everyone in the vicinity would surely know within the hour.
These two incidents show us something of the overflowing grace of God.
Jesus was on an emergency call, and yet, He was flexible enough to accommodate the unexpected.
And Jesus knew the difference between the touch of the curious and the casual and that of someone in real need.
She took the initiative and pushed right through.
It was not her touch that brought about her healing but her faith in this unique man who was the Son of God.
It was that degree of faith that gave her the determination to get right through to Jesus Christ.
How is your initiative and how determined is your faith? Sandy Shaw