A Humble Leader
Scripture Reading — Mark 5:21-24
Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet.
Before I was born, a brother of mine passed away at the age of fourteen months. My parents had done all they could to find medical help and healing for him. Similarly, Jairus, a synagogue leader, feared losing his young daughter, and he also did all he could to gain healing for his child.
Jairus was responsible to help with the smooth running of the synagogue in town, which led worship and instruction for the local Jewish community. He likely had also heard that some other religious leaders, the Pharisees, didn’t like Jesus and had warned people to watch out for him. The Pharisees enjoyed their position of power as teachers of the law and rulers of the people, and they felt threatened by Jesus’ popularity and his amazing miracles. They had even begun plotting to find a way to kill Jesus (Mark 3:6). Despite all that, Jairus wanted healing for his daughter. So he went to see Jesus.
Jairus also left his pride and dignity behind. As a respected leader in the community, he was not expected to submit to a stranger in his town, and yet he fell at the feet of Jesus in great humility. Jairus did not care who saw him do this because he knew he needed Jesus’ help.
Followers of Jesus leave their preconceptions and pride behind when they come to Jesus. He is Lord and King of all. In him we find the power to heal—body and soul.
King Jesus, help me to realize who you are, and to be humble before you. Thank you for your love and care. Amen.
About the author — Evan Heerema
Evan Heerema is a retired pastor who served churches in Washington state and in Michigan. He was also on the teaching staff at Kuyper College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for ten years. He and his wife are the parents of two daughters and the grandparents of two grandsons.
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