You Are Not Forgotten

Scripture: Mark 5:21-43

It was exactly 4 weeks until my 39th birthday, and while my mind told me that I should be thankful, the only thing that I felt was pain. As I held onto my tear-soaked pillow, I yelled out to God, “Why have you forgotten me?”. I was still grieving the loss of loved ones, exhausted from a more than 10-year battle with an autoimmune disease and preparing for surgery, still recovering from my accident, alone in a new city away from everyone that I knew, and angry about multiple unanswered prayers.

God, do you see me? Do you hear me? Do I even matter?

Although scripture promises that he will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8), our circumstances can often become so overwhelming that they overshadow the presence of God. This is especially true when your waiting season is unbearably long. In the era of social media, where we may have a front-row seat to the lives of others, one can’t help but feel forgotten by the Almighty at times.

David declares in Psalms 34:4, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” This is Jairus’s position in our text. In (Mark 5:22) we learn that he was a synagogue leader, a man of faith, but his daughter was dying. He fell at the feet of Jesus and pleaded for his daughter’s life, and Jesus agreed to go with him to heal her.

What joy this father must have felt to have found a Helper in what must have seemed like a hopeless situation. But something happened between Jesus’s initial yes and the answered prayer. This was Jairus’s waiting period.

While Jesus pressed His way through the crowd, there was a woman who had been suffering from an issue of blood for 12 years (Mark 5:24-29). She, too, must have felt forgotten when she had spent all of her time and money with doctors but still found no relief. So, when the woman heard about Jesus, she decided within herself that His touch was all she needed to get well. It was now or never; she got close enough to touch Jesus’ garment, and immediately, she was healed with one touch. Jesus felt His power go out and decided to investigate.

But my mind goes back to Jairus, who is still present, waiting, and watching all of this unfold. His daughter is dying, and the blessing that he needs from Jesus is time-sensitive, but Jesus stops to question the crowd.

How often have we found ourselves in circumstances where we desired or needed God to act at that very moment? You have prayed and fasted over the circumstances. You trust what God promised you, but you’re waiting. And amid your waiting, it appears that God skipped over you to help someone else. Maybe you watch others around you receive what you are pleading with God to answer.

This is Jairus. He watches Jesus heal a woman who is breathing while the life of his daughter is slipping away. Although the scripture doesn’t tell us this, can you feel his possible confusion and maybe even frustration?

Jairus was a synagogue leader. Yet it appeared that Jesus skipped over Jairus for a woman who in those days would have been deemed “unclean.” Sometimes, we feel our righteous deeds should exempt us from trouble or even expedite our blessings. But God sees us all equally.

As Jesus was still speaking to the woman, some people from Jairus’ house came to deliver the news that his daughter was dead (Mark 5:35).

Dead.

Jesus, you missed it!

If we are honest with ourselves, how many of us have felt that way? Jesus, I was waiting and trusting in you, but you missed it. Jesus, I told you the urgency of my situation, and you didn’t act fast enough, so you missed it.

You desired children, but now you are beyond childbearing age, Jesus, you missed it. You prayed for healing from disease and affliction but now the cancer has advanced to Stage 4 and not responding to treatment, Jesus, you missed it. You have been struggling financially to keep up with the bills while still faithfully tithing but now you are facing eviction, Jesus, you missed it.

But Jesus overhears them and tells Jairus, “Don’t be afraid, just believe.” (Mark 5:36)

When it seems as if time has run out and all hope is gone by human standards, Jesus enters the scene. He takes the little girl by the hand and commands her to get up (Mark 5:41-42). Immediately, she stood up and began walking around. The Greek word used here is euthys, which means at once, right away, sudden, quick, or without delay. The miracle occurred immediately, but the journey was delayed. If Jairus had given up when it looked as if his concerns did not concern Jesus, he never would have experienced this moment.

God is not deaf to your prayers or blind to your tears. He sees you. He hears you. Although you may not understand the delay, you must trust his timing. He not only sees you, he sees the dangers you are unaware of, and like a loving Father, he wants to protect you. As Jesus told Jairus, “Just believe,” and you will see God’s plan unfold. Not only will you discover that God has never forgotten you, but you will also see all of the effort and complex planning He did behind the scenes just for you. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6) Have faith!