If we make it just about heaven and hell, we become guilty of teaching a salvation that sounds something like this: Hey, hey, hey, get saved, get saved, get saved - and you can come along with us, and one day we're all going to die, and it'll all get better.
It's even in the songs that we used to sing! It will be worth it all when we see Jesus. Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ. It's kind of like: this life stinks, I can't wait for heaven. No! Jesus died so you could have the best life here, now, today.
But there's still healing in His wings. Go in shalom.
So everybody standing there now thinks He's tamei. Verse 35, while Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. Your daughter is dead, why bother the rabbi anymore?
That's a very insensitive thing to say. Your daughter is dead, why bother the rabbi anymore? Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler: don't be afraid, just believe.
He did not let anyone follow Him except Peter, James and John, the brother of James. He just heals this lady with the issue of blood, but He doesn't declare her healed, does He? He just says: your faith has made you well; go in shalom. He doesn't make a big deal about her being healed, He just: says go in peace - this is a bigger deal.
Why? Well He's going to Jairus' house, and the people from Jairus' house come to Jesus and say: Jairus, your daughter's dead already, why bother the rabbi anymore? Now that sounds very insensitive, until you understand this, that it was against the law for a rabbi to knowingly walk into a room where a dead body was - unless he was already considered tamei.
WHO TOUCHED ME? WHO TOUCHED ME? EVERYBODY LOOK! This lady with an issue of blood, she just touched Me! Now the world thinks He's tamei. Why bother the rabbi anymore?
Well, now He's allowed in the room; but Jesus covers His bases doesn't He? He goes: she's not dead, she's just asleep – wink, wink.
When they came to the house of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion - as you would - with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them: why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead, but asleep - but they laughed at Him.
After He put them all out, He took the child's father and mother, and the disciples who were with Him, and He went in where the child was, and He took her by the hand.
Is it tamei to touch a dead body? You bet! Do you realise that if she doesn't get up - Jesus can't die for you? This is a huge act of faith; and tradition says that Jesus wrapped His hand, because He would have been walking like this anyhow - had His hand wrapped in His own tassels; and he reached down, and He took her by the hand - because He's still the Son of Righteousness, with healing in His wings.
“...and He took her by the hand”. You've got kanaf (corner), you've got tassels, and the whole thing is called Tallit, and it's seen as the presence of God.
And He took her by the hand, and said to her: Talitha kum - Little girl, the Tallit's here. Little girl, the presence of God is here. Little girl, get up.
Closing PrayerTonight that power of God is here. Jesus is standing here tonight, saying to this church: My child, the Tallit is here. Talitha kum: My children, the tallit is here, arise. There's still a Son of Righteousness with healing in His tassels.
Where do you need to touch the tassels? Where do you need a resurrection? For some of you, the touch of the tassels comes in the form of some kind of physical need. For others, it's somebody here who was violated as a child, by someone who was supposed to protect them; but instead of protecting them they violated them, and it created all kinds of emotional holes. A touch of the tassels for those folks - it's more about being able to lay your head down at night in shalom; and that's just as much healing as anything else.