Finding the Right Solution -- A Repost

When life is not turning out the way you planned, where do you turn? Whom do you seek for answers? Unfortunately, many of us turn to all the wrong things, only to be disappointed when our plight grows worse instead of better.

The Bible tells us story after story of people who tried different avenues of "working things out" in their lives. The results were disastrous at best. I believe my favorite tale is that of Jairus and his sick daughter. I'm sure you know the story, but if not, here's a refresher:

And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him . . . While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. - Mark 5:22-24;35-42
Jairus was an important and influential man, but during this time of trial, he learned a great lesson that all of us would do well to learn and heed.
1.) Riches can't help - We can glean from the story that Jairus is relatively wealthy. He is a ruler of the synagogue. He has servants. I imagine him running down the road, his finely woven robe flapping in the breeze, his crafted sandals beating against the dirt. Yes, I imagine Jairus was quite wealthy. Rich enough to buy the finest medicine. Wealthy enough to hire the most competent doctors. But Jairus discovered that his wealth wasn't enough. The medicine didn't work, and the doctors were baffled. Money couldn't buy the healing Jairus desired.

2.) Relatives can't help - It is good to have a loving and supportive family, but there are times when even their steadfastness is not enough to get us through. Jairus had a wife, not to mention an entire group of people waiting at his home. I have no doubt many of these people were relatives coming to offer hope, help and encouragement. But in the face of the death, there was nothing they could do but mourn.

3.) Religion can't help - Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue. That means he was well-educated in the Scriptures. He was a religious man. He knew the right people and had all the right connections. If anything could help Jairus, it was his religion. Yet, no matter what he did or who he talked to, his daughter's condition grew worse. His high standing was not enough to protect his family from heartache.

4.) Only the Redeemer can help - When Jairus arrived at the end of his options, he grabbed hold of the one shred of hope he had left. Maybe Jesus can help. In his haste, he left behind the medicines, the doctors, the relatives and his religious traditions. He focused on one thing and one thing only--Jesus. Jairus was not ready to throw in the towel. He was not willing to give up. He was determined to do everything in his power to save his daughter, even if that meant admitting that it was not within his power to accomplish that task. He needed a strength beyond his own. He needed something that neither riches nor relatives nor religion could provide. He needed the Redeemer.

Through Jairus' story, we are reminded of the remedy for our own situations. Whatever we may face in life, there is only one answer. There is only one solution. There is only one means by which our problem can be fixed. It's not through riches, relatives or religion. It's only through the Redeemer. If we can ever get that through our heads, maybe we'll start bringing our problems to Him in the first place instead of waiting until we've exhausted every other option. It will certainly save us a lot of time and heartache, and I'm sure it will thrill the Father that we turn to Him first as He has asked us to do time and time again.