I hate bad news! I try to avoid watching the news on TV because they only talk about bad news. I think it makes my world too large. I become aware of so many things over which I have no control or influence. And since they only talk about the worst things, my world becomes filled with even more violence than it did yesterday. Every politician becomes corrupt. Every earthquake fault line is ready to shift. Every river is ready to overflow it banks. Everyone is experiencing record cold weather.
It would be nice if we could train ourselves to hold onto the good news and savor it. If we could train ourselves to focus on and celebrate the events filled with grace, I think our lives would be filled with grace rather than disaster.
Some of the most difficult times for people are the holidays, especially if a loved one died around that time. If the holiday used to be exciting, some of the excitement is taken away, at least for the first couple of years.
About the worst news anyone can deliver is the news of someone’s death. I have been part of that process for hundreds of people, both as a hospital chaplain and a military chaplain. Walking up to a stranger’s door and knocking, knowing that as soon as they see the uniform they know their loved one has died, is never easy, even after hundreds of times.
Our text records one of those moments. Jairus has been walking with Jesus on His way to his extremely ill daughter. And along the way Jesus has been delayed. I can imagine the anxious feeling that Jairus must have felt. Come on, quick, let’s go before it is too late. The woman touches, she slips back into the crowd, Jesus looks for her, and then listens to her story. Then He blesses her. Come on! Let’s go!
And before Jesus finishes Jairus sees some men from his household walking toward him. They were probably telegraphing the bad news in their facial expressions and body posture even before they began speaking. And then come the words of confirmation. “Your daughter is dead.” This is about the worst news any parent can hear. This goes against the things are “supposed” to be. Parents die before children. That’s the rule.
But I don’t think those words were the hardest to hear. They suggest that Jairus give up, that there is no reason to bring Jesus to his daughter. All is lost. Don’t bother Jesus. It would be a waste of time. There is no hope. It is over. Give up.
It can be very hard to give up, to concede defeat, to stop hoping. Your heart sinks and a weight lands on your shoulders. Your feet feel a little heavier, and often words escape discovery. Grief sets in.
The Arnold Journey 