Faith in the Waiting Room
Faith in the Waiting Room
Jairus' Daughter and the Woman Who Touched Jesus' Garment
40 Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. 41 And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus' feet, he implored him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. 43 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians,[1] she could not be healed by anyone. 44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.
45 And Jesus said, "Who was it that touched me?" When all denied it, Peter[2] said, "Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!" 46 But Jesus said, "Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me." 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed.
. 48 And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." 49 While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler's house came and said, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more." 50 But Jesus on hearing this answered him, "Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well." 51 And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. 52 And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, "Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping." 53 And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.
54 But taking her by the hand he called, saying, "Child, arise." 55 And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. 56 And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.
INTRODUCTION
Introduction
Good afternoon, church.
Have you ever noticed that life does not always go the way we planned? We pray for an answer, but it does not come. We ask God to open a door, but it stays closed. We ask Him to fix a problem, but the problem seems to get worse.
When that happens, many of us start thinking, “Maybe I do not have enough faith. Maybe God is not listening. Maybe I have done something wrong.”
Many Christians think faith works like this: if God answers my prayer quickly, I must have strong faith. If God takes a long time, I must have weak faith. We often treat waiting time as a measure of how strong our faith is.
But Luke 8 challenges that idea. This story teaches us that faith is not measured by how quickly God answers our prayers. The real question is not, “How fast will God answer?” The real question is, “How will I respond while I wait?”
Anybody can trust Jesus when the prayer is answered. Anybody can trust Jesus when the miracle comes quickly. Anybody can trust Jesus when life is going well. But faith is tested when the prayer remains unanswered, when the waiting gets longer, when the situation gets worse, and when Jesus seems slow.
That is exactly what happened to Jairus. Jesus agreed to help him, but then Jesus stopped. The delay began, and everything seemed to fall apart.
Underneath this whole story is a deeper question that every one of us will face sooner or later: What happens when Jesus does not do what I expected Him to do? What happens when He does not answer as quickly as I want? What happens when His timing does not make sense to me?
As we walk through this passage today, I want us to keep asking one simple question: If Jesus does not answer the way I want, when I want, will Jesus Himself still be enough for me?
1. The Interruption (vv. 40–48)
Jairus was an important man. He was a synagogue ruler, a respected leader, a man people listened to. But suddenly none of that mattered. His twelve-year-old daughter was dying. For the first time in his life, he faced a problem that money could not solve, influence could not solve, and reputation could not solve.
His little girl was dying, so he fell at Jesus’ feet.
Isn't it amazing how suffering exposes what we are really trusting? Sometimes we do not realize how much we depend on our careers, our savings, our health, or our plans until they are taken away. Desperation has a way of bringing us to Jesus.
Sometimes God uses hardship to show us what we have been trusting all along.
The common mistake Christians make is not that we have problems; it is that we often look everywhere else before looking to Jesus. We trust our strength, our plans, our money, our experience, and our connections. But crisis has a way of stripping away those false foundations.
That is exactly what happened to Jairus. His position could not heal his daughter. His influence could not stop death. His only hope was Jesus.
Sometimes God allows us to reach the end of ourselves so that we discover Jesus is enough. The crisis did not create Jairus’ need for God. It simply revealed the need that was there all along.
Too often God is not our first option but our emergency option.
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As Jesus was heading to Jairus’ house, something happened. A woman who had been suffering for twelve years approached Him.
Think about that. Twelve years of pain. Twelve years of disappointment. Twelve years of unanswered questions.
She quietly reached out and touched the edge of His garment, and immediately she was healed.
Now imagine being Jairus. If I am honest, I would probably be thinking, “Jesus, that is wonderful. I am very happy for her. But my daughter is dying. Can we continue walking now?”
Jairus is watching precious minutes disappear. The interruption feels unnecessary. The delay feels costly. The situation feels urgent.
But Jesus stops.
And sometimes that is frustrating. God seems to move slowly when we want Him to move quickly. We pray. We wait. We pray more. We wait more. And it appears that God is helping everybody else before helping us.
Have you ever felt that?
The woman reaches out and touches Jesus, and she is healed. But we need to clear up some common misunderstandings.
Many people read this story and think, “If I can find the right pastor to touch me, then I will be healed,” or, “If I can get some special anointed oil, then I will receive my miracle.”
But that is not what Jesus is teaching.
The woman’s healing was not in the touch itself. The garment was not magical. The cloth did not contain special power. Jesus did not say, “Daughter, My garment has made you well.” He said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well.”
Sadly, some Christians end up chasing experiences instead of Christ. They travel from conference to conference looking for a special prophet. They search for miracle water, miracle oil, miracle cloths, or miracle prayers. They begin placing their hope in objects, personalities, and methods.
But none of those things are the source of power. The power is in Jesus.
Let me be clear. We are not against miracles. We believe God still heals. We believe God can work through prayer. We believe God sometimes uses pastors, elders, and the church in the process of healing.
But our confidence is never in the pastor. Our confidence is never in the oil. Our confidence is never in the method. Our confidence is in Christ alone.
Notice something beautiful in this story. If the goal was simply healing, Jesus could have healed the woman and kept walking. Instead, He stopped and called her forward.
Why?
Because He wanted her to know that her greatest miracle was not a healed body. Her greatest miracle was knowing Him.
The goal of faith is not to get a miracle from Jesus. The goal of faith is to get Jesus Himself.
Sometimes He gives healing. Sometimes He gives strength to endure. Sometimes He changes the situation. Sometimes He changes us.
The woman is healed. Everything seems wonderful. But Jairus is still waiting.
And while Jesus is still speaking, a messenger arrives with one of the most heartbreaking messages in the story:
“Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher anymore.”
The interruption is about to become a crisis. The delay is about to look like a disaster. Hope itself seems ready to die.
Following Jesus is easy when Jesus is moving. Real faith is tested when Jesus seems delayed, when prayers feel unanswered, when circumstances get worse, and when hope is dying.
That leads us to the second point.
2. Crisis Deepens: When Hope Dies (vv. 49–50)
Have you ever had a situation go from bad to worse? Not just difficult. Not just frustrating. But a moment when you thought, “That is it. It is over. There is no fixing this now.”
There are moments when hope does not just weaken—it feels like hope dies.
That is where Jairus is.
He finally got Jesus to come. There was hope. There was urgency. There was still time. Then Jesus stopped.
A woman interrupted the journey. Minutes passed. Jairus waited.
Then a messenger arrived.
Not with hope. Not with progress. Not with good news.
But with a sentence that felt like a knife to the heart:
“Your daughter is dead.”
And then came the crushing words:
“Do not trouble the Teacher anymore.”
In other words:
“It is too late.” “Jesus cannot help now.” “The situation is beyond repair.”
What once seemed like an inconvenience now feels like a disaster.
Imagine what Jairus may have been thinking:
“If only Jesus had walked faster.” “If only He had not stopped.” “If only there had not been a delay.”
Maybe you have had your own “if only” moments.
“If only I had gotten that job.” “If only the doctor had caught it earlier.” “If only my marriage had worked out.” “If only God had answered sooner.”
Many of us carry around a collection of “if onlys.”
Our natural response is to ask, “Why?”
We want God to explain everything. We want the pieces to fit together.
Many people think there are only two options: Either understand everything and have peace, or understand nothing and be anxious.
But the Bible gives us a third option:
Trust.
Not because everything makes sense. Not because every question has been answered. But because God can be trusted even when life does not make sense.
Real faith is not knowing all the answers. Real faith is knowing the One who does.
Sometimes we think, “If I could just understand why this happened, then I could have peace.”
But peace does not come from understanding every detail of your life. Peace comes from knowing the heart of God.
God is wise. God is good. God is loving. God is faithful. God is still in control.
He has never been confused for a single second. He has never looked at your situation and thought, “I did not see that coming.”
He never panics. He never makes mistakes. He never forgets His children. He never overlooks your tears. He never misses your prayers.
When we face difficult circumstances, fear often rises to the surface. Fear of what might happen. Fear of loss. Fear that God will not answer the way we hoped.
Many Christians think, “If I am afraid, I must not have enough faith.”
But that is not true.
Look at Jairus. His daughter has just died. Of course he is afraid.
Yet Jesus does not say, “Stop being emotional.”
Instead, Jesus says:
“Do not fear; only believe.”
Jesus meets Jairus in his fear, not after it.
The Christian life is not the absence of fear. The Christian life is trusting Jesus in the middle of fear.
When Jesus says, “Do not fear; only believe,” He is not asking Jairus to pretend everything is okay. His daughter is still dead. The situation is still impossible.
Jesus is asking:
“Will you trust Me even now?”
Will your faith be in the outcome, or in Me?
Faith says:
“Lord, I do not understand what You are doing, but I trust You.”
Maybe that is where some of us are today—standing between fear and faith.
The good news is that Jesus does not ask for perfect faith. He asks us to trust Him.
Even trembling faith. Even tear-filled faith.
Because the power is not in the strength of your faith. The power is in the Savior your faith is holding onto.
And Jairus is about to discover what we all need to learn:
When Jesus seems late, He is never too late.
3. The Restoration (vv. 51–56)
There are some problems in life that seem fixable. A broken phone can be replaced. A failed exam can be retaken.
But death feels different.
Death feels final.
That is why people say things like:
“It is too late.” “There is nothing more we can do.” “It is over.”
Death is humanity’s ultimate problem. No technology can stop it. No amount of money can buy our way around it. No doctor can ultimately defeat it.
Yet in Luke 8, Jesus walks directly into a house filled with death and grief and acts as though death is not the end of the story.
Jesus arrives at Jairus’ house. People are crying. The atmosphere is heavy. Everyone knows what happened.
The little girl is dead.
Then Jesus says something shocking:
“Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.”
Jesus is not denying her death. Luke has already made that clear. The mourners knew she was dead. The parents knew she was dead. Jesus knew she was dead.
He is speaking from the perspective of His power. For Jesus, death is not the final word.
The Crowd Laughs
The crowd laughs at Him.
Just moments earlier they were crying. Now they are mocking.
“Jesus, this is ridiculous.” “She is dead.” “You are too late.”
But they do not understand who is standing before them.
Child, Arise
Jesus takes the little girl by the hand and says:
“Child, arise.”
That is all.
No struggle. No effort. No second attempt.
Just a command.
And life returns.
Why?
Because Jesus has authority over death itself.
The same voice that created the universe speaks life into a dead girl, and death obeys Him.
Luke tells us that her parents were amazed.
And this brings us to one of the most beautiful themes in the entire passage:
Jesus gives both the woman and Jairus far more than they asked for.
The Woman Came for Healing, But Jesus Gave Her a New Identity
The woman wanted to stay hidden. Her plan was simple: touch Jesus, get healed, disappear.
She only wanted physical healing.
But Jesus stopped and called her forward.
Then He said:
“Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
This is the only woman in the Gospels whom Jesus directly calls “Daughter.”
She came looking for healing.
Jesus restored her identity.
She left not only healed, but known and loved by Christ.
Jairus Came for Healing, But Received a Savior
Jairus wanted Jesus to heal his daughter before she died.
That was all.
But Jairus received more than his daughter back.
He learned who Jesus really is.
At the beginning of the story, Jesus is a respected teacher.
By the end of the story, Jairus sees that Jesus is the Lord of life.
Jesus often gives us more than we expect—not necessarily a bigger miracle, but a deeper knowledge of Himself.
Conclusion: Is Jesus Enough?
This is really the big question of the passage:
If Jesus does not answer the way I want, when I want, will Jesus Himself still be enough for me?
This story points us to the heart of the Gospel.
For twelve years this woman had been bleeding. According to Old Testament law, she was ceremonially unclean. She was physically suffering, socially isolated, and spiritually excluded.
In the Old Testament, uncleanness was contagious.
Normally:
Unclean person + clean person = both become unclean.
So when this woman touched Jesus, everyone would have expected Jesus to become unclean.
But the opposite happened.
Unclean woman + holy Savior = clean woman.
Her uncleanness did not spread to Jesus. Jesus’ holiness spread to her.
The moment she touched Him, she was made clean.
Jesus is so holy, so pure, and so powerful that sin, shame, and uncleanness cannot overpower Him. Instead, He overcomes them.
But then we come to the cross.
In Luke 8, Jesus touches the unclean and makes them clean. At the cross, something different happens. Jesus willingly takes our sin upon Himself. He allows Himself to be treated as though our uncleanness were His.
The woman touched Jesus and was cleansed.
At the cross, Jesus takes our guilt, our shame, and our sin so that we can walk away forgiven.
We bring our sin to Jesus and leave forgiven. We bring our guilt to Jesus and leave accepted. We bring our shame to Jesus and leave as sons and daughters of God.
And this brings us back to the main question.
How do we know we can trust Him when He seems delayed? How do we know He has not forgotten us? How do we know He still loves us?
The answer is simple:
Look at the cross.
The cross is God's proof that He loves you.
If Jesus was willing to take your sin, your guilt, your shame, and your judgment upon Himself, then He is not against you.
He may not always answer the way we want. He may not always answer when we want.
But the cross reminds us that His heart toward us is always love.
So when life does not make sense, do not just look at the delay.
Look at the cross.
And the cross tells us:
The One who gave Himself for us can be trusted with everything else. Amen.
Discussion questions:
- What struck you the most from the sermon?
- Have you ever experienced a crisis that exposed your need for God? What happened?
- "Real faith is not knowing all the answers. Real faith is knowing the One who does." How does this truth change the way you face crisis?
- How does the gospel assure you that God can be trusted amid your crisis?