It was crazy. A little girl was dying and Jesus was on his way to help her. But he got distracted. If you were the father, can you imagine? How distressing it would be? If only Jesus would hurry up.

 Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.  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,  for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

The teacher was coming. It was going well. There was hope. But then he stopped.

He stopped because he felt power go out of him. It was a woman whom no doctor could help. She was desperate.

As Jesus went, the people pressed around him.  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, she could not be healed by anyone.

She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.  And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?”

When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!”  

But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.”  

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.  

And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

She had been bleeding for 12 years. She knew if that she could just touch him, she would be healed. What faith!

But now, because of this woman’s interruption, Jairus’ daughter was dead.

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.”

The devastation for the father must have been profound. But when you are more than just a teacher or prophet, it isn’t a problem. Jesus was God in the flesh. Everything was going to be Ok.

But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.”  

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.  And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.”  

And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.  But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.”  And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat.  And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

She was dead. The crowds knew it, the parents knew it, everyone knew it. But Jesus was not just a man. He took her by the hand and “her spirit returned.”

No teacher can give life to the dead. Not even a good man. Or a prophet. Only God gives life to the dead. And that’s what Jesus did.

Once more Luke is showing us the divinity of Jesus. He had power over nature, demons and even life and death. He is God.

But he is also showing the character of God. Jesus stopped for the one. The woman was in great need. He stopped for her and talked to her. He could have just carried on.

Yet he didn’t forget about the one little girl either. He continued to go to her even when everyone else gave up hope.

Jesus is all powerful.

He stops for the one.

And he even stops for you and me.