Matthew 9: 23 And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him.

The flute players were lined up and ready to play the funeral songs. The ruler had just told Jesus that his daughter was dead. The finality was clear, yet his faith was so strong that he asked Jesus to come to lay His hand on her… How quickly, did the news travel; that the flute players and mourners were there before Jesus reached? Ready to perform their duty? Or so they thought… but Jairus didn’t need them anymore!  No funeral song was going to be played today, no mourners were going to cry today… because, by faith, Jairus went to seek out Jesus.  

Matthew 9:22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

The physicians lined up to take her money, twelve long years of shelling out payments and trying the latest treatment and putting her body through trials that didn’t work. But today, she didn’t need them anymore! In the midst of Jesus going to raise up the ruler’s daughter, this woman interrupted His walk and by her faith to reach out, Jesus rid her of the things that she relied on for so many years.

Matthew 9:29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”

Maybe they carried a cane, or some kind of container to collect the coins they hoped to receive or maybe they wore a special coat that identified them as “blind beggars”. Whatever, helped them navigate a world without sight was left right at that scene when Jesus met them. They didn’t need them anymore!! Whatever it was that identified them, that kept them separated from society, they could throw away those stigmas because they had the faith to call out to Jesus!

When I read Matthew 9 one day, you would think the first thing I noticed was the woman with the issue of blood or the blind beggars or even the deceased child. However, this time, it was the flute players and mourners that piqued my interest. I wondered at how glad they were to be employed; to sing for the dead, to bring seemingly comfort to the family and announce the sad news of a little girl’s passing. This was their job — their livelihood– and then to be told that they weren’t needed anymore? Who is this man that didn’t know that they just came to do their job? This is what they do.

How happy we are to hold on to things that make us sad; things that we think bring comfort without bringing relief, or without bringing peace? Jesus came to remove those barriers such as death, pain, blindness.

As Jesus walked, blind men’s canes were left behind, leprous skin was shed, the stigma of “unclean” was dropped instantly, and even grave clothes were loosened and discarded.

What is it that we need Jesus to take out of our lives?  – but can we elevate our faith to seek after Him? To reach out to Him and cry out to Him? Even if we don’t think we have faith, we can ask him to help our unbelief.  

Dear Jesus let us seek after you like Jairus, let us reach out to you like the woman with the issue of blood, and let us cry out to you like the blind men. So we can see that you are willing to set us free; to raise the things that are dead and to heal us and reveal Yourself to us. Amen.