Bible Briefs

J O H N   W.   M O O R E LOOKING FOR THE MASTER As Jesus came into the house, He heard the sounds of a family in utter grief. All who were present in the house were feeling enormous pain as they cried aloud and wailed at the passing of a dearly loved twelve-year-old girl. As her frail body lay limp upon the bed, I can only imagine what must have gone through the mind of the little girl’s parents. For Jairus, the girl’s father, there must have been tremendous remorse as her passing came while he was out seeking help to alleviate her unstable condition. As for Mother, hearing her precious and innocent child laboring to draw her last breath of air must have been more than she could bear. I have a child that is twelve, and even thinking about him being in the place of that little girl is like a dagger to my heart. How would my wife and I handle a situation like that? What would we do? What did Jairus and his wife do? They did what Christian families do today. They do what my family did at the passing of Seth, my seven-year-old nephew, as we watched him labor to take his last breath. I’ll never forget that night. From a little boy’s room we, like Jairus, went looking for the Master. We fell at His feet and poured out our hearts to Him and we remembered. We remembered the words spoken to Jairus at the loss of his precious child: “Be not afraid, only believe” (Mark 5:36). As Jesus took the little girl by the hand, He rescued her from the grave. By the power of His word, “Damsel, I say unto you, arise”, He brought her back to life and reunited a family separated by death (Mark 5:41). Similarly, I look forward to the day when by those same powerful words, the veil of death will be removed and our own families reunited (John 5:24-29; 1 Thess. 4:13f; 1 Cor. 15:51f). In the meantime, I will seek to remember the touch of the Master’s hand, the saving power of His gospel (Romans 1:16), and the eternal promise of His word: “Be not afraid, only believe.” Yes, I will continue to look for the Master, for He is our only hope.