Does God even notice you in the crowd, your problems, your pain, your quiet cry for help? This sermon takes us into the Gospel of Mark (Mark 5), where Jesus, pressed by the crowd, stops for two people: a desperate father and a sick woman who dared only to touch his garment. Both stories show that no one is invisible to Jesus, and that faith can be stronger than fear. Listen and discover that the words “do not be afraid, only believe” are addressed to you as well.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In Mark 5:21-43, Jairus and the woman suffering from bleeding are very different people. How did their situations differ, and what did they have in common when they came before Jesus?
- Why does Jesus stop in the crowd and ask, "Who touched me?" when Jairus's daughter is dying and everyone around is touching Him? What does this reveal about Him?
- For 12 years the woman had been unclean and cut off from people, yet Jesus calls her "daughter." What might that word have meant to her, and what does it tell you about how God sees you?
- Do you ever feel that God only sees crowds and that your concerns are too small for Him? What in this story answers those thoughts?
- Jesus tells Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe." Where is your fear stronger than your faith right now, and what would faith bigger than fear look like there?
- The pastor in the sermon cancelled many meetings to visit one dying woman. Who around you can you see this week as a person rather than part of the crowd, and what will you do for them?
