A father and his six-year-old son stand outside a stadium where his dream band is about to play, and he discovers the tickets have vanished from his backpack. This story of desperation opens a reflection on Mark 5, about two people divided by everything: a respected synagogue leader and a nameless woman excluded because of her illness. One thing united them, in desperation they threw themselves at Jesus’ feet and found grace that crosses every boundary. Listen and hear why grace is given to everyone who believes against all odds.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In Mark 5:21-43 Jairus, a respected synagogue leader, falls at Jesus' feet. What does this gesture reveal about his situation and about who he saw in Jesus?
- The woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years lived in isolation as ritually unclean. What did it mean for her that Jesus stopped, looked for her in the crowd and called her daughter?
- Jairus and the woman differed in every way, yet they were united by a desperate search for grace at Jesus' feet. What does this story say about who God's grace is for?
- When news came that his daughter had died, Jesus told Jairus: "Don't be afraid; just believe." How do you understand this call at a moment when, humanly speaking, everything seems lost?
- The speaker noted how easy it is to accept grace as a logical theological truth while still believing we are the masters of our own lives. Where do you see this attitude in yourself?
- For what specific situation in which God reached out His hand to you do you want to thank Him this week, and what can you lay at His feet in trust?
