DAILY PRAYER

“A synagogue leader came up, did him reverence, and said: ‘My daughter has just died. Please come and lay your hand on her and she will come back to life.’” (Mt. 9:18)

The people of the town accepted Jesus. Recognizing His divine powers, they sought Him out so that they might receive benefit from His miraculous goodness.

But the leadership saw Jesus very differently. They saw Jesus’ actions through eyes of jealousy, fear, and distrust.  

We do not know what was Jairus’ attitude toward Jesus (see Luke 8:41ff).  He probably had to be somewhat open to the Lord Jesus in his heart to the degree that he would not be afraid or too ashamed to go, seek Jesus out, kneel before Him, and beg that he raise his little girl from the dead.

A life-threatening illness is a sufficient enough ‘jolt’ or ‘blow’ to make one wake up and move from indifference and unbelief to faith in God and action to seek Him.  The old saying holds: “There are no atheists in foxholes.”

We forget that all the goods of the Lord in this life are temporary and fragile.  We don’t like the idea that, in an instant, we could lose everything — including our very lives.

The moment will come when we must give an account of our lives to the Lord — a moment for which most of us are spiritually unprepared.

We must learn to have faith and confidence in the goodness of the Lord and to thank Him before the trials come.  Thus, when the inevitable trial does come, we will be able to approach the heavenly throne with greater confidence. 

Reflection and commentary

Psalm 104:33 “I will sing praise to my God while I live.”

OUR PRAYER CONTINUES