Psalm 77, 80
Genesis 44:18-34
When my third child was born one of my neighbours asked me "What's it like in the fast lane". Being fairly new from Britain I had no clue what she was talking about. Now of course 22 years later I have had plenty of experience of the fast lane. "Don't ask me now, I'm too busy". Jesus was a single man, no house, no wife, no kids what would he now about the Fast Lane. Then we read this story. The relgious leader asking for his help, and quickly because his little girl was dying. We know how desperately we parents behave when we think our child is sick. If we think they are dangerously ill then we take our actions to new levels of desperation. Jairus' daughter was that sick. He had risked the wrath of the pharisees in asking Jesus to come to his house to heal his daughter. He might even have been risking his job and his position in society. He was living dangerously for his daughter. He knew that he needed action quickly.
We now take a break and discuss the Tram 25 route in Brussels. It must be one of the slowest routes I have ever travelled. It conveniently goes from a downtown shopping centre to a few minutes walk from our apartment but it seems to travel all round Brussels to get there. A combination of the Metro and Tram 94 is much quicker but then one has the change. Also the 25 goes to Gare Nord which the Metro does not which adds another leg to the journey home. Becky and I went to Antwerp for the day. Antwerp has very good shops and also a few famous artists in its history. When we got to Gare Nord there was an announcement that the train was not going any further. Don't you hate your plans being interupted? I bet Jairus did. The only means left for healing his daughter was on the way to the house and then there was the announcement.
We went to the tram stop to make our way to the metro and the first tram which came along was a 25 so the obvious thing to do was to get on it. At 5pm all forms of transport in Brussels are busy. Gare Nord is near the beginning of the route so we easily found space on the tram but not a seat. Fine but as more and more pushed their way onto the already crowded tram we found ourselves in the worst place- that part where the two coaches of the tram join, the one with the moving circle in the floor. You have to be able to brace yourself against something especially on all bends and particularly if you have one foot on the circle and one on the relatively stable tram. We were like sardines. The only reason I stayed vertical was because of all the other people squeezed into the tram. And Jesus in the crowd said "Somebody touched me". The disciples replied "You must be joking. Of course somebody touched you.' We are so crowded in here we are all touching each other". They did not know about the special touch of Jesus but the woman who needed healing was aware of it. She had edged her way through the crowd to the right place, the place of healing.
It was the same place that Jairus experienced a while later in the quiet of his daughter's room.
Jesus understands our chaos and distress. He heals both.
Tram 81 are the same style as Tram 25. To view licenses for this picture click here.
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