Two daughters, one mission.

And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”   (Mark 5:34, NASB)

Did you know that Jesus was recorded using the word “daughter” only once in His entire public ministry? Such was the significance of the mention that as we read into the Word of God, we need to give that context particular attention.

The single mention was spoken over the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5. And that miracle was not even on Jesus’ visible agenda of the day. It certainly was part of the plan that we now read about in hindsight but back then when it was taking place in plain sight for every one else to witness, it was a very different setting altogether.

That day, Jesus was on the way to Jairus’ home to heal his daughter. Jesus was following His usual preaching schedule and the interruption came for Him to be involved in the medical case that needed urgent attention – a dying daughter. The condition was with Jairus’ daughter for a while now but he probably tried dealing with it privately until it could no longer be dealt with except through a miracle.

Here is what’s powerful – in a single transitory scene were 2 daughters, both of whom were looking for healing. And yet for each of them, the Father had a different agenda.

For the woman with the issue of blood, whilst she was looking for healing, God was interested in her demonstration of faith.

To Jairus, Jesus’ moment with the woman was costly. Because after the commotion of “Who touched Me?” and some hunting around with a slight delay, a confession and a dialogue, the bad news came from Jairus’ home – “Your daughter has died. Why trouble the teacher anymore?”

The problem was not with the first part of the statement but the second. Because whoever sent the message from that household had limited thinking as to what God could do. To whoever it was from that household, Jesus was just a “rabbi” and not the Son of God. Healing was a possibility for someone still alive but once dead, finito.

This theological thought pattern clearly resonated in that household because upon hearing Jesus say “Your daughter is asleep”, they laughed. That was also the reason why Jesus had to send them out of the room and only had the girl’s parents and His disciples in witnessing the raising of the dead.

But here is the point – in one transitory scene with two daughters – God is teaching us something powerful – that while we can be looking to Him for an agenda of our own to fulfill – be it healing, deliverance, financial and business breakthrough, etc., God is taking the occasion to take us to a new level of seeing Him.

In the place of receiving your breakthrough, do not forget to catch the lesson that He is about to impart!