When Your Enemy Needs Your Help


Jairus’ 12 year old daughter was sick. Really sick. In fact, it looked like she wasn’t going to make it. Every parent knows what it’s like to have a sick child. It’s always difficult, but if it’s serious it’s really difficult. I can’t relate, but I do remember praying as my 5 year old son was being examined in the emergency room in the middle of the night. Thankfully a treatable infection was discovered as the cause of the blood he was passing, but those were scary moments.

Jairus came to get Jesus. Sounds like a good idea, but don’t miss this dynamic. Jairus is the ruler of the synagogue. If you follow the life of Jesus you know that he and the religious leaders didn’t exactly hit it off. But we still find this encounter.

“He (Jairus) pleaded earnestly with him, ‘My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live’.” Mark 5:23

This is the perfect time for Jesus to say something like, “Well, I guess you should have thought about that before you and your associates slandered me, and told everyone not to listen to me. Good luck.”

Needless to say no such exchange takes place. To abbreviate things, Jesus heads to his home, she dies before he gets there, he calls her “daughter,” (the only time he ever calls anyone this), and raises her from the dead.

Jesus loved Jairus, but Jairus was among a group of folks who had positioned themselves as his enemy. Try as you might to love everyone someone is going to do this with you. They will align with those who slander you. They will feed rumors about you, or misjudge your intentions. And then they will need your help.

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:26-27

Easy? No. Powerful? Oh, yeah.

I had a former employee slander me publicly. I was the opening story on NBC nightly news New York. My picture was on the front page of major NYC papers. I was devastated. The story was a fabrication. In the end the accusations were shown as false, but that doesn’t make the news. Some time later my accuser was arrested on an unrelated matter. Her children were with a sitter and in danger of being handed over to social services. I went to the jail and bailed her out. As she came out and saw me you can imagine her surprise. “Let’s go get your kids.”

Decide in advance that when those who have positioned themselves against you need you later that you will be there for them. That’s what Jesus did. And we’re following him.

Following the Son,

James A Williams

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