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22. Several of Jesus'
Miracles.
One evening Jesus
sailed with his disciples across the sea where Capernaum is located.
Several other ships were also travelling with them. Jesus, tired from
the charitable deeds of the day, laid his head on a cushion in the back
of the ship and fell asleep. Meanwhile, a violent storm arose on the sea
and the waves crashed into the ship. When the disciples could never
defend themselves - the ship was already full of water - they woke
Jesus: ‘Lord, help us! We are perishing. Do you not ask that we perish?’
So the disciples cried out, and it often seems that he who alone can
help does not ask anything when everything wants to perish. But Jesus
threatened the wind and said to the stormy sea: ‘Be still and hold your
peace!’ Then the wind died down and the sea became calm.
‘How fearful you are,’ he said to the disciples. ‘That you have no faith!’
But the people who were sailing along were astonished and said, ‘What
kind of man is this that the wind and the sea obey him!’
When the little ship returned, a large crowd had already gathered on the
shore. A priest of the synagogue named Jairus was anxiously awaiting
Jesus' return because he had a dying child at home who was so dear to
him. He fell down before Jesus and said to him: ‘My daughter is on her
last legs. May you come and lay your hand on her so that she may recover
and live.’ The whole crowd of people accompanied Jesus because they
wanted to see the miracle he would perform. Many followed him out of
curiosity, but not all of them. A woman who had been suffering from an
arduous illness for twelve years came along. She had already spent her
entire fortune on her recovery, and it was not getting any better. This
woman had the confidence that she would get well if she only touched
Jesus. When she touched his garment from behind, she immediately felt
that she had recovered from her affliction. Jesus stood still. He looked
round and asked, ‘Who touched me?’ Peter said, ‘The people are pressing
you, and you are still asking, ’Who touched me? But the woman fell down
before him in fear, as if she had done something wrong, and told him the
whole truth. Jesus said to her, ‘My daughter, your faith has made you
well. Go in peace!’
But what happened to Jairus' terminally ill daughter? While Jesus was
saying the above and standing still, a message came to him from Jairus'
house: ’Your daughter has now died. Do not trouble the Master!’ Jesus
did not allow the deeply bowed father to express his pain. He said to
him: ‘Don't be afraid, just trust! Your daughter will be saved.’ But by
the time they reached the house of mourning, many people were already
gathered there, weeping and lamenting and practising the customs that
were customary in mourning houses in the country.
Jesus said: ‘Do not weep! The child is not dead; he is asleep.’ Some
laughed at this beautiful, comforting word. Quite often the fool laughs.
But Jesus made sure that all the people were taken away so that the
little daughter would not be frightened when she woke up from her deep
sleep of death. A humane mind takes care of everything. No one was
allowed to stay there except the child's parents and the three disciples
Peter, James and John. As they stood alone by the bedside of the pale
little girl, Jesus took her by the hand and said: ‘Child, get up!’ as
when a mother wakes her children in the morning. They get up bright and
cheerful and greet the friendly daylight. So the little daughter of
Jairus, who had fallen asleep, got up at Jesus' call, so that her
parents were shocked and delighted. But Jesus commanded that they should
give the child something to eat. In their dismay and joy, the parents
almost forgot.
So he comforted and gladdened them at every opportunity. Wherever he
went, charity went with him. His word, his work and his every step were
a blessing and mercy.
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