Our tasting room got its certificate of occupancy on Friday last week. In my mind, “final inspection” means “finished,” but to builders and county officials it means that the building meets all codes and regulations for occupancy. It has nothing to do with finishing touches, cleaning, moving in or decorations!  We’ve been wildly working and we are not finished! We hope to pour wine for customers Saturday but we are not finished! I want to be finished so we can begin, but we are not finished!

And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house, ⁴² for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. ⁴⁹ While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.” ⁵⁰ But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” ⁵¹ When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. ⁵² Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.” ⁵³ And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.  ⁵⁴ But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, arise.” ⁵⁵ Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. ⁵⁶ And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.  Luke 8:41-42, 49-56

Fear and disbelief gripped Jairus as he learned the news of his daughter’s death – we know this because of Jesus’ words: "Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well." When Jairus approached Jesus he needed him immediately. Jesus went with him, but got distracted by the crowd and a woman who touched him, power went out of him and she was healed. When Jesus asked “who touched me?” and no one stepped forward the disciples tried to intervene on Jairus’ behalf: “Jesus, there is a huge crowd, why do you care who touched you? We need to go; there is a desperate situation that needs your attention. Jairus’ little girl is dying!” When news of Jairus’ daughter’s death came, the attitude was, “never mind, Jesus, death is final, we don’t need you anymore.”

“It is finished!” were Jesus’ final words from the cross, but in Christ death never has the final word. “It is finished!” meant his work of meeting the demands of his holy father by obeying the law perfectly, dying in the place of sinners, accomplishing that which he came to fulfill, being the perfect Lamb of God led to slaughter. Horror and fear and disbelief gripped his followers and the community; cheers came from Satan and those who crucified him. God always has the final in his control.

We, by faith in Christ having been washed by water and the word, live in Christ’s life. We died with him and were raised in his resurrection. God’s final word is “you are mine!” “I’ve got your back!” “You are Holy!” God has spoken his final on us but God is not finished working his work in us and through us. We want to be done on our time; God says, “I’m not finished.” We want wholeness our way; God says, “give IT! up to my way.” We want astonishment before the journey and amazement before the healing; God says, “This is the road, trust me.”

May God grant us courage to hear Jesus saying, “do not be afraid, only believe” and trust his word and work. May God grant us boldness to proclaim his mercy in our homes, workplaces and communities. May God’s peace remain on us and in us. Blessings IN Christ, Cindy

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