On The Couch with Jairus and Susanna

[Journey with Jesus – Day 13]

HOST: Well, good evening everyone, and welcome to this week’s edition of “On the Couch”, the show where we offer different views on all the latest news. Up in Galilee there’s been quite a stir caused by itinerant preacher and healer, Jesus of Nazareth – you may not think that anything good can come from there, but our guests may well beg to differ – please would you welcome Jairus and Susanna!

[APPLAUSE]

HOST: Good evening, Jairus and Susanna. Thank you so much for coming in.

J & S: Good evening.

HOST: Now, let me get this right. The two of you were complete strangers until very recently – until, you could say, Jesus brought you together in the most extraordinary way.

JAIRUS: That’s right.

SUSANNA: Yes. I mean, given Jairus’ position in our community, I, of course, knew who he was.

HOST: That’s right, you’re one the synagogue leaders in Capernaum?

JAIRUS: I am, I help organise the worship that happens in the community.

HOST: And it’s in that capacity that you first came across Jesus?

JAIRUS: Yes. He moved into our village about a year ago and started attending synagogue.

HOST: And I hear he stirred things up a bit there?

JAIRUS: Well, you could say that. More than once, in fact. The first time he was teaching – quite unlike anyone we had heard before. Then, mid-flow, we heard this disturbance – a man had come in shouting, “Stop! Leave us alone! What business do you have with us, Jesus of Nazareth? I know what you’re up to – you’re the holy one of God and you have come to destroy us!”

HOST: Oh, gosh. What happened next?

JAIRUS: While everyone, naturally was looking at this man, I glanced at Jesus and you know what, he didn’t seem at all perturbed. I was busy thinking how I could possibly restore order, but Jesus took control of the situation.

HOST: How did he do that?

JAIRUS: He just shut him up. He said firmly but very calmly, “Be quiet – get out of him!” At this, the man, who must have been possessed by a demon, then threw himself down in front of us and became still.

HOST: Had he died?

JAIRUS: Well, that’s exactly what we wondered. Thankfully, after a moment he stay up, shook himself, blinked and asked what had happened. He was calm and completely in his right mind. He was unharmed by the whole thing.

HOST: Well, that’s increbible.

JAIRUS: It was! After all, here was someone whose words made things happen – he ordered demonic spirits to get out and they did.

HOST: But you said this caused controversy? Why was that?

JAIRUS: Because it happened on the sabbath and healing someone on the sabbath is against Jewish law – at least, that’s what some were arguing.

HOST: Well, that’s for another time, I think. So, this was when Jesus grabbed your attention?

JAIRUS: Yes. From that point I followed what was said about him very carefully. I have to say I was always very impressed by his teaching and then the reports that we heard about the power he had – to heal, to cast out demons, and even calm a storm in the middle of lake Galilee – were staggering.

HOST: And then you suddenly you discovered you would need this power.

JAIRUS: Yes. One afternoon, our daughter, Tamar, was out playing with her friends, and suddenly fainted. We took her to bed and didn’t think anything of it at first but the next morning, she was still unwell. In fact, she looked worse. We called for help and by this time she was running a high fever. Doctors did their best but could do nothing to help and told us to prepare for the worst. What could we do? We were desperate.

HOST: I’m not surprised. How old was she at this time?

JAIRUS: Twelve years old.

HOST: That’s no age at all. And then you realised that Jesus might be able to help?

JAIRUS: It was my wife, Mary, who suggested it, actually. Jesus had healed so many people. Perhaps he could help us? My wife told me to hurry. So I ran out of the home into the village square and asked people where Jesus could be found. Word was that a crowd was gathering on the lake shore as he had been somewhere on the other side, but was coming back. Well, I ran there – didn’t care about my dignity, and upon seeing the crowd, just elbowed my way through. I had to get to Jesus. And there he was, climbing out of the boat. As soon as I saw him, I fell at his feet. I must have looked quite a sight, but I wasn’t bothered at all about that. I begged him to come to my house. “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”

HOST: What did Jesus do then?

JAIRUS: He smiled, lifted me to my feet and said that he’d come. So we walked towards the house and a large crowd was following us and pressing around Jesus. I can’t imagine how it must feel to be swamped like that all the time. Anyway, we were making our way, and I felt we were going too slowly – every second counted. And then – and I couldn’t believe this – Jesus stopped. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” I mean, I was aghast and perplexed. He was surrounded by people – anyone could have been touching him – and his disciples voiced what I had been thinking – how could you possibly ask, Who touched me? All the time I was desperate to hurry on. This delay could be the difference between my daughter living and my daughter dying.

HOST: But Jesus wouldn’t let it go?

JAIRUS: No. He kept looking around to see who had touched him. He felt that power had gone from him. And eventually, someone came forward.

HOST: And this is where our next guest comes in – Susanna. You were the one who touched Jesus. Tell me your story.

SUSANNA: Thank you for having me. Well. My troubles began about twelve years ago when I was about the age of your daughter now, Jairus. I began to bleed, as I was expecting at that age – my mother had prepared me for this. Only, the bleeding never stopped. At first my mother tried to reassure me that this sort of thing was typical when you start to become a woman, but then after a few months, you could tell that she was worried and we sent for the doctors to help, but they could do nothing. And the months became years and still the bleeding carried on.

HOST: And what impact did this have on you?

SUSANNA: Well, the Scriptures are clear. If you bleed you’re unclean. People couldn’t go near me, not even my family. They couldn’t hug me or anything without becoming unclean themselves, and anything I touched became unclean, so all our household items had to be separate. Eventually it got so bad that I moved out and became a bit of a recluse, actually. Of course, while I was bleeding like that, there would be no hope of ever getting married or having children on my own. Any time I went into public I had to declare that I was unclean. I felt so ashamed. I would never be able to enter fully into the worship of my people as I was excluded from the temple. There was no part of my life that wasn’t touched by this awful condition. I kept seeking help, paying money for doctors, spent all I had actually, but nothing worked. In fact, their treatment of me made things worse, not better. I began to lose all hope, and wished I was dead.

HOST: But then, you heard about Jesus.

SUSANNA: Yes. Similarly to Jairus, it was my dad who told me about the healings he had performed. My dad suggested Jesus might be able to help me. I heard he was coming to the lake shore, and thought it was now or never.

HOST: But you weren’t allowed to be in crowds?

SUSANNA: No. Because anyone I touched would be unclean. But I was desperate. I had to do something. So, I asked God for forgiveness, wrapped myself in a shawl so no one would see my face and recognise me, and headed in the crowd. I tried so hard not to touch anyone. Anyway, I came closer to Jesus and was wondering how I would approach him – I still felt the shame of my condition and wasn’t sure how Jesus would respond – he was a Jewish rabbi, after all. What if he rejected me? What if the crowds did? I also didn’t want to draw any attention to myself. Then it came to me – I didn’t need to grab his attention – if I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.

HOST: You felt you’d be healed just by touching him?

SUSANNA: Yes. I was so sure of it. So I reached out and touched his cloak.

HOST: And?

SUSANNA: I was healed. I knew it.

HOST: Just like that?

SUSANNA: Just like that. I knew immediately that the bleeding had stopped and I felt in my body that I was freed from all this suffering. At long last.

HOST: And you thought you would just melt into the crowd?

SUSANNA: Yes. I was sure Jesus wouldn’t notice me, as he was going with Jairus. I didn’t mean to cause any delay or disruption, so I was horrified when he stopped. When he first asked who had touched him, I hoped he would let it go – after all, he was surrounded by people. Anyone could have touched him. I could remain anonymous. But when Jesus wouldn’t let it go, and I saw the agitation on Jairus’s face, I knew I had to confess.

HOST: What did you do?

SUSANNA: I came and fell at Jesus’s feet, trembling

JAIRUS: Just as I had done moments before.

SUSANNA: That’s right – I told him everything. The whole truth – about my condition, how I had made my way through the crowd – I noticed the dirty looks I got from some people when I was saying this, but also how I had been healed by touching his cloak. I was so worried about what Jesus would say. Would he tell me off? After all, I had broken Jewish law, and I had made Jesus unclean – as well as all those people.

HOST: But what did he say? How did he react?

SUSANNA: He had this big smile on his face, he lifted me to my feet and embraced me – the first embrace I had had in twelve years – and said, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” At that, the dam burst and I was in floods of tears. Then, I looked behind me and my father was there. He had tears on my face too. Life has never been the same since. I have got my life back. I’m part of the family and community once again. Jesus gave me all that.

HOST: Well, that is incredible. But, as this was happening, you got some awful news, is that right, Jairus?

JAIRUS: Yes, while Jesus was speaking with Susanna, some people came from my house. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” I felt numb, my mouth was dry. We were too late. I put my hands to my mouth and felt this arm on my back, and a voice said, quietly, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” It was Jesus.

HOST: And how did you feel?

JAIRUS: A whole lot of things. Devastation, obviously – I had just been told of my only daughter’s death. But, on the other hand, I had just seen Susanna here find healing and freedom through just one touch from Jesus. So, somewhere in me was just a flicker of hope. Jesus had his disciples dismiss the crowds – he didn’t want an audience, so just three of his disciples came with us to my home. When we got there, there was a commotion. People were crying and wailing loudly – which is what happens when someone dies – and Jesus went to these people and asked, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” They laughed at him.

HOST: And how did he respond to that?

JAIRUS: He calmly but firmly told them to get out, so it was just the six of us in the house – Jesus, his disciples, and me and my wife. I went wordlessly to my wife and clasped her hands. She was white as a sheet. Wordlessly we led him to where our daughter was lying. I will never forget the sight of her. She was so pale and still. She had never been still – not even when she was sleeping! Again, Jesus looked so calm.

HOST: What did he do?

JAIRUS: He just went up to her, took her by the hand and said, in our language, “Talitha koum!”

HOST: And what does that mean for our viewers who don’t speak Aramaic?

JAIRUS: Little girl, I say to you, get up!

HOST: And?

JAIRUS: Well, what can I say, but she did. Immediately. Blinked her eyes, sat up, got straight out of bed and began to walk around. Right as rain she was. And she looked at us as if she was wondering what all the fuss was about. Well, we were completely astonished. We stood there with our mouths wide open. I don’t think we could fully comprehend what we had just witnessed. Our dead daughter was alive and well. We fell upon Jesus, so grateful to him, and he seemed rather embarrassed by the attention we were giving him. All he did was to tell us not to let anyone know what had happened, and to give her something to eat as she had been through quite an ordeal.

HOST: And all this happened a year or so ago? And how is Tamar now?

JAIRUS: Healthy, and strong, she is beginning to become a beautiful young woman, just like her mother.

HOST: And, Susanna, how are you?

SUSANNA: I’m wonderful. I’m healthy and I’m betrothed to a lovely young man from my village. We hope to have a family – something I’d thought would never happen.

HOST: Congratulations! And finally, is there anything you would like to say to Jesus?

SUSANNA: You gave me my life back. I will always be grateful for that.

JAIRUS: And you gave me back my daughter. What more can I say?

HOST: Well, you heard it from our brilliant guests today, who have experienced first hand the power of Jesus to heal and to restore. Let’s show our appreciation for Susanna and Jairus!