It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it’s….
“And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought him that he would come into his house: For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.” Luke 8:41-42 KJV
Like almost every little boy, I had my favorite super hero. Mine hailed from the planet Krypton. He hid behind a mask of a suit, tie and big glasses. He was a reporter for the city of Metropolis’ Daily Planet. He was “Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.” He was Superman.
When danger arrived on the scene he would jump into the closest phone booth and yank off his clothes to the outfit he always seem to have underneath. For those too young to remember the phone booth, it was the closest thing we had to a mobile phone. Anyone who had a dime could use it, though. If my Mom was looking for one of her bath towels, she probably had to look no farther than around my neck. Here, around my neck, it had been transformed into a super cape with all its super powers. Off I would go into an afternoon of daring super hero rescue attempts.
If there were a club for this sort of thing, there would only be three Presidential members. One of the strangest parts of these members is that their Presidencies were probably some of the most controversial we have ever had. Two were impeached after they were sworn into office and the other was called a fraud throughout his term because a lot of people believe he stole his election. Some may say that none of the Presidents have been removed from office by impeachment and they would be correct. Impeachment is just the trail to remove someone from office. You have to actually be “convicted” to be removed from office. In the case of our Presidential impeachments, the House of Representatives brings forth the charges and the Senate tries the President. So, these two men were impeached but they were not found guilty (at least by the majority required) of the charges brought up for their removal.
For all the good advice in the Bible, there might be one area in which it is hard to find good earthly examples to follow. There are far more bad examples than there are good examples. Maybe the best way to spin it is to say, “Here is the way not to do it.” What is the missing advice about? Fatherhood.
There is a story in the Bible in Luke 8 about a father named Jairus. It is one of the few stories that show a father (earthly) in a good light. It states that Jairus is the ruler of the synagogue. I’m not real sure what that exactly is, but, The Message uses the following description: “president of the meeting place.” His daughter is really ill and he comes to Jesus in the hope that He will return with him and save his daughter. Jesus begins the trek with him only to get delayed by the crowds. I’m sure the worried father, Jairus, was getting a little anxious for his little girl.
One of the best parts about my super hero is that I didn’t have to look too far to find his earthly equivalent. For those in distress he was there faster than a speeding bullet. He was definitely more powerful than a locomotive. Although I never saw him leap tall buildings, I don’t think there was a building that stood a chance against him. He was my Dad.
I don’t think there was a neighbor in distress my Dad didn’t try to help. If there was something that needed to be moved, he might not use his bare hands, but he would get it moved. There wasn’t a pipe that couldn’t be fixed or a wall that couldn’t be rebuilt when he was around. Yes, I lived in the house with Superman.
Andrew Johnson, Rutherford B. Hayes and Bill Clinton all belong to the same club. The club is not something they did or were. They are the three Presidents whose fathers died before they were born. Andrew Johnson was a successful businessman and tailor. Rutherford B. Hayes was a Civil War General. Bill Clinton rose from nothing to become Governor of Arkansas. Of course, all three became President of the United States. Clinton and Johnson were impeached. Hayes was involved in the election of 1876 which was probably one of the most controversial elections in our history. He wore the nicknames His Fraudulency and Rutherfraud throughout his term.
Andrew Johnson’s mother would allow him to become an indentured servant (almost the same as a slave). Rutherford B. Hayes’ mom would see two of her other four children, in addition to her husband, die. In an age when women had few opportunities, she would not remarry but raised her two remaining kids by herself. Bill Clinton’s mom would leave him with her parents while she attended nursing school (she would later return to reclaim him).
As Jesus finally arrived at Jairus’ house, grim news awaited them as they headed up the walkway. His little girl had died. Jairus was probably heartbroken. What else could he have done? But knowing he had tried so hard to find a solution was no replacement for the loss he was feeling. You can tell a good father by the heart they have for their child. The love doesn’t just go away because the child isn’t there anymore. No, their heart breaks at their absence.
Sometimes as we experience great loss, hope seems so far away. But Jairus had the answer right next to him and the answer was Jesus. Jesus not only saw Jairus’ sorrow, He felt it. He not only comforted Jairus but he brought his daughter back to life. Sometime our hope is lost, but Jesus is right next to us, too. We might not have the immediate physical results that Jairus had, but with our faith we can have hope return to our lives. One day we will see the results of that faith.
I tried as hard as I possibly could to don my father’s Superman outfit. I didn’t find much success. I guess it must not be hereditary. It just makes me more amazed by my Dad. Maybe it is the little boy in me, but hopefully, one day the outfit will fit.
One has to wonder how different Andrew Johnson, Rutherford B. Hayes, and Bill Clinton’s lives would have been if they had their fathers around. Was not having a father what drove them? Or was their “bad luck” something missing because their fathers weren’t there to show them how to deal with it?
Happy Father’s Day, Dad! Thanks for being a great Dad!
Prayer: Dear Lord, Thank You for letting me get a good look at Superman. Help me to find a phone booth to change into so that outfit will one day fit me, too. Amen.
