30 Million Mexicans
Luke 8:40-56 – Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman.
- “30 Million Mexicans”
- In 1949, Corona Beer created a legendary advertising slogan stating that ’30 Million Mexicans can’t be wrong’ – an update from their 20 Million estimate in 1939.
- It was a hugely successful campaign… why?
- Because people believe in crowds.
- Which is a problem because sometimes crowds can get it very very wrong indeed.
- In today’s passage, history teaches us of two people who got it right because they did not listen to the crowd but believed in Jesus’ track record.
- The first was Jairus.
- He didn’t believe the crowd when they told him that his daughter had died.
- Sometimes the crowd will tell you “It is dead”.
- But it might only be asleep.
- Notice how Jesus’ gets rid of the crowd and only takes into the room those with Faith.
- The more interesting story however, is the one sandwiched in between. This lady had tried all the potions, treatments and ointments that the Talmud tells us she had at her disposal but none had worked.
- The crowd was telling her that her uncleanliness should not touch her Rabbi.
- Sometimes the crowd will tell you: “it is wrong”
- But it might only be untried.
- So how can you tell the difference?
- Well let me ask you another question; have you ever wondered why she touched His garment?
- Well specifically she touched the tassels on the corner of His robe. Each one of them has five knots representing the five books of the law with four spaces in between, these spaces represented the four letters of God’s name… YHWH.
- Ezekiel had prophesied that the Messiah would come with healing in his ‘wings’ the Hebrew word for ‘wings can also mean the tassels that Jewish men wore.
- Based on this prophecy, the Jews expected the Messiah to have healing in his tassels. The Pharisees therefore made their tassels long. They were hoping that people may recognize them. But Jesus said of them
- “Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long”
- So the woman by touching his tassels is professing her faith in him as the Messiah!
- How do you tell if the crowd has it right or wrong?
- If the crowd ignore the Biblical experiences of Jesus and point to their own experiences then that is how. Many in the crowd have believed the crowd. Many in the crowd have low expectations. Many in the crowd have narrow assumptions. Many in the crowd are big on spectating but small on experiencing.
- Doubt has momentum, a bit like a Mexican wave.
- But if you listen to what the Bible teaches you about the ways of Jesus and a little less to the way the crowd has experienced HIm, then you may find yourself seeing something extra-ordinary in your life.
- Hope this helps.
