Mark 5:21-43
21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
35While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher any more?”
36 Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
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I listened to this passage on audio on the way into work this morning. It’s one of those dramatic kinds of readings, and it did a lot to help me picture it in my mind. I was struck by the similarities of the two situations told in this story. The first – of a man who was desperate to find a way to heal his daughter, so desperate that he went to Jesus despite the likelihood that he would be criticized by his colleagues, him being a synagogue ruler and all. The bleeding woman also desperate to find healing sought Jesus. And I also notice what great humility they both had. So desperate and believing that Jesus could do something about it. I also notice that they are both seeking Jesus as a sort of last resort. And here’s what I take away from this. I don’t think these two people actually sought Jesus as a last resort per se; Jesus hadn’t been around really that long, so he was unavailable to them for healing. I think they had to go through all the various earthly resources available at the time so that when Jesus finally comes onto the scene, He is seen for Who He is – more powerful than any earthly power. Sometimes we need to be brought to our wits end, sometimes things have to become so desperate, and we have to rule out all other options so that God can stand out as not an option among many, but the only answer to our problems.
Obviously having a daughter now, I can relate to Jairus. I would go to any length possible to save Maili. I wouldn’t matter what people around me might think of my “desperate measures”. And yes, if I heard the news that she had died and that there was no need to bring Jesus to the house, I would feel tremendous grief, perhaps denial for fear that she had really gone. And when Jesus says these words to Jairus, my heart would be encouraged: “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” People are crying and wailing; the little girl lays still on the bed. Could it be true that Jesus would still save her?
I read this story, and I have to remind myself that this is not a made up story about Jesus. This really happened. This really happened. This really happened. Do I believe this same Jesus is in my midst through the Holy Spirit? Do I have faith to believe?
Faith – it is something I see in the narratives so far this week. Do I believe Jesus can forgive sins? Do I believe He can heal? Do I believe He can calm the storm? Do I believe He cares enough to do something in my life? Jesus says to me: “Don’t be afraid; just believe!”
Lord, help me have more faith in You.