When Jesus had again crossed by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him beside the sea. A synagogue leader named Jairus arrived, and seeing Jesus, he fell at His feet and pleaded with Him urgently, “My little daughter is near death. Please come and place Your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live.”
So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed and pressed around Him. And a woman was there who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. She had borne much agony under the care of many physicians and had spent all she had, but to no avail. Instead, her condition had only grown worse.
When the woman heard about Jesus, she came up through the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. For she kept saying, “If only I touch His garments, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
At once Jesus was aware that power had gone out from Him. Turning to the crowd, He asked, “Who touched My garments?”
His disciples answered, “You can see the crowd pressing in on You, and yet You ask, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”
But He kept looking around to see who had done this. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him trembling in fear, and she told Him the whole truth.
“Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free of your affliction.”
While He was still speaking, messengers from the house of Jairus arrived and said, “Your daughter is dead; why bother the Teacher anymore?”
But Jesus overheard their conversation and said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid; just believe.” And He did not allow anyone to accompany Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw the commotion and the people weeping and wailing loudly. He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep.” And they laughed at Him.
After He had put them all outside, He took the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and went in to see the child. Taking her by the hand, Jesus said, “Talitha, kumi!” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” Immediately the girl got up and began to walk around. She was twelve years old, and at once they were utterly astounded. Then Jesus gave strict orders that no one should know about this, and He told them to give her something to eat.
Mark 5:21—43
Jesus left the southeastern shore of Galilee and returned to the western side of the sea. There he met two individuals who had strong faith and were seeking him.
The first who came to him was Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. The very fact that he came to Jesus was an act of courage since the local religious leadership sought to kill Jesus. Jairus’ petition of Jesus threatened his position, but his faith in the healing power of Jesus overcame his fears. Jesus did not hesitate to answer his request and immediately went with him. Jesus is alive and is seated at the right hand of God. We can still turn to our risen Lord Jesus, speak with him, and request his help:
“Jesus the Messiah is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8
As they were on their way to Jairus’ house there came a woman who had suffered from a flow of blood for twelve years. Medical treatment had robbed her of her savings and made her situation even worse. In addition to her poor health, this disease made her a social outcast. According to the Torah, bleeding caused a woman to be unclean, and thus she was in a state of perpetual impurity for twelve years! This prevented her from coming into physical contact with other people. Whoever touched her became unclean, and was required to wash their garments and bathe in water.
This woman had no other options left, except to go to Jesus. Many people still come to Jesus as a last resort. If there was any other solution to their hardship, they would not come to Jesus. But even when people come to Jesus as a last resort, he does not refuse them. This woman stretched out her hand to Jesus in faith that he would heal her. She had hoped to just touch his garment without drawing his attention, and was even afraid because she touched him in her impurity. But Jesus did not become unclean from contact with her, rather she became clean through her contact with him and was healed at once.
When Jesus realized someone had touched him, he sought out the woman and said to her: “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free of your affliction.” Jesus’ address of the woman as “daughter”, and his warm words, reveal his empathy and care. Despite the fact that he was on his way to Jairus, a respected leader, he didn’t hesitate to stop in order to graciously serve this anonymous woman. Again and again Jesus challenged the social and religious norms of his day. He did not show partiality, but rather served both nobility and outcasts equally.
Jesus said to the woman: “Daughter, your faith has healed you.” Consider this: The woman was healed by her faith in Jesus, not by physical contact with him. Jesus found a destitute woman, who was rich in faith, and he is still seeking this kind of faith in people today. He desires that people would come to him with a living faith, and thus receive healing and salvation:
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’ ”
John 7:37—38
While Jesus spoke with the woman, word came to Jairus that his daughter had died. Jairus had come to Jesus in faith that he could heal his daughter, but now the news of her death shook his confidence. Jesus said to him: “Do not be afraid; just believe.” He encouraged Jairus to strengthen his faith, and not to focus on his situation. Jesus still strengthens those who come to him today and says: “Do not be afraid; just believe.” When we encounter difficult circumstances we can put our trust in him and experience the peace of God:
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Messiah Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6—7
When Jesus came to raise the young girl from the dead, the mourners laughed at him. Although he had performed many miracles publicly, the mourners still did not understand who Jesus was. He entered into the place that the dead girl lay and took her by the hand, an act which defiles according to the Torah; but Jesus did not become unclean. Then he said to her: “‘Talitha, kumi!’ which means, ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up!’” The child arose at once! In doing so Jesus demonstrated his divine authority and power over death.
Jairus’ daughter was not the first person to be raised from the dead. Both Elijah and Elisha prayed to God and asked him to raise a child from the dead. Elijah asked God to raise the widow of Zarephath’s son: “O LORD my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” Elisha asked God to raise the Shunammite’s son. Jesus often prayed to God his Father, and was in unbroken communion with him. He also acted solely according to the will of his Father. But in this instance Jesus raised the young girl by the power of his word alone: “Talitha, kumi!” Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Son of God, who has the authority to raise the dead:
“Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. ”
John 5:25—27
The mourners, who had ridiculed him just a short while ago, were now overcome with amazement. Although many were amazed by his mighty works, this doesn’t mean they trusted in him. Today many people are impressed by the person and teachings of Jesus, but they have not placed their trust in him. It is only through trust in Jesus and his power that we can truly know him.
The issue of ritual purity and impurity appears in both of these stories. According to the Torah ritual impurity prevents people from entering the Temple of God, thus separating them from the dwelling place of God. This physical separation is symbolic of the spiritual separation of mankind from God. It is our spiritual impurity, our sins, which prevents us from having a relationship with God.
The purpose of Jesus’ ministry was to cleanse us from our spiritual impurity through his atoning death. Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and on the third day after his death God raised him from the dead. God has exalted him to his right hand to be a prince and savior until this very day. Through faith in Jesus we can be cleansed of our sins and restored to a relationship with God.
Whoever trusts in Jesus’ atoning death, and believes that he rose from the dead, is part of the global messianic community. Members of the messianic community share in the certain hope of the resurrection of the dead because of their faith in Jesus and identification with his sufferings and death. Because we have been forgiven we can draw near to the Creator of the universe, live with him in this world, and rise to a resurrection of eternal life on the day of judgment.
