The Gospel of Mark Chapter 5:21-43

1. Faith brings two Healings. In this portion of our study we have an account of two healing's by Jesus that was brought about in

different ways.

5.21. When Jesus had crossed again in a boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him,

and he was by the sea.

This time Jesus and the disciples cross back over the Sea of Galilee without any trouble where

crowds of people again gather to Him.

5.22. Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came up, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his

feet.

The first of the two people needing help from Jesus arrives whose name was Jairus. We are told that

he was none other than a ruler of the synagogue and would have been a member of the ruling body,

the Sanhedrin. Therefore, it was no light matter for him to come seeking out Jesus for he knew his

fellow members hated and was plotting to get rid of Jesus. It cost him a great deal to come and

humble himself before the Lord falling down before Him in worship. In falling at His feet he was

certainly acknowledging Jesus as someone who was far above his own standing in life if not as his

Lord.

5.23. He asked him urgently, "My little daughter is near death. Come and lay your hands on her so

that she may be healed and live."

He further humbled himself in confessing his need of Jesus to help him even to the point of earnestly

begging Him to come to his house and lay His hands on his daughter who had a sickness unto death.

The tender term he used concerning his daughter “little daughter” and the how much he was

prepared to sacrifice for her expresses how much she meant to him. He did not count the cost of

losing his position in life or of being thrown off the Sanhedrin and out of the synagogue. He had no

doubt whatsoever that Jesus was able and would heal his daughter. Such faith!

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5.24. Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed and pressed around him.

The Lord having compassion upon the man did not hesitate but immediately went with Jairus and

the crowd followed.

5.25. Now a woman was there who had been suffering from a haemorrhage for twelve years.

Somewhere along the way a woman who had suffered with a continual loss of blood for over twelve

years catches up with Him.

5.26. She had endured a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all that she had.

Yet instead of getting better, she grew worse.

This woman had become poverty stricken by spending all that she had in seeking a cure for her

illness from the doctors. All to no avail for instead of getting better she grew worse. Man's extremity

of weakness, become God's opportunity to help.

5.27. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,

On hearing about the many miracles of healing that Jesus had performed faith arose in her heart and

although she had not seen them for herself she believed that if she could only reach out and touch

his clothes she would be healed.

5.28. For she kept saying, "If only I touch his clothes, I will be healed."

Jairus believed that if the Lord touched his daughter she would be healed. This woman believed if

she could only touch his clothes she would be healed. Such faith! The woman would have come

behind Jesus in order to touch Him as she would not have wanted to be seen. The sickness she had

was classed as ceremonially unclean by the law just like leprosy and she was not allowed to have

fellowship in the synagogue.

5.29. At once the bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.

As soon as she touched His garment she felt in her body that the flow of blood had stopped and that

she was completely healed. This would seem to be one case when feelings could be counted on as

proof of faith being fulfilled.

5.30. Jesus knew at once that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said,

"Who touched my clothes?"

The woman thought that what she had done would go unnoticed especially as there were so many

people about. Jesus knew immediately that faith had reached out and touched Him and that power

had gone from Him. He looks around and asks who had done this not because He did not know who

had but He wanted the woman to confess so that He could give her the word of assurance that she

was indeed healed and that the disease would not come back on her.

5.31. His disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing against you and you say, 'Who touched

me?"

The disciples could hardly believe their ears considering the number of people who were around

Him and who were touching Him. They could not understand the difference of a touch of faith and

that of just brushing Him.

5.33. But he looked around to see who had done it.

The woman was filled with terror at being found out. It was not enough to believe in the heart: the

woman must also confess with the mouth (Rom. 10: 9). It cost her a great deal to do so for she had

to tell Him her whole story before all the people.

5.34. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your

disease."

She need not have feared Jesus in fact like so many of our fears there is no need to have them. He

spoke comfort to her revealing that the reason for her healing was her faith in Him. She was not only

healed but she received His peace and assurance of complete healing.

5.35 - 36. While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue ruler's house saying, "Your

daughter has died. Why trouble the teacher any longer?" But Jesus, paying no attention to what was

said, told the synagogue ruler, "Do not be afraid; just believe."

By this time Jairus must have begun to worry about his daughter and what this delay could mean.

When messengers came from his home to tell him that his daughter had died and not to bother

Jesus about coming, his faith waned and fear took over. Fear is the opposite of faith and when fear

comes in faith goes out. That is why there are so many exhortations from the Lord not to fear (Isaiah

43: 1 - 3). When he heard the news what was Jairus' reaction? What would our reaction have been?

Were they to blame the woman for what had happened because she caused the delay? Whatever

his reactions may have been Jesus knew and was quick to deal with them by assuring Jairus that

there was nothing to fear and encouraged him to "only believe."

5.37. He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.

At this point Jesus stopped the crowd from following him and chose just three of His disciples to go

on with Him. From the gospels we see that Peter, James and John seem to be the disciples who

desired to walk close with Jesus the most and their desire was rewarded by Jesus involving them

more in His ministry (e.g. in the garden of Gethsemane).

5.38. They came to the house of the synagogue ruler where he saw noisy confusion and people

weeping and wailing loudly.

When they arrive at the house it was not an encouraging sight that met them. From the weeping and

wailing it was evident that the child had definitely died.

5.39. When he entered he said to them, "Why are you distressed and weeping? The child is not dead

but asleep."

The words of Jesus must have absolutely astounded the mourners. What was wrong with the man,

did He not realize that death had visited the home? What did He know He had not been there to see

the dying moments of the child it was incredulous that he should say she is asleep not dead, what

nonsense! How often in different situations do we thus reason within ourselves and with the Lord?

5.40. And they began making fun of him. But he put them all outside and he took the child's father

and mother and his own companions and went into the room where the child was.

How quickly their grief, weeping and wailing turned to laughter and mockery. Because of this and

their unbelief they were excluded from going with Him and they missed the opportunity of

witnessing a miracle. Only the father, mother and the three disciples were allowed to see the power

that Jesus had over death.

5.41 - 42. Then, gently taking the child by the hand, he said to her, "Talitha cumi" which means,

"Little girl, I say to you, get up." The girl got up at once and began to walk around (she was twelve

years old). They were completely astonished at this.

He did not do as Jairus had requested of Him, which was to lay His hands upon his daughter. So

often the Lord does not answer our requests in the way we ask Him to for "His ways are not our

ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts" (Isaiah 55: 8). Jesus gently takes her hand in His as you

would of a child that was alive and speaks to her in her own native language and immediately she

arose from the dead and walked about to prove it. Mark points out that she was twelve years old

and therefore of the age of understanding. It is obvious from the reaction of those present that they

were not expecting to see the miracle of the dead being raised although they had believed for

healing. Jairus only had faith to believe that Jesus was able to heal the living it did not stretch to

believing that with God all things are possible death is no obstacle to Him.

5.43. He strictly ordered that no one should know about this, and told them to give her something to

eat.

Why did Jesus command them not to tell anyone about what had happened? Surely they would find

out soon. Before the miracle those outside were full of unbelief and had mocked by so doing they

had excluded themselves from not only witnessing the miracle but also in participating in the joy of

it.

© Derek Williams 2013 Bible Studies Online UK www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk

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Scriptures taken from the NET Bible www.bible.org