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. Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He 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.” So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 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. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”
Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” But 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. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Mark records Jesus meeting people where they are, in the present “now moment” of their lives. He loves them.
What Jesus is best at (other than everything!) is that he can, no matter the situation, invite you to believe in him—to trust him—to have faith.
- So far we have seen Jesus meet with people who need healing.
- He has met religious people with their questions.
- He has taught those seeking to know about God.
- He has calmed the storm, relieving the stress of the disciples.
- He has cast out demons.
In each case, he has invited them to believe in him. Some have. Some have not. Some are still trying to work it out.
To drive home how Jesus invites people to have faith in him, Mark uses a literary device often called a sandwich!
- He starts one story. In this case, Jairus’ sick daughter.
- Then, he tells another story.
- Finally, he returns to the first story to finish it.
The stories all reinforce Jesus’ invitation to trust in him.
While we have been breaking apart the text, if you can back and read larger sections, you will see that the events that Mark records have to do with faith to recognize Jesus. Mark is skilled at using this technique of setting side-by-side stories that appear to be different, but in fact, make the same point.
Consider Jairus the synagogue ruler and the woman with the hemorrhage.
On the surface they could hardly be more different.
- The ruler has a name - Jairus. She does not.
- Different in gender.
- Different in social status (one is a synagogue ruler who people will come to, and the other must walk down the street and yell “unclean” so people may run away.)
Yet notice. She believes. Some might call her faith superstitious. I think it is her understanding that all she needs is to be in his presence.
By setting her faith side-by-side with Jairus household we see what Mark is highlighting for us. Contrast these verses:
- 5:28 she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”
- 5:35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?
This unnamed woman, who because of her flow of blood is marked in society as being untouchable, touches Jesus. Driven by desperation, she first trusts Jesus, and then, when Jesus challenges her to step forward and tell him all—she again trusts Jesus.
Imagine the crowd gasping, maybe even pulling back to avoid touching her. What does Jesus do? He calls her, “daughter”. And he heals her.
To finish his literary/theological sandwich, Mark returns to the first story. Jairus receives the news of his daughter’s death. People tell him to give up, to not bother the Teacher.
Jesus told him, “Don't be afraid, just believe.”
Here again, we see Jesus inviting someone in distress to trust, to have faith, that being in Jesus’ presence is all anyone needs.
This literary/theological sandwich is packed with the flavour of faith.
Mark tells us clearly that today we are to come, come with all the bits and pieces of our lives, come with our questions and uncertainties. Come in our “now moment”. He is urging us to understand that we can come to Jesus.
Over and over in this part of the Gospel, we are invited to believe, to trust that when Jesus is present, we have all we need.
What parts of your life would benefit from Jesus’ presence? Let me encourage your to invite him into all of those pieces?
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