One of my favorite stories from Mark occurs just after the strangest. We just saw Jesus heal a man possessed by a "legion" unclean spirits. Now Jesus returns back into Galilee....
Mark 5: 21-24a, Jairus's plea
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 rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 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." So Jesus went with him.
Mark 5: 21-24a, Jairus's plea
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 rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 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." So Jesus went with him.
The synagogue ruler would have been one of the recognized leaders of the community. Here the synagogue leader hurries to Jesus with despair and desperation, for his daughter is dying.
Mark 5: 24b-34, Touching his cloak
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."
Mark 5: 24b-34, Touching his cloak
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."
If the woman's bleeding was nonstop menstrual bleeding, then, in addition to the longterm suffering of the illness, she is also unclean according to the Jewish Law. Her standing in the community is opposite that of the Jewish leader, yet she too is desperate for healing.
When Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" the disciples are a bit surprised. Their answer is "Everyone is touching you!" But the woman knows what Jesus means. When she responds, he has compassion on her.
Mark 5: 35-43, Little girl, get up!
While 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?"
Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "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 ruler, 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 walked 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.
When Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" the disciples are a bit surprised. Their answer is "Everyone is touching you!" But the woman knows what Jesus means. When she responds, he has compassion on her.
Mark 5: 35-43, Little girl, get up!
While 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?"
Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "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 ruler, 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 walked 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.
It is easy to miss the intense pain and despair communicated by the men in the first sentence of this passage, "Jairus, your daughter has died."
Jesus deliberately restricts the followers to just three, Peter, James and John. Then he tells the mourners, "She is just sleeping," and goes on to act as if that is really true. Without fanfare or wild demonstrations, he acts calmly and merely says to the child, "Little girl, get up!" These are words one might say to a girl who has tripped and fallen on the ground during play. "It's time to get back up." Then in the same quiet manner, Jesus suggests, "Give her something to eat," as if this happens every day.
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