And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of bthe rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live." And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and athronged about him. And there was a woman awho had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well." And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that apower had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my garments?" And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'"
And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; ago in peace, and be healed of your disease." While he was still speaking, there came from athe ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus1 saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.And when he had entered, he said to them, "Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping."And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, "Talitha cumi," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. (Mark 5:21-43 ESV)
This passage in Mark is unusual because it tells the story of one miracle interrupted by a second miracle. In all the sermons I have heard preached on this passage, the preachers have rightly made the grand faith of the woman the focus of much of their attention. Her trust that merely touching the hem of Jesus' garment would be sufficient to heal her is truly remarkable.
I would like to suggest that, though he often gets the short end of the stick in our preaching, Jairus also shows remarkable faith. He too believes that Jesus can heal his child. Then after the interruption by the woman's miracle and the report that his daughter has died, he chooses to trust when Jesus says everything will be fine. I want to point out that at this point in Jesus' work, he had not yet raised anyone from the dead. Jairus had no precedent upon which to hang his hope. Yet, he believed in Jesus.
Often in our approach to this double miracle, evangelicals have elevated the woman's faith at the expense of supposed flaws in Jairus' character. I would propose to the reader that rather than contrasting the two, we ought to rejoice that despite great diversity in the background and life situation two people equally recognized that Jesus was their only hope and put their trust in Him.
And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; ago in peace, and be healed of your disease." While he was still speaking, there came from athe ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus1 saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.And when he had entered, he said to them, "Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping."And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, "Talitha cumi," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. (Mark 5:21-43 ESV)
This passage in Mark is unusual because it tells the story of one miracle interrupted by a second miracle. In all the sermons I have heard preached on this passage, the preachers have rightly made the grand faith of the woman the focus of much of their attention. Her trust that merely touching the hem of Jesus' garment would be sufficient to heal her is truly remarkable.
I would like to suggest that, though he often gets the short end of the stick in our preaching, Jairus also shows remarkable faith. He too believes that Jesus can heal his child. Then after the interruption by the woman's miracle and the report that his daughter has died, he chooses to trust when Jesus says everything will be fine. I want to point out that at this point in Jesus' work, he had not yet raised anyone from the dead. Jairus had no precedent upon which to hang his hope. Yet, he believed in Jesus.
Often in our approach to this double miracle, evangelicals have elevated the woman's faith at the expense of supposed flaws in Jairus' character. I would propose to the reader that rather than contrasting the two, we ought to rejoice that despite great diversity in the background and life situation two people equally recognized that Jesus was their only hope and put their trust in Him.
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