And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, and besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. — Mark 5:22-23
Sometimes we are in a position where we need to pray for miracles. A man in our congregation testifies, “A number of years ago I lay on my deathbed in the hospital. The doctors held little hope for my recovery. They had no record of anyone having lived as long as I had after a total kidney failure. The only possible hope they held out for me was a transplant or a kidney machine, but they did not believe my heart was able to take either.
“About this time, my mother-in-law called the Apostolic Faith Church, asking the people there to pray, and they put me on their prayer list. The very same day, my kidneys started functioning and continued to function normally. The Lord completely healed me! The doctor could not understand what had happened. He had never heard of anything like this.”
Through this sickness, God talked to this man’s heart. When he yielded to God’s call, the Lord saved his soul, and he has had many years to serve God since then. He needed a miracle, and God gave him two — salvation and physical healing.
In today’s text, several people needed miracles. Jairus’ daughter was dying and had passed away before Jesus arrived at their home, yet the Lord was not too late to perform a miracle for this family. He brought the girl back to life. On the way toward Jairus’ home, a woman who needed a miracle touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. Because she reached out in faith, she received healing for her body and peace in her soul.
When Jesus was here on earth, He regularly intervened in the needy lives around Him, and today His power is still the same. He sees our needs and knows our hearts. He will answer our prayers. Do you need a miracle today? Be assured that Jesus knows your situation, and He sees your faith. In prayer, reach out and touch Him!
Today’s text continues Mark’s verification of the Son of God by showing His dominion over disease. The story of Jairus’ request for his daughter and the girl’s subsequent healing is interrupted by the account of the woman who touched Jesus’ garment. Yet, in His infinite power, Jesus intervened for all of those involved.
Jairus, as a ruler of a Jewish synagogue, held a prominent elected position. His responsibilities likely included operation of the weekly school, conducting worship, and maintenance of the building. The Pharisees, who as a group had little regard for Jesus, had close connections to many of the synagogue rulers. Therefore, Jairus could have been taking a risk when he fell at Jesus’ feet, but desperation and despair drove him. Although Jairus’ daughter was twelve years old, her father used the words “little daughter” because she was especially dear to him.
Among the crowd that thronged Jesus as He walked toward Jairus’ home was a “certain woman” with an incurable hemorrhage. The ailment caused her to be unclean according to the Law, thus preventing her from associating with other people socially. Anyone she touched was also considered unclean. Yet in faith she touched Jesus’ clothes. The garments of Jewish men had tasseled borders, which may have been the part of Jesus’ clothes that she touched.
Jesus knew the difference between the touch of faith by the woman and the jostling of the crowd. His virtue was released by His choice and with His knowledge in response to the woman’s faith in Him.
When Jesus asked who touched Him, the woman feared He would be angry because she had made Him ceremonially unclean. Jesus, however, wanted it to be clear that no magic was involved in touching His clothes, for the healing was a result of her faith in Him. Also, Jesus wanted to heal more than her body; He wanted her to have peace in her soul.
No doubt Jairus’ concern over his daughter mounted as Jesus was delayed. When the news came that his daughter was dead, Jesus’ words could be translated, “Be not afraid, go on believing.”
It was a Jewish custom to hire mourners to weep and wail after a death. These professionals were in addition to family and friends who were actually grieving. A tumult was the result. When Jesus said “she sleepeth,” it could be interpreted “her body is asleep,” because He planned to reunite her body and her spirit (which had departed). Jesus knew her death was temporary. However, the professional mourners were scornful, and so Jesus sent them away.
The words Jesus spoke, “Talitha cumi,” were Aramaic for, “Little girl, get up.” She was brought back to life and healed of her disease. By this miracle, Jesus demonstrated His power over death and also His great compassion for those about Him.
This chapter recounts Jesus healing the man who had been possessed of the devils, the woman with the issue of blood, and Jairus’ daughter. All these people were unclean and should have been avoided according to the Law. Yet Jesus reached out and helped them.
(Hannah’s Bible Outlines - Used by permission per WORDsearch)
IV. The authentication of the Son of God
C. His power over disease (5:21-43)
1. Jairus’ plea for his dying daughter (5:21-23)
2. The healing of the woman (5:24-34)
3. The healing of Jairus’ daughter (5:35-43)
Miracles may not occur in the order or manner which we anticipate, but the day of miracles is not over!
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