I felt compelled to blog down new insights gained into this passage. It happened in one of the classrooms of the very beautiful St. George's Church, and it was right there in the late evening that I think this passage came alive with such clarity for the first time.
The text is separated into three paragraphs in the ESV.
I'll try to explain the significance of the text in four sections separately:
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 the 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.
The first part can be explained as the "The Request Made In Faith". At this point in Mark's gospel, Jesus' fame was spreading everywhere. News of him had been spreading. Some of his miracles such as the healing of the paralytic was extremely public and crowds were gathering to witness who exactly Jesus is. There is no doubt that Jairus has heard of Jesus too and when he had the opportunity, he fell at Jesus' feet and made the request. "Come and lay your hands on my daughter, so that she may be made well and live."
You will see later why this request is key to understanding the whole of the passage. But then we go on to "The Diversion".
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who 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 power 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; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
As mentioned earlier, the crowds were following Jesus. Everywhere he went there was just large gatherings and there appeared a woman like Jairus. She too had faith that Jesus can heal her and it goes deeper. She believes she only needs to touch the garments that Jesus wears and she will be well. Remember Jairus is witnessing all that is happening here. How his faith must have soared. In his mind, he must be thinking - "What they say about Jesus must be true!". He was witness to a healing right in front of his very eyes. At this point, we can certainly imagine that his heart was full of eager anticipation that her daughter finally has hope. But we come to "The Devastation".
While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
But then it seems, Jairus was too late. His daughter is dead. He couldn't get Jesus to her in time. How his heart must have sank when this news was delivered to him. For us who have read this passage many times, we know what is about to happen. But Jairus doesn't. I mentioned earlier that the only thing Jairus knew about Jesus was this: “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.”
Jairus had no other view of Jesus. In his mind, as long as he can get Jesus to his daughter, she will be well. And now that his daughter is dead, it is no use. Knowing our human hearts, there can be no doubt that there will be some sort of anger and "If onlys". If only we didn't stop for this woman. If only this crowd will just get out of the way. If only ... well the list goes on.
Jairus has absolutely no clue what was about to happen. The last section is what I will call "Faith Enlarged."
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 Jesus 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.
Jairus' daughter was raised from the dead! It is absolutely remarkable. Jesus shattered everything that we knew about reality and what is possible with God right there and then.
You see in Jairus mind, Jesus was someone who could heal. That was the ONLY paradigm he had of Jesus. The ONLY perspective he had of Christ was that he was a healer. He had absolutely no idea that Jesus could raise people from the dead.
Rather than being merely unwell, the daughter experienced death.
But rather than being simply "made well and live", she was brought back from dead to life.
Jairus' mini-view of Jesus as healer and healer only was expanded beyond what he ever thought of and conceive.
The application I think is simple - each of us carry with us mini-views of Jesus like Jairus. Though we believe in Him, our view of Him is too small. I pray that He will continue to enlarge our faith and breakdown all the mini pictures we create of him. And I pray that it will be pleasing for Him to work in us. We desperately need him too or we will forever think too lowly of Him.
The text is separated into three paragraphs in the ESV.
I'll try to explain the significance of the text in four sections separately:
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 the 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.
The first part can be explained as the "The Request Made In Faith". At this point in Mark's gospel, Jesus' fame was spreading everywhere. News of him had been spreading. Some of his miracles such as the healing of the paralytic was extremely public and crowds were gathering to witness who exactly Jesus is. There is no doubt that Jairus has heard of Jesus too and when he had the opportunity, he fell at Jesus' feet and made the request. "Come and lay your hands on my daughter, so that she may be made well and live."
You will see later why this request is key to understanding the whole of the passage. But then we go on to "The Diversion".
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who 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 power 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; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
As mentioned earlier, the crowds were following Jesus. Everywhere he went there was just large gatherings and there appeared a woman like Jairus. She too had faith that Jesus can heal her and it goes deeper. She believes she only needs to touch the garments that Jesus wears and she will be well. Remember Jairus is witnessing all that is happening here. How his faith must have soared. In his mind, he must be thinking - "What they say about Jesus must be true!". He was witness to a healing right in front of his very eyes. At this point, we can certainly imagine that his heart was full of eager anticipation that her daughter finally has hope. But we come to "The Devastation".
While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
But then it seems, Jairus was too late. His daughter is dead. He couldn't get Jesus to her in time. How his heart must have sank when this news was delivered to him. For us who have read this passage many times, we know what is about to happen. But Jairus doesn't. I mentioned earlier that the only thing Jairus knew about Jesus was this: “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.”
Jairus had no other view of Jesus. In his mind, as long as he can get Jesus to his daughter, she will be well. And now that his daughter is dead, it is no use. Knowing our human hearts, there can be no doubt that there will be some sort of anger and "If onlys". If only we didn't stop for this woman. If only this crowd will just get out of the way. If only ... well the list goes on.
Jairus has absolutely no clue what was about to happen. The last section is what I will call "Faith Enlarged."
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 Jesus 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.
Jairus' daughter was raised from the dead! It is absolutely remarkable. Jesus shattered everything that we knew about reality and what is possible with God right there and then.
You see in Jairus mind, Jesus was someone who could heal. That was the ONLY paradigm he had of Jesus. The ONLY perspective he had of Christ was that he was a healer. He had absolutely no idea that Jesus could raise people from the dead.
Rather than being merely unwell, the daughter experienced death.
But rather than being simply "made well and live", she was brought back from dead to life.
Jairus' mini-view of Jesus as healer and healer only was expanded beyond what he ever thought of and conceive.
The application I think is simple - each of us carry with us mini-views of Jesus like Jairus. Though we believe in Him, our view of Him is too small. I pray that He will continue to enlarge our faith and breakdown all the mini pictures we create of him. And I pray that it will be pleasing for Him to work in us. We desperately need him too or we will forever think too lowly of Him.
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