Mark 5:35-43
The people laughed because Jesus made light of the girl’s condition. She really was dead, and to them death was final. Death was an obstacle for Jesus, too, but it was not the end of everything. Like other human disorder, death could be removed only by his saving work of dying on the cross in order to destroy death’s power forever. This work of his remained in the future. Yet, time made no difference. From God’s standpoint the work was as good as done. Jesus was already the Lord of life, and he had all authority over death.
A Dying Girl and a Sick Woman
(See also Matthew 9:18-26; Luke 8:40-56)
When Jesus again had crossed to the other side in a boat, a large crowd gathered around him by the seashore. Then a synagogue leader named Jairus arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet and begged him urgently, saying, “My little daughter is dying. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may get well and live.” So Jesus went with him. A huge crowd kept following him and jostling him.
Now there was a woman who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years. Although she had endured a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all of her money, she had not been helped at all but rather grew worse.
Since she had heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his robe, because she had been saying, “If I can just touch his robe, I will get well.” Her bleeding stopped at once, and she felt in her body that she was healed from her illness. Immediately Jesus became aware that power had gone out of him. So he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
His disciples asked him, “You see the crowd jostling you, and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” But he kept looking around to see the woman who had done this.
So the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came forward fearfully, fell down trembling in front of him, and told him the whole truth.
He told her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed from your illness.”
While he was still speaking, some people came from the synagogue leader’s home and said, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher anymore?”
Jesus heard what they said, he told the synagogue leader, “Stop being afraid! Just keep on believing.”
Jesus allowed no one to go further with him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw mass confusion. People were crying and sobbing loudly.
He entered the house and asked them, “Why all this confusion and crying? The child isn’t dead. She’s sleeping.” They laughed and laughed at him.
After Jesus had sent them all out of the house, he took the child’s father and mother, along with the men who were with him, and went into the room where the child was. He took her by the hand and told her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Young lady, I tell you, get up!” The young lady got up at once and started to walk. She was twelve years old.
Instantly they were overcome with astonishment. But Jesus strictly ordered them not to let anyone know about this. He also told them to give her something to eat.
Read The Bible In
One Year: Eze. 33-35
Plus Daily Chapter: Gen. 45
