Mark is
continuing his description of Jesus confronting the powers this time over
death. The story appears in all three synoptic gospels and indicates that an
eyewitness is behind the account.
The story
begins with Jairus, an official in the local synagogue, confronting Jesus and
pleading with him to come and heal his daughter. He was by the lake when the
leader of the synagogue approached him. He fell at Jesus feet to beg him to
heal his daughter. His daughter was almost dead and he was desperate. He wants
Jesus to lay hands on her and heal her.
The crowd are
pushing in on him and the woman with the
hemorrhage is healed suddenly and dramatically. She has had this ondition for 12 years and spent all her money on doctors. The word “healed" is used fourteen times by Mark and here means deliverance form the enemies of life that threaten authentic existence! So it is a deep healing!
Jesus knows
that power has gone out of him so he
turned around to the crowd and asked.who touched his clothes?
The woman is
frightened and trembling so she fell at
his feet and told him the whole truth almost in a judicial sense.
Jesus has compassion on her and calls her daughter, a term of endearment
meaning she is part of the family.
He tells her that her faith has healed her, saved her and tells her to go
in peace, go in wellbeing, be freed from your suffering.
While Jesus was speaking
servants arrive from Jairus house and tell him not to bother coming for his
daughter because she has already died.
Jesus tells the
father to ignore them. Do not be afraid
but believe. He took just the
three disciples with him to provide witnesses and went into the house and
talked to the crowd there. There is a terrible commotion, people are crying and wailing. He asks them “Why are you crying and
carrying on like this?" Then he
went into the room and said that the child was not dead but just sleeping. She is
actually 12 years old,
The mob says
she is dead; Jesus says she is alive.
"So hey laughed at him and he threw
them all out!
Then he took by the hand and using Aramaic he took her by the hand hand and told her to get
up.
She immediately got up
and began walking around.
They were completely astonished] and he told
them to tell no one what had happened and gave orders for her to be fed by her
parents to normalize the situation.
