Jesus healed in many different ways. In this passage we see Him bringing healing to two different people. The first, a woman, reached out in faith to touch the hem of His garment believing if she did so, she would be healed. The second, a young 12 year old girl He healed after she had died, by commanding her to arise. What meaning do those healings have for us today?
JAIRUS’ DAUGHTER. Mark 5:21-24, 35-43
Mark 5:21 “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. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 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.” 24 And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.”
However, there was a significant interruption to their journey. The remainder of the story is described in verses 34 to 43. The reason for the interruption was that Jesus perceived that someone had touched Him for He felt power going from Him. He stopped in the midst of the crowd and asked who it was who had touched Him.
THE HEALING OF A WOMAN WITH A HEMORRHAGE. 5:25-34
5:25. ‘And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?”’
Here was a woman who would have been considered unclean because of a unnatural prolonged bleeding. While she should not have been in the midst of a crowd, she saw this as an opportunity to get close to Jesus and to touch his garment. She really believed that if she did so, she would experience healing. She put her faith into action and moved through the crowd to touch Jesus’ garment. She felt she had been healed.
Then came the challenge. Jesus, “perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?”’ His disciples thought that was a strange question to ask. Mark 5:31 “And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’”
We are not told what thoughts went through her mind but the woman decided to tell Jesus everything. One can imagine the shock of many people when they realised this unclean woman may have brushed against them on the way to touch Jesus. That would have made them unclean. Nevertheless, she came fearfully to Jesus and told him the whole truth. Would Jesus rebuke her and take back the healing she had stolen from Him? Then came the comforting words from Jesus, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
How had her faith made her well? Wasn’t it power coming from Jesus that had healed her? Yes it was, but her faith was like a key that opened the resources of Jesus to touch her body. [I used to teach in seminars that it’s not the quantity of faith that we have, but the quality of the person in whom we have faith, that matters. A tiny mustard seed sized faith can bring God’s rich blessings into our lives.]
[I preached on this passage one evening at the Healing service in the Cathedral in Sydney. A young woman was there who would come long distances on Monday mornings to our Bible studies and was keen to learn more of God’s healing grace. She had known, through our teaching, wonderful emotional healing of the damage caused by the traumas in her life as a young person. One result was that she was much more open to receive and to give love. As she heard the sermon she felt that she should reach out to Jesus to receive healing for the pain she had suffered in a motor vehicle accident many years before. Like the woman in the story, she reached out in front of her in the Cathedral as though she was touching Jesus’ garment. As she did so, her body began to shake and continued to do so for several minutes. The pain disappeared and she felt more whole that she had felt for many years. Not only had God healed her emotionally but had brought her physical healing as well as she reached out to Jesus in faith. She was indeed wonderfully physically healed as the sermon continued! All this took place before the time in our service when we laid hands on people for healing!]
THE HEALING OF JAIRUS’ DAUGHTER. 5:35-43
5:35 ‘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?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”’
The ruler of the synagogue must have felt that it was all too late. His daughter was already dead. His servants told him that it was no use bothering Jesus any further. However, then he heard the reassuring words of Jesus, “Do not fear, only believe.”’ The ruler could have become angry at Jesus for taking time to stop in the midst of a crowd to ask questions when his daughter was the point of death. But it seems that he was willing to follow Jesus on the way to his own home where his daughter lay dead. We read what happened, “And he [Jesus] allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at him.” 5:37-40.
Any faith the ruler may have had could have vanished when faced with this reality. But he cooperated with Jesus when He took his wife and himself into the place where the girl lay dead, “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. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
A miracle had occurred. The ruler’s beloved daughter has been restored to life and had begun to walk. In their amazement they heard Jesus give 2 instructions. The first was that they should not share the news of this miracle with anyone. The second was that they should give the girl some food to eat.
Jesus’ love and compassion was not only to bring a dead body back to life, but to ensure that the healed girl had food to eat.
Jesus’ care is for the major and for the less significant needs in our lives.
Just 12 years before the ruler and his wife had rejoiced in the birth of their beloved daughter. About the same time, and woman had begun to bleed unnaturally. In the providence of God they were both healed on the same day as Jesus touched them in His love and power.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8. It is always worthwhile reaching out to Him to meet our needs, both great and small!
Posted on Monday 10 June 2024.
About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.
holbeck 
555. Mark 5:21-43. JESUS HEALS A WOMAN AND JAIRUS’S DAUGHTER. [Notes on Gospel for Sunday 30 June 2024.]
Jesus healed in many different ways. In this passage we see Him bringing healing to two different people. The first, a woman, reached out in faith to touch the hem of His garment believing if she did so, she would be healed. The second, a young 12 year old girl He healed after she had died, by commanding her to arise. What meaning do those healings have for us today?
JAIRUS’ DAUGHTER. Mark 5:21-24, 35-43
Mark 5:21 “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. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 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.” 24 And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.”
However, there was a significant interruption to their journey. The remainder of the story is described in verses 34 to 43. The reason for the interruption was that Jesus perceived that someone had touched Him for He felt power going from Him. He stopped in the midst of the crowd and asked who it was who had touched Him.
THE HEALING OF A WOMAN WITH A HEMORRHAGE. 5:25-34
5:25. ‘And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?”’
Here was a woman who would have been considered unclean because of a unnatural prolonged bleeding. While she should not have been in the midst of a crowd, she saw this as an opportunity to get close to Jesus and to touch his garment. She really believed that if she did so, she would experience healing. She put her faith into action and moved through the crowd to touch Jesus’ garment. She felt she had been healed.
Then came the challenge. Jesus, “perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?”’ His disciples thought that was a strange question to ask. Mark 5:31 “And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’”
We are not told what thoughts went through her mind but the woman decided to tell Jesus everything. One can imagine the shock of many people when they realised this unclean woman may have brushed against them on the way to touch Jesus. That would have made them unclean. Nevertheless, she came fearfully to Jesus and told him the whole truth. Would Jesus rebuke her and take back the healing she had stolen from Him? Then came the comforting words from Jesus, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
How had her faith made her well? Wasn’t it power coming from Jesus that had healed her? Yes it was, but her faith was like a key that opened the resources of Jesus to touch her body. [I used to teach in seminars that it’s not the quantity of faith that we have, but the quality of the person in whom we have faith, that matters. A tiny mustard seed sized faith can bring God’s rich blessings into our lives.]
[I preached on this passage one evening at the Healing service in the Cathedral in Sydney. A young woman was there who would come long distances on Monday mornings to our Bible studies and was keen to learn more of God’s healing grace. She had known, through our teaching, wonderful emotional healing of the damage caused by the traumas in her life as a young person. One result was that she was much more open to receive and to give love. As she heard the sermon she felt that she should reach out to Jesus to receive healing for the pain she had suffered in a motor vehicle accident many years before. Like the woman in the story, she reached out in front of her in the Cathedral as though she was touching Jesus’ garment. As she did so, her body began to shake and continued to do so for several minutes. The pain disappeared and she felt more whole that she had felt for many years. Not only had God healed her emotionally but had brought her physical healing as well as she reached out to Jesus in faith. She was indeed wonderfully physically healed as the sermon continued! All this took place before the time in our service when we laid hands on people for healing!]
THE HEALING OF JAIRUS’ DAUGHTER. 5:35-43
5:35 ‘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?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”’
The ruler of the synagogue must have felt that it was all too late. His daughter was already dead. His servants told him that it was no use bothering Jesus any further. However, then he heard the reassuring words of Jesus, “Do not fear, only believe.”’ The ruler could have become angry at Jesus for taking time to stop in the midst of a crowd to ask questions when his daughter was the point of death. But it seems that he was willing to follow Jesus on the way to his own home where his daughter lay dead. We read what happened, “And he [Jesus] allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at him.” 5:37-40.
Any faith the ruler may have had could have vanished when faced with this reality. But he cooperated with Jesus when He took his wife and himself into the place where the girl lay dead, “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. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
A miracle had occurred. The ruler’s beloved daughter has been restored to life and had begun to walk. In their amazement they heard Jesus give 2 instructions. The first was that they should not share the news of this miracle with anyone. The second was that they should give the girl some food to eat.
Jesus’ love and compassion was not only to bring a dead body back to life, but to ensure that the healed girl had food to eat.
Jesus’ care is for the major and for the less significant needs in our lives.
Just 12 years before the ruler and his wife had rejoiced in the birth of their beloved daughter. About the same time, and woman had begun to bleed unnaturally. In the providence of God they were both healed on the same day as Jesus touched them in His love and power.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8. It is always worthwhile reaching out to Him to meet our needs, both great and small!
Posted on Monday 10 June 2024.
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About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.