Mark 5:21-43
There are many ways to look at today’s beautiful gospel reading of the healing of the woman suffering haemorrhages for twelve years and the raising from the dead of the girl around twelve years old. Healings the same time in the making and the same miraculous day.
Today we are looking at these two stories through what they say to us about the nature of our faith itself. Remembering that in the eyes of the Lord, our faith is more precious than anything else we think we can bring to him.
Now Mark often puts two stories together to contrast differing attitudes and responses to Jesus, as he does in this case. The raising of Jairus’ daughter comes before and after the healing of the haemorrhaging woman.
Now Jairus, and by extension his household, and the haemorrhaging woman are not only different in every obvious way; sex, status, public recognition, and more, but also the very manner of ministry by Jesus.
Today though, we specifically look at the different ways in which their faith was expressed.
The woman’s very simple faith could appear almost superstitious contrasts strongly with the faith of members of Jairus’ household.
Now today we don’t look so much at Jairus the Sadducee and temple leader (although much could be said), but at Jairus the dad. In desperation he sees he must trust himself to an itinerant Rabbi whom most of temple is against, knowing the possible political consequences. After all, the Pharisees are already plotting to kill Jesus.
So it was a large mob with Jesus and his disciples, the crowd, and all of Jairus’ servant setting off for Jairus’ house. When suddenly Mark introduces the second story of the haemorrhaging woman.
Now the woman’s plight is twofold; her illness is chronic and getting worse, and it has cost her all her money. Just as bad is that, for Jews, she has become ritually unclean, she shouldn’t even be there, which probably accounts for her almost furtive approach to Jesus.
She had heard about the miracles this Jesus has done, and she comes up behind Jesus thinking, “’If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well’” (v.28). Immediately she did so, the haemorrhaging stopped and “she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease” (v.29).
It was at this point she was healed. With no words spoken by anybody or even face to face. Just the heart of God, Jesus, knowing the heart of the woman.
Now the woman had received what she most desperately wanted, but what happens next is astounding and does not happen in the raising of the 12-year-old girl.
Jesus felt power leave him and asks, ‘who touched me.’ People had been jostling Jesus all morning, the disciple laugh that one touch was different to the rest. Jesus didn’t laugh.
Here, I see him looking out at the crowd with those Jesus eyes and meeting the eyes of the healed woman. Who, greatly afraid, pours out her heart to Jesus, and her commitment to Jesus is complete. He says “‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace” (v.34).
She is named ‘Daughter of God,’ and filled with the peace of God.’ She is saved.
No sooner have we returned to the procession to Jairus’ house when we hear that Jairus’ daughter is dead. All hope is now lost. Jairus’ advisors say to dismiss Jesus as its all over. Now Jesus response is all about faith.
He says to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid, just believe.” Its almost as if Jesus is saying, ‘just like that faithful woman back there.’ He is saying to Jairus, ‘the healing is in me and my presence, nothing else, not in words, and in all circumstances.’
Jesus stops the crowds and takes Peter, James, and John only. He is mocked by the mourners who laugh at him when he says she is not dead but asleep.
“Little girl, get up” (v.41), says Jesus, and she gets up and walks around and is given a meal.
So what does this say about the nature of our faith? Now the writer Donald English says, ‘true faith is self-risking trust in Jesus himself.’ Not in whether, or how, God answers prayer. The healing in these stories is in Jesus himself.
Both Jairus and the woman risked a lot by approaching Jesus. Yet approach him they did out of the utmost need. They had nowhere else to go and the secret revealed to them (and has been revealed to us) is that God’s kingdom is fully established in Jesus himself.
Jesus was saying to Jairus’ and his entourage, and to us, that a belief based purely on what we see and hear and think with our human imaginings is a totally inadequate basis and won’t get you entry into the kingdom.
It has to be a belief in Jesus himself with no restraints on how he goes about his business. Once we do that we become aware of the wonderful grace of our Lord
Now despite the restraints they attempted to place on Jesus, Jairus’ daughter was raised, just as the haemorrhaging woman was healed. God meets us wherever we are and whatever faith level we have. We only need faith the size of a mustard seed, which God will cause to grow.
All of us can be confident to come before the Lord just as we are. Knowing that God knows our hearts, we know we can’t pretend before God. Sometimes this fill us with despair as we think we can’t bring our doubts to God.
I wonder what Jairus might have thought when he heard his daughter was dead. Perhaps something like, ‘well, even the best healer in the world can’t help her now.’ But with God all things are possible. Jesus immediately strengthens Jairus’ faith by saying, “Just believe, Jairus.”
Believe in me, not just the miracle. This is what the haemorrhaging woman believed, and she was not only healed, but saved by her true, simple faith.
So when truly grave things happen in our lives, it is very easy to think that God perhaps doesn’t work in that particular area of life, or he couldn’t possibly heal that sort of disease, or that our family is so fractured that nothing could ever put it together again.
My dear friends bring all these fears to the Lord. If you don’t know how to do this, just say ‘Lord’ ... and blurt it all out. God is our loving Father, and we say everything to him.
We ask the Lord to change the way we think by deepening our love and knowledge of Jesus. Now, if we do that sincerely we will be drawn by Jesus ever deeper into faith and all the blessings of redemption and peace and salvation are ours too. Let me pray ...