THE GOSPEL OF MARK "Behold My Servant!"

Jesus heals a woman and raises to life a young girl.         Mark chapter 5vv21-43

Edersheim writes "the stilling of the storm and the healing of the demoniac were manifestations of the absolute power inherent in Christ; the recovery of the woman and the raising of Jairus' daughter were evidences of the efficacy of faith".   This emphasis on faith is clear from verse34 "thy faith hath made thee whole" and verse 36 "Be not afraid only believe".  Putting the whole portion together, we have a group of terrified men,   a grown man in extreme circumstances, a woman at the end of her resources, and a twelve year old girl in death........Jesus met the needs of them all and the message is there is no situation He cannot help if we trust Him.   There is nothing too hard for the Lord!

The two stories merge into one in the narrative and they began twelve years before(v25 with v42).   Twelve years before, a baby girl was born into the home of Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue.  The rulers were distinct from the priesthood, being involved in the administration of the synagogue, the finances, the repair of the building, the arranging of services and speakers, much like deacons would be today in a church.   They were well respected and influential people, and his coming to Jesus , rather than the priests, revealed just how desperate the illness was, and also, the respect he had for Jesus.    The day of her birth was a joyous day in his family, just as it is in any family.   Note the tenderness with which he spoke of her "My little daughter is at the point of death."  The joy of twelve years had turned to tragedy.   At the same time of her birth, what was a time of great joy in the household of Jairus, was the commencement of a deep tragedy in the life of this unnamed woman, she fell ill with a disease that would bring untold suffering.   12 years of joy, 12 years of sorrow, and in the same day they were touched by the great physician and made whole!   Twelve long years or the cure of a moment, it made no difference to Jesus, and it is still the same today.

• "Daughter thy faith has made thee whole; go in peace..."       Her plight was desperate;   Mark uses seven participles in a graphic description of her condition:

1.    She had an issue of blood     a kind of internal bleeding.

2.    She had suffered this for twelve years     her strength must have been sapped to the point of exhaustion.

3.    She had suffered many things     Her condition led to many other bodily complications.

4.    She had consulted many physicians      The best of doctors could not cure her.

5.    She had spent all that she had     Time and money spent in the quest of a cure left her penniless.

6.    She was nothing bettered     All the time and effort and money had been in vain.

7.    She was actually worse than at the start.     Her condition left her without hope, she had nowhere to turn.

There is more;   not only was she broken in health and finances, she had no one.;   no mention of any husband or family.   According to Leviticus 15 she was cut off from society and the congregation of the Lord.   Her condition was considered unclean, and no uncleanness was to be associated with the temple worship.  Because of this she was an outcast from Jewish society, adding further to her plight. She was desperately alone in her suffering and longed for relief.   She believed firmly that Jesus was her only hope and she mustered strength and resolve from deep within to reach Him even through a thronging crowd.   The "hem of the garment" was the distinctive border on the clothing of a priest or a rabbi and she believed by touching that she would unobtrusively receive healing without disturbing the Master.   Friendless, penniless, without her health, with only one hope....what a picture is this of the human race under the burden of sin!   In the midst of a thronging crowd Jesus detected the touch of the woman, it was a different touch, it was the touch of faith.   He knew that power had gone out of Him, telling us that when healing power came from Him it had a very definite effect on Him physically....no wonder He was tired in a day's work.   The miracle of healing was so complete it says "straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body she was healed from the plague(scourge).   He knows every human problem, He can cure every problem, He only needs our faith.   There was the thronging crowd, and in their midst a trusting woman, where do we fit into this?   She not only had faith to believe Him, she confessed all the truth to Him on that dusty road.   There is nothing He cannot do for us if we believe Him.   His final word "Go in peace...".   She had no peace for 12 long years; she will have peace from then to eternity!!

• "Damsel I say unto thee arise...."       Another serious situation;   the report was that the twelve year old daughter of Jairus was "at the point of death".   We are not told the details, but it was a tragic matter for the family.   One of the worst things in life must be to bury your own children, Normally we expect them to outlive us, but death is no respecter of age, and there are many such tragic cases today.   There are three instances of resurrection in the ministry of Jesus, one a young girl, one a young man, and one a grown man.   The attitude of the father in extreme circumstances was commendable.   He gave Jesus His true place, falling at His feet(we shall all fall at His feet one day!) and beseeching Him earnestly that He may come to her.   Even when Jesus was hindered by the multitude, and stopped to deal with the woman, he did not complain.   When the news came that his daughter was dead, the word of Jesus directly to the father was marvellous "Be not afraid, only believe".   Here , again was a person with great faith in Jesus...do we?   Interestingly Jesus took with Him on this occasion only Peter James and John.   Three times He separated these three same men, and we can only presume He had a special task for them in mind, and so it proved.   They were taken apart from the rest here at the raising of Jairus' daughter;   on the Mount of Transfiguration;   and in the garden of Gethsemane.   These men must go under special training for the way ahead;   Peter would be the "apostle of the circumcision", the leader, James would be one of the early martyrs (Acts chapter 12), and John would live to become the father of the church, writing his gospel, his epistles, and the book of Revelation.   These men were set aside for greatness and the Lord graciously prepared them.   When they arrived at the tragic household, they found a scene of deep sorrow and loud weeping.   Anyone in contact with a Jewish household in such a time will understand the despair expressed.   Such a terrible event they would take as a strong disapproval of God...they are inconsolable.   Jesus makes an astonishing announcement "she is not dead but sleepeth!"   They laughed Him to scorn, as many do today, but Jesus was stating the heavenly view of death, particularly the death of a believer.   The new testament teaching on death is clear, it is not an eternal separation, it is a sleep from which the dead will awake.  Sleep for a human being is a benign thing, and sleep in death must be beautiful.   It is taught in the following scriptures:   John 11v11; 1 Corinthians 11v30; 15v20; 15v51; 1 Thessalonians 4v14.   In Daniel chapter 12v2, the dead are spoken of as "them that sleep in the dust of the earth"...for unbelievers that sleep is not so beautiful.   However the point that Jesus is making is that death is not the end, and the resurrection is coming.   For the young girl it would come that very day, and it will come for her in the future as it will come for all.   Jesus took her by the hand "Talithacumi ......damsel arise and straightway she arose and walked".   They were astonished, just as we will be in the resurrection.   They were astonished with great astonishment, and note the final two details;   They were to keep it to themselves, it was not the time for publication, lest people place their trust in the miracle and not the person.   Also note the practicality, "He commanded something be given her to eat, for she had been days without.