Mark 5:21–43 ESV

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. 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?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” 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.” 37 And he 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. 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.

Healing Hands

1. Jesus has come to set us free.

John 8:36 ESV

36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

“Made well” is better translated as “saved.”

Mark 5:23 ESV

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.”

Mark 5:28 ESV

28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.”

2. We reach out to Jesus in faith.

James 5:13 ESV

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.

Both stories link the effectiveness of Jesus’ power to the faith of the persons involved, whether on one’s own behalf (the woman) or on behalf of someone else (Jairus’ daughter). Each is desperate, but desperation joined to hope and action is not despised.

Mark 5:34 ESV

34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

Mark 5:36 ESV

36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”

3. The touch of Jesus makes us alive.

Ephesians 5:14 ESV

14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

New life was given to the woman. She is no longer ritually unclean and can enter back into the life of the community again.

The little girl was restored to life.

Jesus brings us “shalom” or peace. In the OT, shalom is equivalent of wholeness or salvation.