Day 25 of 49
Desperate Faith
Today, I’m going to look at the interactions of two people from the same narrative. The first, a ruler of the synagogue, in Jewish eyes, a man of honor, worthy of Jesus’ attention. His daughter in bed, dying.
The second, a woman, low in first century Jewish estimation, who also had an issue of blood for twelve years. For twelve long years, declared unclean, so she couldn’t visit the temple. Probably barren, if married at all. Isolated and alone. She spent all she had on doctors, and no one could help her.
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.
Mark 5:21–43
Since Jesus held celebrity status, everyone in the region knew when Jesus would appear in their village or town. They met him at every juncture.
There was an animated series of Bible stories done in the 1990’s. For this story they showed the crowds and the hands reaching out to touch Jesus as he walked by. Think of the Beatles at the height of their popularity and the lengths girls would go through just to touch one of them.
Jesus gets off the boat, and is immediately surrounded by a crowd. The crowd gave way to Jairus, an important man in town, a ruler of the synagogue. Desperately, he humbles himself before Jesus and asks him to come to his home and touch his little girl so that she could be healed.
We could compare him to the Centurion and say that he didn’t have the great faith to just ask Jesus to say the word, but Jesus did not condemn or comment, he went with Jairus.
It says the people thronged around him, looking for another miracle. What would he do at the home of Jairus?
To the dismay of Jairus, Jesus stopped in the middle of his journey to discover who had touched him. I can see why the people around him were confused. Jesus had been being touched ever since he got off the boat.
The woman had hoped to touch the Lord anonymously. As an unclean person, people avoided her, and a rabbi, even more so. But, she saw her only hope in Jesus.
Malachi 4:2 says “But for those who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.” The word for wings, is also the word for the hem of a garment. Some considered this a messianic promise, that even the hem of his garment could heal.
She reached out to the Messiah in faith, and received her healing.
Meanwhile, Jairus received distressing news, his daughter had died while the Lord tarried dealing with an unclean woman. I love how Jesus intervened before this man could sink into the if only’s: if only Jesus had not stopped. If only this woman had not interfered…
He told the man to not fear, but believe. He continued to the house and healed his daughter, despite the disbelief of the people in attendance.
Each of these healings dealt with the touch of the Messiah. Jairus asked Jesus to come and touch his daughter, making a public appeal. Jesus healed her, but asked them not to tell anyone about it.
The woman with a blood issue reached out to touch the hem of his garment anonymously, and Jesus called her out publicly, telling everyone she was healed.
Both were desperate, they had exhausted all other sources. Jesus responded with kindness and compassion to both, no condemnation at all.
Lord, sometimes my faith is small. Sometimes I have no faith at all. When I am desperate, you are there. When I am needy, you are there. When I think I’ve got it all together, you are there. Thank you for your compassionate, merciful presence in my life, whatever the circumstances.
TRICIA LATHROP 