“And when
Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered
unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea. And, behold, there cometh one of the
rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his
feet, And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point
of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed;
and she shall live. And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and
thronged him. And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she
had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of
Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I
may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of
her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that
plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of
him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his
disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest
thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this
thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came
and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her,
Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy
plague. While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house
certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any
further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the
ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. And he suffered no man to
follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. And he cometh
to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that
wept and wailed greatly. And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make
ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed
him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the
mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the
damsel was lying. And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her,
Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And
straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve
years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. And he charged them
straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be
given her to eat.” (Mark 5:21-43)
I have included the Gospel text for the Woman with an Issue
of Blood above, as well, for context.
There are so very many good people who are pining to see the
face of Christ, and that is a laudable desire. But perhaps we should consider
the Heart of Jesus, His Hands, and His Healing Compassion, first. The three
examples below from James Wells’ Bible Children:
The Heart of Jesus: Our paramount concern
regarding Christ should be how His Heart is inclined toward us. We can feel the
heart-throbbings of Christ in every word and on every page of the Gospels. We
can feel, through our understanding, the wonderful compassion and pity which He
has for sinners and those who are in pain or suffering. His love is to the
extremity of death and even beyond as demonstrated in His Resurrection for us.
The mighty oceans of the world open their gates to receive all the flowing
waters of rivers and streams and, yet, are never filled. This represents also
the open Heart of Christ in receiving our burdens, our sorrows, and our pains
into His own Bosom. His Heart is inclined toward His people in the same
way it was inclined to the little daughter of Jairus. Jesus never changes,
either, for He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
The Hand of Jesus: His pure Hand reaches down and
touches us in our filthy afflictions – even the leper. It touches the sick and
forlorn, and healing is imparted with the power of Heaven. Christ could have
healed the precious daughter of Jairus by simply speaking the word at a
distance, but He PREFERS to touch those who are most precious, and no one is
more precious to Him than little children. Moreover, the greater miracle of His
Hand could be seen in reviving a little girl asleep in death rather than
recovering her of a terrible affliction. Jesus took the little girl by the
hand. His Hand was warm and loving – the warmth of life had left her little
hand – but it immediately surged back into her body, hand and head, as the tiny
heart began to beat as healthily as it had ever before done. Jesus is always
close enough to those of faith to touch them with the same comfort and healing
as Jairus’ daughter of twelve.
The Healing of Jesus: This girl must have had
strange feelings when her soul returned to the body it had recently forsaken.
We are not told that she was startled or frightened. Perhaps she could say
about her new life: "I was awakened as a mother awakens her child with a
kiss," with all the power of God and with gentleness more than a mother's. Christ by touch and voice awoke the girl, and
welcomed her back to life. Jesus has more than a touch, a tear and a kind word
to give to our misery. His name declares the work to which He gave himself on
earth, and gives Himself still in heaven. Jesus means healer. Nor is He like
the healers in our hospitals, who must sometimes leave the healed to starve and
to find hunger as cruel as disease. Christ did not heal and then leave this girl:
He helped her up, and got her food. He preserves and strengthens forever the
life He gives to the soul. About the after history of this girl we are told
nothing. But we are sure that she loved her healer while she had being. We
readily believe that she was made Christ's by every tie of gratitude. And so
our religion is a religion of gratitude for the greatest and freest favors. It
is, therefore, a religion of love and joy.
J. Wells, Bible Children, p. 199
“And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter
lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that
she may be healed; and she shall live.” Do you know that we
meet many, many souls in the normal course of the day who are at the point of
death? The precious lass probably died at the moment of Jairus’ plea for
shortly thereafter, messengers came bearing the sad news to Jairus of his
daughter’s death. They are dead in trespasses and sin for no one has ever told
them of Christ, or, if they have done, they did not speak with the conviction
of the adulterous, Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s Well outside the gates of Sychar.
You, too, were once dead in trespasses and sin. Why not share the glorious news
of the grace available in Christ with all who will listen (as did the woman)? “And
you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in
time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past
in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind;
and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is
rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And
hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in
Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches
of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace
are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not
of works, lest any man should boast. (Eph 2:1-9) There is no
greater need that Jairus has ever had than the need he has for Christ at this
moment. The same is true of each of us. There is no greater need we have than
that of Christ as our Lord and Savior. Jairus knows that Christ can deliver his
daughter, and He can deliver you and me as well. Jairus, too, knows the power
of the Hands of Jesus. All He need do is lay hands on his daughter and all will
be well.
Now see how Christ responds the moment we pray for a
righteous cause: “And Jesus went with him; and much people followed
him, and thronged him.” Jesus did not waiver. He did not
express how tired He was from crossing the stormy sea the night before. He did
not complain of being asked by the citizens of Gadara to leave. He did not
claim to have more important business, for to Christ nothing would be more
important than healing a twelve year old darling of Jairus’ heart. He went
immediately with Jairus as the crowd thronged about so densely that it would
seem impossible for another soul to approach. But given the urgency and great
need of a poor woman who had been sick of an issue of blood for twelve years,
the approach to Christ would not be impossible for it is our great need that
drives us to Christ, and we will not be prevented by church officers, elders,
or clergy if they block our way.
“And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood
twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent
all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.”….
“And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole;
go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” Jesus journey to the home
of Jairus was interrupted by another fervent need which He satisfied along the
way. It was the healing of yet another “DAUGHTER,” as Jesus called the woman
taken with an issue of blood. This woman belongs to Him now for He calls her ‘Daughter.’
Though we often get impatient and hurry our prayers, God
never rushes. “While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the
synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou
the Master any further?” Note two things here: first, the
servant of Jairus may have believed that Christ could heal, but, secondly, he
did not believe that Christ could restore life. He was very courteous to Christ
for he thought Him a great teacher, but the faith of the servant had a
limit-line. The little daughter has fallen asleep in Christ, the best place of
all for sleeping.
“As soon as Jesus heard the word that was
spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the
brother of James.” How often have we read of the Angels of God
appearing to man and hearing their very first words: “Fear not?” If we believe,
we have no need for fear. Christ takes with Him only the apostles that believe
in His power to heal and perform every miracle. As with Gideon, it is better to
have three hundred Christians praying with great faith, than thirty thousand
praying in doubt and lack of faith.
“And he cometh to the house of the ruler of
the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.”
The mourners have already gathered. They come now to celebrate death, but there
can be no death in the ministry of Christ. These people know well what death
looks like for many were paid mourners as was the custom of the time. They knew
death, but Christ knows LIFE!
“And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why
make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.”
In the presence of Christ, there is no need for weeping. Unfortunately, many
good Christians have yet to learn that secret. Neither is there death. The
damsel (young girl) is sleeping only as are all who die in Christ. “And
they laughed him to scorn.” Scorners have no place in the
presence of God. They laughed Him to scorn, true, but they did not have the
last laugh, did they? “But when he had put them all out.”
If we have scorners disrupting our worship, the proper place for them is
outside with the five virgins who had no oil for their lamps. “He
taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him,
and entereth in where the damsel was lying.” Wherever we fall
asleep in Christ, He will find us in the process of time.
For me, the most tender of these events occur in this next
verse. I can see it as clearly as if I were there! “And he took the
damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being
interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.” A lifeless
little girl lies in the sleep of death. She is more precious to her parents
than all of the world’s gold and gems. They are ripped in their hearts and
suffer greater anguish than we can imagine. But Christ simply goes to her. He
tenderly takes the small hand into His strong and warm Hand. And once we have
been taken into His Hands, he speaks to us – even in death – “Talitha
cumi,”or, “Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.”
This sweet little girl has heard no voice from the moment of her death. There
have been many loud voices shouting out mournful words, yet she heard them not.
Her little spirit has already returned to God who gave it, but that same God is
able to restore the spirit to the body at His own Will and time. The words of
Jesus have a mystery to them that is beyond our knowing. It has such great
power, though spoken calmly and in love, that the restoration of life is
possible. If Christ tells us to arise at the appointed time, we will hear that
voice as clearly as did Lazarus and this little girl.
“And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for
she was of the age of twelve years.” No delay here!
Straightway, she arose from her deathbed and walked. Can you see the joy in
this? Could we have been there, this is one experience that would have burned
in our souls forever! “And they were astonished with a great
astonishment.” Who were astonished? Those who were in the
room and saw the miracle: Peter, James, John, and the parents of the girl. Even
these were astonished! No matter how well we believe that we know God, we will
always be astonished at His Love and Power.
“And he charged them straitly that no man should
know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.”
There is something in this last verse that
astonishes me, and another that causes me to praise my Lord! I am astonished
that Christ charges these parents that ‘no man should know it.’ How is that
possible with the crowd of mourners gathered without who know full well that
the young girl died? Is Jesus playing games with our minds here? Absolutely
not! The message conveyed here is that, when God works a miracle in your
heart, you cannot keep it a secret! When He called and chose you, when He
forgave you of all transgressions, when He has lifted your burden of sin –
these things you cannot, and will not, keep silent about even when cautioned.
You simply cannot hide so great a salvation from those who know you! Once men
have seen you dead (in trespasses and sin) they cannot help noticing that you
are now made alive by the grace of Christ.
The thing here that also causes me to praise the Lord is
that His Prevenient Grace continues to care for our needs even after He has
given newness of life. He “commanded that something should be given
her to eat.” One needs food after being made alive in Christ, and
that food is the Bread of Heaven found in God’s Word! Have you eaten of that
Bread today, friend?
