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Mark 5:21-24, 35-43

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While Jairus showed a certain amount of faith by asking Jesus to heal his daughter who was dying, many involved in the situation believed that there was a limit to what Jesus could do. When the daughter died before Jesus could arrive, some believed it was too late for Jesus to do anything. The mourners laughed at Jesus’ statement that the girl was merely sleeping. However, Jesus proved that nothing is beyond His power by raising the young girl from the dead.

Mark 4: Jesus teaches again by the seaside, boarding a boat to use as a platform from which to teach. During His teaching He gave the parable of the sower and afterward the disciples asked Him to explain it to them privately. The seed represented the word of God and the different types of ground represented the different types of people who hear the word. How a person responds to the word demonstrates what group they are from and whether or not the word will yield any fruit in their lives. Later that day they crossed the Sea of Galilee and encountered such a fierce storm that their boat was in danger of sinking. They woke up Jesus, Who was sleeping in the stern of the boat, surprised that He was seemingly unconcerned for their safety. However, the storm obeyed His command for it to subside, which left the disciples in total amazement.

Mark 5:1-20: When the ship arrived on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, they landed in area of the Gadarenes and were confronted by a man possessed by demonic spirits. No one had been able to bind or control this tormented man but Jesus was able to cast the demonic spirits out of the man and into a herd of about 2,000 swine. The herd immediately ran off a cliff and drowned in the sea, causing the keepers of the herd to run into the nearby town to report what had happened. When the townspeople came out to investigate they asked Jesus to leave because they didn’t understand the things that had happened and were afraid.

21 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 when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side” – The townspeople from the area of the Gadarenes had asked Jesus to leave (v. 17) and so He has now returned from that trip to where He had started near Capernaum.

“much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea” – The fact that Jesus was “nigh unto the sea” implies that people began gathering around as soon as they saw Him stepping off the boat. They recognized Jesus on sight and word got around quickly that He was there. Luke tells us that the people were anxiously waiting for Jesus to return (Luke 8:40 “And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him”).

22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, 23 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, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name” – The rulers of a synagogue were responsible for selecting who would read scripture and who would teach on a given sabbath. They also managed other affairs of the synagogue. This particular ruler is identified by name, both here in Mark and also in the gospel of Luke (Luke 8:41).

“and when he saw him, he fell at his feet” – Presumably as soon as Jairus saw Jesus get off the boat and was able to approach him, he came and “fell at his feet.” Matthew says that he worshiped Jesus, which is signified by falling at someone’s feet. Jairus was showing Jesus much reverence and respect, although it’s unclear if Jairus revered Jesus as the Messiah or merely as a great prophet of God.

“And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death” – Luke 8:42 says that this was Jairus’ only daughter and that she was 12 years old, as does Mark later in v. 42. She was lying at death’s door and Jairus desperately did not want to lose her so he had come to Jesus to plead for His help.

“I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live” – Jairus knew Jesus’ reputation for healing and believed that his daughter’s only chance of survival was for Jesus to come to her and heal her. A few commentators point out that Jairus apparently believed that Jesus had to be present and physically lay His hands on the girl in order to heal her, while later a Roman centurion had enough faith to believe that Jesus merely needed to speak the word in order to heal his servant (Luke 7:1-10).

24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

As Jesus follows Jairus to his house where his daughter is, a large crowd follows and surrounds Him. Some may have overheard the conversation between Jairus and Jesus and wanted to see another miracle. Most likely the majority did not want to lose track of where Jesus was and so they followed Him wherever He went. It seems that a significant portion of those that followed Jesus were more curiosity seekers than genuine believers in Jesus as the Christ (John 6:59-66 “These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”).

Verses 25-34: As Jesus is traveling to Jairus’ house, a woman worked her way through the crowd to touch Jesus. She had been hemorrhaging blood for twelve years and was desperate to find a cure. When she touched Jesus she was immediately healed but Jesus also immediately sensed that “virtue” (miraculous power) had flowed from Him. When He asked who had touched Him, the woman confessed to Him what had happened. Jesus blessed her, saying that her faith had made her whole and that she should go in peace.

35 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?

While Jesus was speaking to the woman that had been healed (v. 34), messengers from Jairus’ house came to inform him that his daughter had already died. Obviously they were sent because those in the house thought that bringing Jesus was now pointless. They believed that the daughter was beyond Jesus’ ability to help since they believed that He could heal but not raise the dead. They say that Jairus should cancel his request that Jesus come and heal his daughter because it was now too late (or so they believed).

36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

Jesus overheard what the messengers had said and likely saw the despair on Jairus’ face, who man apparently also believed that it was too late for Jesus to do anything for the girl. Jesus assured him that it was not too late. The word for “believe” means “to have confidence.” Jairus has asked for Jesus’ help and so he should not fear the worst but have confidence that Jesus can handle the situation. In Luke’s account, Jesus made His intention clear: Luke 8:50 “But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.” Jesus did not have the attitude “I’ll see what I can do” but had full confidence that He would heal the girl.

37 And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

Leaving the crowd behind, Jesus takes only His “inner circle” of disciples (Peter, James and John) and continues with Jairus to the house. We know that Jairus is accompanying Jesus to the house because he is there when Jesus enters the girl’s room (vs. 40). It seems that Jesus allowed Peter, James and John to see things that the other disciples did not get to see, although scripture never explains the reason. Jesus took these three with Him on the mountain where He was transfigured (Mark 9:2) and He also had them stay near Him as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33).

38 And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.

Jesus arrives at the house to find it already full of mourners. Most of them were likely professional mourners who were paid to weep and wail over the dead, as was the custom of the day. Often musicians were also hired to play sad music to enhance the mood and Matthew tells us that this was the case here because there were minstrels present as well (Matt. 9:23 “And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise”). These mourners and musicians combined to make a lot of noise within the confines of the house.

39 And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.

Jesus knew that the damsel’s death was temporary, much like sleep, since He was going to raise her from the dead. Thus He saw their mourning as pointless and much ado about nothing and said as much.

40 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 they laughed him to scorn” – These professional mourners had no emotional investment in this girl so their “mourning” quickly disappeared as they began to ridicule Jesus. They believed His suggestion that the girl was only sleeping and not dead was absurd and began making fun of Him. They saw the girl’s death as final and irreversible.

“But when he had put them all out” – Jesus cleared the house of all of these mourners and musicians, though probably not as forcefully as when He threw the money changers out of the temple (John 2:13-16). These mourners were not needed and Jesus was not looking for more notoriety.

“he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying” – Jesus then enters the room where the girl was lying dead, followed by the girl’s parents, Peter, James and John. He purposely limited the witnesses who would see what He was about to do.

41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. 42 And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

Jesus takes the girl’s hand and commands her to arise. Jesus’ absolute power as the Son of God is apparent because the girl immediately gets up and walks. Just a short time ago she was too weak to stand or even remain alive and now she is immediately alive and well enough to walk. Everyone in the room were greatly amazed because they had never seen such a display of power.

43 And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

The girl likely had gone for some time without eating during her illness so Jesus told her parents to give her something to eat. He also told them not to tell anyone what He had done. No doubt He didn’t want to be thronged even more by the crowds that were already following Him. Commentators also suggest that Jesus did not want His opponents in Galilee to seek Him out and kill Him prematurely if they heard that He had raised this girl from the dead. He had a specific time and place to die as the Passover Lamb that takes away the sin of the whole world and He could not afford to miss it.