healing won't wait Mark 5:21-43

Ever wonder what faith is? Just look at Mark 5:21-43 to hear of two believers who came for healing and found it in Jesus.   Jesus changed lives along the shores of Lake Galilee in Mark 4 and 5.  In the middle of the lake he calmed a storm, on one shore he caste out daemons, and on the other he met people who needed healing the moment the met him.

Right as they reached the shore a crowd surrounded Jesus and friends Mark 5:21.  Crowds weren't new to them.  People searched him out wanting freedom from daemons and diseases.  At the front of the crowd was Jairus, a synagogue leader with a dying daughter at home.  Desperate he begged Jesus for help and Jesus headed with him to meet her and the crowd followed along. (Mark 5:22-24)

In Bible School the crowds have come to see Jesus this week.  We encouraged the kids to imagine crowds.  "Stand tight together shoulder to shoulder in lines.  Imagine if Jesus moved left and everybody followed."  They couldn't move fast.  They had to shuffle together to stay near to Jesus.  No doubt there were accidental trips and upsetting falls as people moved close to Jesus.

A woman full of faith and troubles came up, touched Jesus, and was healed (Mark 5:25-29).  Jesus felt power go out from him.  He looked wonder who was healed (Mark 5:30-32).  The woman knew what happened and knelt before him shaking (Mark 5:33-34).  She met him with faith and troubles and left free; the one she believed in set her free.  Right as Jesus sent her away with a blessing of peace word came from Jairus home, his daughter was dead.  He continued onward with Jairus' saying μὴ φοβου, μόνον πίστευε don't fear, only trust /believe /be confident . (Mark 5:35-36)  

Jairus hoped Jesus could heal his daugter--and he'd witnessed a miracle on the way.  After she was declared dead--Jesus kept on moving towards her like he could still help.  Leaving the crowd behind they  entered the house as people inside laughed him off (Mark 5:37-40).  But he kept on moving towards her.  Reaching out his hand He called to her in Aramaic--ταλιθα κουμ (talitha koum) little girl arise (Mark 5:41) and she stood up. 

Healing came for two who had faith in Christ.  This is faith--profound and sublime--saving trust in God revealed in Jesus the Christ. This isn't intellectual assent to doctrine--this is trust in the person who came bringing the kingdom of heaven close to them.  We know him as he is revealed to us in the Living Word read in scripture, preached in the assembly of believers, sung about in hymns, discovered in Bible study, and in any other way that the Lord of Heaven and Earth might choose to come to us. And through faith we see miracles like Jairus and the hurting woman who went away in peace.  


Pax, John.