Jairus and Jesus Part 1
5:21-24
This set of stories contains 4 miracles of Jesus. We have studied 2: (1) calming the storm (4:35-41); and (2) casting out demons (5:1-20).
Today there are 2 more. The main narrative is the healing\resurrection of a man’s daughter, but the story is interrupted by the healing of a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. That story is the middle of the sandwich, inserted in the middle of the story of healing the child.
The setting is back on the west side of the sea of Galilee, Jesus having left the east side after casting demons from a man. Again he was surrounded by a great crowd. (21)
Jesus was approached by a ruler of the synagogue named Jairus, who fell at his feet and implored Jesus to come and lay hands on his daughter to heal her, as she was dying.
It is a remarkable scene. Jairus was likely a Pharisee, given that he was a ruler of the synagogue responsible for the worship that went on there. The Pharisees were generally opposed to Jesus.
Yet Jairus came believing that Jesus could heal his daughter. He may have seen Jesus heal or at least heard of it.
As a ruler of the synagogue, Jairus was a fairly important man in town. Yet, he came to Jesus with humility and sincerity. He fell at Jesus’ feet.
So Jesus went with Jairus. (24) He was committed to ministering to human needs as well as his preaching.
A Sick Woman Interrupts
5:24-34
Although Jairus was in a hurry to get Jesus to his daughter before she died, they were interrupted by a sick woman. She had been bleeding continuously for 12 years. She had seen many doctors and only gotten worse. She had spent all her money on treatments.
This woman suffered both pain and shame. Since she was bleeding, she was deemed unclean by the Jews. (Leviticus 15) Not only that, anyone who touched her was unclean. She could not go into the temple or synagogue. She was isolated from the community. She was not supposed to go out in public and was not supposed to touch anyone, according to Jewish law.
However, in her desperation to be healed, she went and touched Jesus’ garment. She probably touched the tassels at the bottom of Jesus’ robe. She had heard reports of him healing.(27)
She came to Jesus in faith, believing he could heal her even if she only touched his clothes. (28) And she was immediately healed. (29)
Jesus did not scold her for coming to him and touching him. Instead, he commended her faith and blessed her (go in peace). (34)
Why did Jesus do this? Why did he take time out to heal this woman when he was being taken to heal a girl who was at the point of death?
Jesus gave an object lesson to Jairus in this event. In the face of a seemingly hopeless situation, Jesus rewarded a woman’s faith by healing her and changing her life.
It might also have been a lesson to the disciples as Jesus showed that dealing with an unimportant person was as necessary as dealing with an important person.
Jesus and Jairus Part 2
5:35-43
While Jesus was speaking to the woman, someone came from Jairus’ house and told him his daughters dead. They saw no need to take up more of Jesus’ time. They may have believed Jesus could heal, but did not believe he could revive the dead.
You can imagine the devastation of his news. Jairus must have been crushed. His hope is lost. He may have even been resentful of the interruption. The disciples and the crowd likely shared his grief.
Jesus, however, was not deterred. When he overheard the messenger bringing the bad news, he told Jairus to not fear, but believe. (36) The New International Version says Jesus ignored the news, which is a possible meaning of the Greek word, and emphasizes Jesus’ resolve to continue. Jesus had just showed Jairus that he could work even in impossible situations. Jairus needed the same kind of faith the woman had.
Verse 37 foreshadows the big event. You can tell Jesus is about to do something big. He took only Peter, James, and John with him to see the girl.
When Jesus arrived at the house, professional mourners were there. They were loudly wailing laments while others wept. (36) It was a common practice to hire professional mourners to accompany the funeral procession from the home to the grave.
Jesus informed them that their mourning was unnecessary, that the child was only sleeping. (39) He did not literally mean sleeping, but was saying that her life is not over yet.
The crowd turned from mourning to laughing at him in derision. So, Jesus put them outside. Only the parents and three of the disciples accompanied him to the room where the child lay.
As usual, Jesus both touched and spoke to the girl, telling her to rise. (41) To the amazement of all, she rose and walked around. (42) She was resurrected and healed.
The subjects in these two stories could not be more different. There is an unnamed woman who is the object of scorn and shame. And there is an important man who is named. But they both needed faith in Jesus, faith even in the confrontation with the impossible.
TAKEAWAYS
Jesus cared for both the socially important and unimportant equally.
Jesus performed miracles to reveal his deity and to minister to people.
Miracles are supernatural events, things that cannot occur naturally and normally.
Be careful not to limit God to safe and normal events - he can perform miracles.
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