Mark 5:21-43 – Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus’s Daughter

Mark 5:23

1. The contrast between the unbelief of the Gerasenes and the faith of Jairus is like night and day.
   1. When the Gerasenes see Jesus’ miracle, they ask him to leave.
   2. When Jairus sees Jesus, he asks him to come.
   3. A miracle performed among people who don’t want to believe often leads to greater unbelief.
2. Jesus often healed the sick by laying his hands on them (Mark 6:5).
   1. People knew that Jesus used to heal the sick in this way (Mark 7:32).
   2. Jesus urges his disciples to heal the sick by laying hands on them (Mark 16:18).
   3. Jesus’ disciples healed the sick by laying hands on them (Acts 28:8).
3. Jesus blessed people by laying his hands on them (Mark 10:16).
   1. The power of the Holy Spirit is often communicated through the laying on of hands (Acts 8:17-19, 9:17, 19:6).

Mark 5:25

1. In addition to the obvious discomfort of the disease itself, the woman was also ritually unclean and not allowed to be among people (Leviticus 15:25-27).
2. For twelve years she had not been able to interact normally with people or to go to the synagogue or temple to worship God.
   1. For many Christians in Sweden today, having to go to Sunday services is less of a chore, but for this woman it was the opposite; she wanted to but couldn’t.

Mark 5:26

1. The woman had tried everything and spent all the money she had, but it had only got worse.
2. It is a well-known phenomenon that a person is prepared to try just about anything to get rid of his illness, of which God is often the last thing a person tries.
   1. One tip is to go to God first, so you don’t get ruined.

Mark 5:28

1. There are really two flaws in this woman’s faith:
   1. The woman seems to have a strange magical belief in Jesus’ clothes.
   2. The woman is violating God’s word because she is not allowed to be in this crowd when she is ritually unclean.
2. But in spite of her false faith and the fact that she is breaking God’s word, she is healed because she believes in Jesus.
   1. What matters is not always how we believe, but in whom we believe.

Mark 5:29

1. The woman believed in Jesus, touched Jesus and was healed.
   1. A person’s faith + Jesus = the power of God.
   2. This woman shows the essence of what it means to believe in Jesus:
      1. She realises her own limitations; it is impossible for her to be free of her torments.
      2. She believes that salvation is with God, if she can get close to Jesus.

Mark 5:30

1. In the large crowd, there were plenty of people touching Jesus without witnessing the same miracle as this woman.
   1. In the same way, today we can go to church Sunday after Sunday without meeting Jesus or witnessing a miracle.
   2. There is a difference between going to church out of habit and going to church because you desperately need to meet Jesus.
   3. This woman touched Jesus with a faith and a hope that she would be healed, God saw her heart and responded to her longing.
2. It may seem a bit harsh for Jesus to call this terrified woman before the crowd, but Jesus certainly didn’t want to just give her a healing, he wanted to communicate something even greater to her, namely salvation.

Mark 5:33

1. When the woman touched Jesus, according to the Pentateuch, it would make him ritually unclean as well, but the moment she touched Jesus, she became healthy instead.
   1. In the same way, today we can give our sins to Jesus and be free and healthy. Jesus does not share our sins when we come to him, but we share in Jesus’ holiness.

Mark 5:34

1. The woman was not healed because she touched Jesus’ clothes, she was healed because she believed in Jesus.
   1. If Jesus hadn’t talked to her, she might have thought she was cured because she touched Jesus’ clothes and perhaps remained in a strange magical delusion about Jesus.
2. Normally, Jesus healed the sick by laying his hands on them, but this story shows us that it is not possible to make a pattern or ritual out of God’s power.
   1. The important thing is not that the external circumstances are perfect for God to communicate his power. What matters is the faith of the heart.
3. Jesus points out that her faith has saved her.
   1. The most important thing that Jesus wants to convey to this woman is that she has been saved.

Mark 5:35

1. While Jesus took the time to talk to the woman who had been sick for twelve years, Jairus’ twelve-year-old daughter dies, a clear indication that these two stories are connected.
2. Jairus was a synagogue ruler and Jesus puts him through an extreme lesson in what it means to believe in Jesus.
3. It must have been extremely painful for Jairus to wait for Jesus when his daughter was so close to death. Jairus wanted to hurry while Jesus wanted to wait.
   1. From this we can learn that we must humble ourselves before God and wait for his time. If we hurry before God, we risk missing the plan that God has prepared.
   2. From this we can also learn to trust that God knows what he is doing, even if we have to wait for the miracle. God knows best and we do best to wait for his time.

Mark 5:36

1. Jesus tells Jairus two things: not to be afraid, but to believe. Often it is not unbelief that is the greatest obstacle to faith, but the fear of not knowing how things will turn out.
   1. All the circumstances around him pointed in a different direction, but Jesus wants him to believe anyway.
   2. Faith and fear are rarely a good combination. Before you can believe in Jesus, you need to stop being afraid of all the circumstances around you that point in a different direction.
2. The healing of the woman with hemophilia probably strengthened Jairus’ faith and made it easier for him to trust Jesus.
   1. In the same way, today we can strengthen each other’s faith by sharing what God has done in our lives.

Mark 5:37

1. These three belonged to the inner circle around Jesus.

Mark 5:39

1. In biblical times, hired “weepers” were not uncommon, adding to the tragedy (Jer 9:17).
2. When a believer dies, his spirit comes to God while the body “sleeps” awaiting the resurrection of the body (1 Corinthians 15:50-55).
   1. When Lazarus died, Jesus calls it “sleeping” (John 11:11-14).

Mark 5:40

1. All the circumstances pointed to Jesus being wrong. People even laughed at him.
   1. These humiliations are part of the Christian life even today, but this story shows us who will ultimately have the last word.

Mark 5:41

1. Jesus has power over death and asks the girl to get up.
2. That this made a strong impression on Peter and gave him a lesson in how to raise the dead can be seen in Acts where Peter raises the dead Tabitha with the similar words “Tabitha, arise!” (Acts 9:40).

Mark 5:42

1. Jairus and the woman with hemophilia contrast each other and give us two different lessons in faith.
   1. Jairus was the head of the synagogue and had a daughter who had been healthy for twelve years. Now he prays publicly and openly for Jesus’ healing and she is healed when no one is looking.
   2. The woman, whose name is unknown, was not allowed to go to synagogue because of her impurity and she had been ill for twelve years. The woman hides and touches Jesus when no one is looking but is healed when everyone is watching.

Mark 5:43

1. Jesus gives two commands which clearly show Jesus’ exemplary attitude; not to exalt himself but to help the little ones.