Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace

 

 So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.  And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue.  And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying.  But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. 

Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment.  And immediately her flow of blood stopped.  And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?"  When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me."  Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.  And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well.  Go in peace."  

 

While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead.  Do not trouble the Teacher."  But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well."  When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.  Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.  But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise."  Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately.  And He commanded that she be given something to eat.  And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.

 

- Luke 8:40–56 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?"  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.  Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them.  And He permitted them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.  And He got into the boat and returned.  Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

 

 So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.  And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue.  And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying.  But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.   Here Jesus returns to Capernaum, where He is well-known, and so they were all waiting for Him, including Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue.   

Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment.  And immediately her flow of blood stopped.   My study Bible explains that, for the Jews, contact with blood caused defilement and led to religious and social isolation (Leviticus 15:19-27).  This woman, therefore, displays bold faith by approaching both Christ and Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue in this crowd.  This potentially defiles all of them and would subject her to ridicule.  

And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?"  When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me."   My study Bible says that Christ's question, "Who touched Me?" does not simply mean a physical touch, but instead, "Who touched me in faith?"  It explains that, just as "the temple sanctifies the gold" (Matthew 23:17), so also matter is sanctified by Christ's Incarnation, and the power of Christ works through even His garment.   To touch Christ's garment in faith is to touch Him.  In the Church, it says, we touch Christ through icons, oil, water, bread, wine, etc.  When this is done in faith, the power of Christ is received.  

Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.  And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well.  Go in peace."   Here Christ calls the woman forward, to take away her fear and trembling, but also, my study Bible says, to strengthen Jairus for the forthcoming news about his daughter.

While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead.  Do not trouble the Teacher."  But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well."  When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.  Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.  But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise."  Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately.  And He commanded that she be given something to eat.  And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.   My study Bible tells us that this is one of three resurrections which were performed by Christ as recorded in the Gospels.  See also this recent reading, and John 11:1-44.  Each confirms the promise given to the prophet Ezekiel that God will one day open the graves, and raise all the dead (Ezekiel 37:1-14).  Many people have exercised authority over the living, but only the Son of God has power over the living and the dead.  In the story of the raising of the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-17), Jesus touched his coffin; the raising of Lazarus from the dead happened through His word alone (John 11:43).   But here, Jesus raises the little girl as He took her by the hand, and gave her a command ("Little girl, arise").    These incidents in which He touches others show that His very body is life-giving.  Again, like the story of the widow of Nain and her son, this event of the healing of Jairus' daughter prefigures Christ's own Resurrection.  But in this case, it's a father, Jairus, rather than Christ's mother Mary, whose sadness is turned to joy.  Her parents are astonished.  

It's quite remarkable to think that this stupendous achievement of the healing of Jairus' daughter, who had died according to all in the household, is something about which Christ charged the parents to tell no one what had happened.   How is it possible, one wonders, for this news to be kept quiet?  But nonetheless her parents are told not to speak of it to anyone.  Note how this resurrection is done in secret.  Jesus put outside all of the scoffers, the ones who ridicule.  Moreover, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.   We note also that the rest of the disciples are not taken in, but only those closest to Jesus -- and the strongest in faith, Peter, James, and John.  We also contrast the hugely public event of the healing of the woman's flow of blood with Christ's emphatic instructions meant to keep the raising of Jairus' daughter as private as possible.  Not only did the woman touch Him in the middle of a thronging crowd, but Jesus also brought her forward, demanding to know, "Who touched Me?"  and added, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me."   After Jesus had deliberately drawn her out with these questions, we're told that the woman fell down before Him, and declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.  Then He praises her before all the crowd, and declares, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well.  Go in peace."    These are bold public expressions designed to focus great attention on what is happening, even in the midst of a crowd that could have been defiled (according to the Law) by her flow of blood.  So, why, we have to ask, is there such a great contrast -- in terms of public notice and declaration -- between one and the other?  There's an interesting further contrast in the status of the two subjects of these healings.  Both are female.  But one is a girl of twelve, under her father's protection, too young to be called a woman.  The other has, on the other hand, had a flow of blood for twelve years.  One presumes her affliction not only leaves her alone, but we're also told that she had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any.  So, in contrast to the young daughter of a ruler of the synagogue, she is likely destitute and desperate for help, and she puts her faith in Christ.  On the one hand, the girls' parents need their faith shored up very badly:  Jesus puts out the ones who ridicule, and makes certain the healing is a private affair with only His most faithful disciples present.  Moreover, He tells Jairus, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well."   While the young girl's faith is not a part of the story, that of her parents and household most certainly is.  Perhaps the key to all of these differences, after all, is faith.  If the parents do not go into the world and tell all the story, there is no opportunity for the world to clamor that it is not so, cannot be so, she wasn't really passed, and all manner of doubt and the shaking of faith in Christ.  On the other hand, the woman's faith itself is exemplary.  Indeed,  Jesus Himself declares that it is, in fact, her faith that has made her well.  We can look closely at the dynamics of this story and note that Jesus asked, "Who touched Me?"  He makes it very clear how this happened, and what He experienced, because He said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me."   This would seem to teach us -- and quite publicly -- that Christ's power works by responding to faith.  He didn't feel her touch, but knew that someone had touched Him -- and needed to know who did so -- because He perceived power going out from Himself.  And so my study Bible comments that we may do the same, receive the power of Christ through the things by which we "touch" Him in Church.  Both stories are different, but both speak to us loudly of faith.  On the one hand was this desperate woman's exemplary faith in touching even the hem of Christ's garment.  On the other are Christ's rather extraordinary measures Himself to shore up the faith of the girl's parents.  Let us note that this teaches us, also, to take whatever measures we need to find support and strength for our faith -- for it is this in which Christ Himself engages and makes all effort.  Sometimes we may need to tell others of our faith.  Other times, we may need to keep things to ourselves.  In either case, we do what is needed for our faith in Him.

 

Do not be afraid; only believe

 

 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  

 

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  

 

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"   As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

 

- Mark 5:21–43 

 

On Saturday we read that, after crossing a stormy Sea of Galilee, Jesus and the disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.  So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.  

 

  Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Here Jesus has returned from what we might call the strange experience in the country of the Gadarenes, and returned back to His ministry's "home" territory in Capernaum.  Jairus is an important man, one of the rulers of the synagogue.   We note yet again that St. Mark tells us that a great multitude was gathered to Jesus by the sea.  This same "great multitude" follows Him and throngs Him as He goes toward Jairus' house.  

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."   My study Bible explains that the healing of this woman demonstrates Christ's power to cleanse and to heal.  In the Old Testament, hemorrhage caused ceremonial defilement, and imposed religious and social restrictions on a person, as contact with blood was strictly prohibited (Leviticus 15:25).  Yet, even so, in this midst of this thronging crowd, this woman who considers herself unclean nonetheless approach Jesus secretly and with great faith.  Jesus corrects her thinking here, as she could not hide her touch from Him, and neither is she excluded from Him because of her illness.  He positively declares her powerful faith and its results to all by saying, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."   She is not only called a "daughter," but is sent with both a blessing (Go in peace) and healing.  

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"   As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.  Here  my study Bible comments that authority over life and death is in the hand of God alone (Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6).  As Jesus is of one essence with the Father, He has this authority (John 5:21).

After word comes that Jairus' daughter has died, Jesus tells him while they are still on the way to his home, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  These words remind us of Christ's words also to His disciples as they were sailing across the Sea of Galilee, and in the middle of a terrifying windstorm, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  Once again, Jesus juxtaposes faith and fear, emphasizing the importance of giving faith the upper hand.  We should remember that the word in Greek for faith has as its root the word that means "trust."  This does not mean simply an intellectual decision to accept a certain proposition, but an all-in kind of choice to trust in someone; specifically, to trust in Christ and His words.  So often this choice to trust comes down to love.  We trust in God, or we trust in Christ, or we trust another human being, out of a sense that we trust they love us.  Regarding human beings, of course, this doesn't mean they are not fallible.  But when it comes to Christ, we trust at another level, and for greater things than other human beings can do for us.  Our choice to trust Christ may begin at perhaps a shallow level, but the depths of trust go to the foundational levels of who we are, a kind of disposition or orientation of the heart at levels we might not even consciously know or understand.  This is because our relationship or communion with Christ extends far beyond what we know of the world, even of our experiences, but into soul and spirit.  St. Paul writes, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).  If we look at her carefully, we'll see that this woman with the twelve years blood flow embodies Christ's words teaching us not to fear, but instead to believe.  For she must have had terrific fear as she approached Christ, not only in this very close and mingling crowd, but of the state of her uncleanness according to the Law.  And yet, she trusted Christ enough so that her great faith was possible; she seems to have been certain that if she could just touch His clothes, she would be made well.  We can also see at what deep levels this power of Christ works, for she did not have to make herself easily known to Him on conventional terms.  The power within Him made a kind of connection through her touch of faith, and He felt that power go out of Him in response to her.  By contrast there is the young girl, the daughter of Jairus, who is completely without a say in the matter of her healing.  She lies at home on the point of death, and so her father comes to find Jesus and to plead with Him for help.  Notice that this child's healing also depends upon faith in contrast to fear.  But in this case, it is the faith of the parents that make the difference.  In the face of discouragement from his servants, Jesus tells Jairus, ""Do not be afraid; only believe."  Faith is so essential to this little girl's healing that Jesus takes His closest disciples with Him into her room.  These are the three disciples whose faith in the strongest (James, John, and Peter) -- and notably, He puts out all those who ridiculed Him.  Effectively, the faith of these together was enough for the young woman to be healed, even for the power of life and death to be at work in Christ on her behalf.  Note how the work of faith, and also the power of Christ are unseen.  But somehow we see their effects; these are at work in a kind of field that remains invisible to us although we are invited to share and to participate in it and know its effects (John 3:8).  In our own times of struggle, let us remember the juxtaposition that Christ gives to the disciples, to the woman with the blood flow, to Jairus the ruler of the synagogue and father to the girl.  Faith or fear.   One asks us for trust in the One whom we know loves us; the other simply asks to undo hope.

Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction

 

 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  

 

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  

 

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "You daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them al outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

 

- Mark 5:21–43 

 

 Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples, having crossed a frighteningly stormy Sea of Galilee, came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.  So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-posssessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

 

  Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Here Jesus is back in His ministry "headquarters" of Capernaum.  This is the place, contrary to the country of the Gadarenes visited in yesterday's reading (see above), where He is well-known, and by now a great multitude gathered to Him, even thronged Him.  Here, even one of the rulers of the synagogue comes to Him in his family's time of deep need.  

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."   My study Bible suggests that the healing of this woman is a demonstration of Christ's power to cleanse and to heal (see Matthew 8:1-4).  In the Old Testament, it explains, hemorrhage caused ceremonial defilement, imposing religious and social restrictions, for contact with blood was strictly prohibited (Leviticus 15:25).  This suffering woman accounts herself to be unclean, but nonetheless, she approaches Jesus secretly and with great faith.  Jesus calls her Daughter, and tells her to go in peace, because her faith has made her well.  Plus, He corrects her thinking; she could neither hide her touch from Him, nor is she excluded from Him because of her illness.  Moreover, He even draws her out and exhibits her faith to everyone as an example, so they might imitate her. 

 

 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "You daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them al outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.  My study Bible comments on Christ here showing power over life and death.  It notes that such authority is in the hand of God alone (Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6).  As Jesus is of one essence with the Father, He has this authority (John 5:21).   It also tells us that this is one of three resurrections performed by Christ as recorded in the Gospels (see also Luke 7:11-17; John 11:1-44).  They confirm the promise given to the prophet Ezekiel that God will one day open the graves and raise all the dead (Ezekiel 37:1-14).  There are many who have exercised authority over the living; only the Son of God "has power over both the living and the dead" (Orthodox funeral service).  Note that here, similarly to Christ's healing of Peter's mother-in-law (Mark 1:29-31), Jesus took her by the hand. 

Jesus tells the woman after healing her flow of blood, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  I'm drawn by His phrase to her, "Go in peace."  The kind of peace Christ offers isn't the kind of peace that we normally think about when we hear the word peace.  He doesn't mean to tell her that she can go forward without being molested or harassed.  Perhaps this is indeed a part of His message to her, because she approached Him in fear, as it was forbidden to have contact with blood.  Most commentary focuses on the idea that she should have been separated from the community because of her hemorrhage, according to the law.  As the Gospels are abundantly clear to us that this jostling, thronging crowd presses so close that the disciples cannot possibly tell Jesus who touched Him, we can assume that an issue of blood within such a scene becomes important in the context of the law.  So yes, her secretly approaching Christ is an issue here, as well as the notion of the response of religious authorities.  Note here also how Christ did not hide her, but rather drew her out and praised her.  Was He exposing her to condemnation or ridicule or harassment?  It does not seem so at all from the text.  And yet, "Go in peace," must have something more to it than simply to quell her fears of persecution or condemnation.  She is no longer in danger of defiling anyone as her hemorrhage is gone.  But peace is simply too big a word coming from the mouth of Christ to leave it at that.  Peace must mean something more as we find it throughout Scripture, and particularly significantly from Jesus and also from St. Paul.  At the Last Supper, Jesus tells the disciples, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27); and, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).  These things indicate a peace that is much more than a lack of harassment or antagonism.  Jesus makes it very clear that "the world" offers something quite different from this peace of His.  He contrasts the tribulation in the world with the peace found in Him.  And this is a much greater claim than I think we can imagine and know.  What He seems to be talking about when Jesus speaks of peace is the kind of peace that is also called righteousness.  It is the peace that comes through reconciliation to Him, and through Him to one another.  This is a different type of understanding of peace altogether than what we understand of peace in the world.  The ancient world had the Pax Romana at the time of Christ, which meant essentially that through tremendously brutal warfare Rome imposed its own peace and stability of its empire.  Christ's is not that type of peace.  His is the type of peace we can find only in Him, even if we have tribulation in the world -- something of which He also assures the disciples!  In His peace, He has already overcome the world, and so He has given us something that transcends the tribulation we will experience.  At His first risen appearances to His followers, Jesus comes with the greeting, "Peace be with you!" (see John 20:19-26).  This is the kind of peace that comes with the righteousness in Him and through Him, and is the presence of His Kingdom within us and among us.  This is a kind of reconciliation within that Kingdom that we carry with us and within us.  St. Paul signs off on his Letter to the Romans:  "And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen" (Romans 16:20).  Indeed, St. Paul's repeated refrain is, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (see 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Colossians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:2; 1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4; Philemon 1:3).  St. Peter and St. John do likewise in their letters (see 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:2; 2 John 1:3).  This peace means far more than simply being let alone and undisturbed; it is a gift that comes from Christ.  It is the power of true peace, of a reconciliation in righteousness, and as we can see from the letters of the saints, it is closely connected to grace.  Let us consider for ourselves what it means to be gifted with Christ's peace, and what this gift can bring to the world and to our lives, even when in the world we will have tribulation. 

 

 

 

 

Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction

 

 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  

 

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who  wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

 

- Mark 5:21-43 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples came to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.  So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.  

 

 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.   By this time in Mark's Gospel, we see the great fuss made over Jesus wherever He goes in His Galilean ministry headquarters:  the moment He arrives back from the other side of the Sea of Galilee, a great multitude greets Him.  At this stage, despite Jesus having already had a dispute with the Pharisees, one of the rulers of the synagogue now approaches Him, for the healing of his little daughter.  He expresses faith that Jesus can heal her and she will live, but we will observe Jesus' approach to that faith.  My study Bible comments that authority over life and death is in the hand of God alone (Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6).  As Christ is of one essence with the Father, He has this authority (John 5:21). 

 

 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  My study Bible comments that the healing of this woman demonstrates Christ's power to cleanse and heal.  In the Old Testament, hemorrhage caused ceremonial defilement, which imposed religious and social restrictions, as contact with blood was strictly prohibited (Leviticus 15:25).  This suffering woman, who has accounted herself unclean, nonetheless approaches Jesus secretly and with great faith.  Similarly to Jairus, she is desperate for help.   We observe that Jesus blesses her with peace, as her faith has made her well.  Her thinking is corrected in that she could not hide her touch from Him, nor was she excluded from Him because of her illness.  Finally, my study Bible says, He exhibits her faith to all, that she might be imitated.  There is another note in which we are given to understand that there is also a patristic spiritual interpretation to this miracle.  In that spiritual understanding, this woman symbolizes human nature in general, as humanity is in constant suffering and subject to death, which is symbolized by the flow of blood.  The physicians who could not cure her stand for the various religions of the world, as well as the Law of the Old Testament, which were unable to grant life to human beings.  Only through Christ, it says, are we freed from suffering and bondage to sin.

 

 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who  wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.  My study Bible notes that this is one of three resurrections which were performed by Christ as recorded in the Gospels; see also Luke 7:11-17; John 11:1-44. 

There are important ties which we can observe between these two stories in today's reading.  We might observe first the desperation of the father, Jairus, who is a ruler of the synagogue.  Although he holds an important position, his need for the healing of his daughter is extreme, as she is at the point of death.  Note how Christ becomes a focal point for authority and trust (faith) as Jairus faces the possible death of his daughter.  On the other hand, there is the woman who reaches in secret, in the midst of this jostling, thronging crowd, to simply touch Jesus' clothes.  Imagine her desperation, as we're told that she had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  There is another parallel to be observed here, as Luke 8:42 tells us that Jairus' daughter was about twelve years of age.  The number twelve is clearly significant in the Bible in a number of cases, but what might it signify here?  Perhaps it has something to do with maturity and suffering, a kind of hallmark of experience as both the young woman and the old are at the limit of suffering and receive Christ's healing as an answer to desperation.  We might assume that the older woman's flow of blood is linked to childbearing, while the young woman is simply on the verge of her reproductive years.  Most importantly, the tie between these two intertwined stories is faith, and lessons about faith.  Although both represent exhausted and desperate cases, each one is about persistence and the importance of shoring up and maintaining faith.  Jesus ascribes the older woman's healing to her faith, for which she is rewarded not only with health but the praise of Christ, an astonishing blessing indeed.  As for the young girl, her parents, and her whole household, are taught a lesson in faith by Christ, as He puts out those who ridicule, and takes in only the parents and His disciples of greatest faith (Luke 8:51).  Here we also have a very useful contrast, as the faith and courage of the woman who's exhausted all of her savings and her search for doctors is hers alone -- but Jairus' daughter is saved by the courage and faith of her father and mother, Christ's closest disciples, and the intervention of Christ Himself to separate them from the scoffers and those who ridiculed.  It's an important distinction, because each "works" to bring about healing, but each teaches us about the varied possibilities of the ways that faith can work, even through friends and loved ones and strangers.  And in each case, we might consider the force of faith as a sort of network.  The woman's faith draws power from Christ, so that He understands it but not where it went or who touched Him.  Jesus deliberately creates a circle of faithful, concerned people around Jairus' daughter which suggests a circuit or network through which faith is effectively powerful (and powerful enough to reject the unbelievers' ridicule).  These are all ways in which we can look at today's reading and its central message about faith.  Let us take most heart in Christ's praise for courage and persistence through both.  We are not to lose heart when a struggle becomes difficult, but to persist in our faithful efforts nonetheless, using all means at our disposal to strengthen that faith, even putting aside those who challenge and hinder our chosen faith, and therefore its peace and its joy.  Finally, Jesus calls the older woman "daughter," while it's clear that Jairus' daughter is indeed a "daughter."  We have in His words Christ's loving care, like words of protection for His children.  We note how faith works together with His compassion, and in this we are His family indeed.

 

Talitha, cumi

 

 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  

 

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  

 

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

 

- Mark 5:21-43 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus and the disciples came through a windstorm and finally to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.  So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that He might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.   

 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Jesus is once again in Capernaum, His ministry "headquarters" in Galilee.  Here we see He is well-known enough that one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus, comes to seek Him, for Jairus' daughter is ill to the point of death. 

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."   Again, we understand the renown of Jesus and His ministry in Capernaum, for this crowd is thronging Him.  Included is a woman with a chronic flow of blood, a hemorrhage which even many physicians have failed to heal, although she has spent all that she had.  We are meant to understand her desperation, and that in the Old Testament, hormorrhage caused ceremonial defilement, and it imposed religious and social restrictions on a person, as contact with blood was strictly prohibited (Leviticus 15:25).  She accounts herself unclean, but nonetheless approaches Jesus secretly and with great faith.  Jesus understands that power had gone out of Him, and wants to seek the person whose faith was garnered such a healing response, telling her, "Your faith has made you well."  He tells her to "Go in peace" because through her faith, her illness did not exclude her from Him.  My study Bible comments that He exhibits her faith to all, so that they might imitate her.  My study Bible also adds that there is a spiritual interpretation of this encounter in patristic commentary:  this woman symbolizes human nature in general.  Humanity is in constant suffering and subject to death, which is symbolized by her flow of blood.  Those many physicians who could not cure her stand for the various religions of the world, including the Old Testament Law,  which were unable to grant life to humanity.  Only through Christ, my study Bible says, are we freed from suffering and bondage to sin.

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.   Note that as Jesus took time for the encounter with the woman healed of the blood flow, in the meantime Jairus' daughter has died.  But Jesus' emphasis is on faith; His confidence in the power of God at work through Him and in His ministry.  So essential is faith that He takes with Him only Peter, James, and John, those disciples who are of the strongest faith and the closest to Him.  The people in the house are already lamenting and wailing; they ridicule Jesus when He says the child is not dead.  My study Bible comments that this is one of three resurrections performed by Christ  as recorded in the Gospels (see also Luke 7:11-17, John 11:1-44).  It says that they confirm the promise given to the prophet Ezekiel that God will one day open the graves and raise all the dead (Ezekiel 37:1-14).  Many people have exercised authority over the living; only the Son of God "has power over both the living and the dead" (quoting from the Orthodox funeral service).  While Jesus has power through His word alone (John 11:43), we observe from the touch of the woman with the blood flow that even His very body is life-giving; with both His word ("Little girl, I say to you, arise") and His touch He raises Jairus' daughter.  

Talitha cumi is the phrase given here as the one Jesus says to the little girl, Jairus' daughter.  It is Aramaic.  "Talitha" is a kind of affectionate diminutive term translated for us as "little girl."   Some sources suggest that it is etymologically related to the Aramaic and Hebrew word for "lamb."  Cum, or cumi, is "arise."  In a certain sense, the words remind us of those who will arise to the word of Christ at the Resurrection.  (It also echoes in the Aramaic-related language of the Paschal Troparion in Arabic, "Masīh qām," "Christ is risen.")    Christ Himself is the Word, the Son who commands by word, and words echo with meanings and poetic reminders of the things of God and the power of Christ.  So His raising of the daughter of Jairus is an echo of the spiritual truths to come and the hope we have in Christ for each of us and all of those whom we love, just the way that Jairus loves His daughter.  On the other hand, we have the woman with the blood flow, who seems quite alone in life, made solitary and excluded through her hemorrhage, the laws of the society, and her exhaustive and failed efforts to find a solution, having "suffered many things from many physicians" and depleting her resources in the process, having "spent all that she had."  Even more distressing is Mark's note that her health had not gotten better, but rather she had simply grown worse.  She is seemingly the opposite of Jairus' daughter, having no one and nothing.  But, there are similarities here.  Mark tells us that Jairus' daughter is twelve years old, while the older woman has spent the equivalent of that lifetime, twelve years, in suffering with her ailment.  But ultimately, both are daughters and "lambs" of Christ through faith.  Remarkably there is still a place for this woman to come for healing, one last place where her endurance through her affliction still has reserves to spend, and that is in her faith in Christ, a faith strong enough to unleash the power of God to heal.  Jesus clearly makes this distinction when He praises her faith, declaring that it is her faith that has made her well.  This is not to say that faith is some kind of magic trick, but rather a testimony to the things we have when we think we have nothing.  It is our faith that calls upon the power of God at work in life.  Let us note that Jesus does not restore all of her money, nor does He somehow reverse time and give her back her twelve years of suffering and ostracization.  But He returns her to community, and through Him, she is beloved by God, and praised for her faith.  She has a new start to make, albeit twelve years on, but she has her health restored and she has her faith and a community to be a part of.  We may presume that for Jairus and his family, this also is a start of a new life, for how could things remain the same for them -- and especially the young girl who is risen from death -- after the healing power of Christ has touched their lives, and similarly to the healed woman with the blood flow, becomes known to all?  And these resources of faith and renewal we may also find in our own lives, when through affliction and difficulties, we are turned with our faith to Christ.  Faith is not a magic restoration of things we once had, but we might find that it is a renewal in the midst of despair, a starting over with a different kind of start and a different kind of life from what we have known:  we find a family and community in Christ, we find that we have something to build up, a new start to make, and new meanings to construct for ourselves, even new roles to play in the world through our faith.  What would become of Jairus and his family after Christ was crucified?  We don't know.  What of this woman?  We don't know that either.  Would she become one of those who followed Him from Galilee to Jerusalem?  Was she a part of the early Church?  Would Jairus and his daughter also face exile for their role in His ministry?  Would he go from a position as ruler in the synagogue to a member of the early Christian church, and endure persecution even from his fellow rulers of the synagogue?  In the persecutions that followed by the Jewish religious authorities (such as those enforced by the young St. Paul, then called Saul, who guarded the garments of those who stoned St. Stephen the first martyr), would they renounce their faith?  We don't know the answers to these questions, but we may easily pose them.  And although we don't today (at least in the West) endure the same types of persecutions as those early Christians, we might still ask ourselves what it means to be healed by Christ and to profess faith in times of despair and distress.  For the new start we encounter may also ask of us some forms of sacrifice and loss, where we're challenged to build a life on new foundations, and a new sense of self.  This is common with people who have struggled with addictions, for example, for whom a new environment, new friends, and a detachment from the old circumstances that seem to enforce their past behavior becomes necessary, but which must accompany faith in a "higher power" as well.   On Saturday, we read about the healed man who had been afflicted with a legion of demons (see above); he also could not return to his environment but was sent back to his friends he knew beforehand, but with a message of the compassion of the Lord who had done great things for him.  Nonetheless, it was a new start, one in which he would have to find his way as the new person he had become, who preached the good news of Christ the Lord.  Let us be prepared to understand that faith in Christ, and especially deep encounters with the power of God which acts upon that faith, is going to change us and change our lives.  When we pray, we call upon God in the exercise of that faith, and should not be surprised if life asks of us a new start from a new place, for God's life adds to us new life, and calls us out of the old.  This renewal for these people can never be a return to the past but a calling to the new, for the healing of Christ gives us a call to Christ, which we may choose to follow or possibly ignore -- but one can't imagine the sad consequences of turning one's back upon a Savior and the power that healed and transformed.  We recall Jesus' words to the man healed by the Sheep Gate, in John's Gospel, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you" (John 5:14).  So often these miraculous stories are presented as if Christ is simply One who bestows great material blessings.  But this was a mistaken view of the Messiah in His own time and remains a mistaken view among us today, even as we read these Gospel stories.  In Christ's healing power, there is also a call to discipleship, and in that call is a challenge for our future lives and how we will choose to build them -- if we will, in fact, grow in our faith.  Let us consider the power of God, for it is the power of life and death (John 5:21).   Even in the midst of our lives, Christ brings the power of resurrection to renew, but then we are called to follow.  For we are all His sheep, and He is at once the Good Shepherd and the true Lamb of God.

Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction

 

 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  

 

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  

 

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

 

- Mark 5:21–43 

 

Yesterday we read that, having set sail late in the evening across a stormy Sea of Galilee, Jesus and the disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.  So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

 

 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Jesus returns to Capernaum, the town of Peter and his family, where He is already well-known.  We can see that He is approached by Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue, in order to help heal his little daughter who is at the point of death.  

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."   Once again, Jesus displays divine authority in today's reading.  My study Bible comments that authority over life and death is in the hand of God alone (Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6).  As He is of one essence with the Father, He has this authority (John 5:21).  But here in the healing of this woman, He demonstrates the power to cleanse and heal (see Matthew 8:1-4).  In the Old Testament, hemorrhage caused ceremonial defilement, which imposed religious and social restrictions, as contact with blood was strictly prohibited (Leviticus 15:25).  My study Bible says of the suffering woman that, although she counts herself unclean, nonetheless she approaches Christ secretly and with great faith.  Jesus pronounces that her faith has made her well, and to go in peace, indicating that she is not excluded from Him because of her illness.  He exhibits her faith to all, so that they might imitate her.  There is also another interpretation of this text on spiritual terms which has been given by the patristic writers.  My study Bible explains that in this understanding, the woman symbolizes human nature in general.  Humanity is in constant suffering and is subject to death, which is symbolized by her flow of blood.  In this interpretation, the physicians who could not cure her stand for the various religions of the world, as well as the Law of the Old Testament, which were unable to grant life to humanity.  It is only through Christ in which we are freed from suffering and bondage to sin.

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.  As with the healing of the woman's flow of blood, in which Christ demonstrated His divine power to cleanse and heal, here He demonstrates divine authority over life and death.  My study Bible comments that this is one of three resurrections which was performed by Christ as recorded in the Gospels (see also Luke 7:11-17, John 11:1-44).  It notes that these confirm the promise given to the prophet Ezekiel that God will one day open the graves and raise all the dead (Ezekiel 37:1-14).  There are many who have exercised authority over the living, but only the Son of God "has power over both the living and the dead" (quotation from the Orthodox funeral service).  While Christ has power through His word alone (John 11:43), here He takes the girl by the hand.  As with the healing of the woman with the blood flow, a touch -- even to touch His clothing -- shows that His very body is life-giving.  It is a kind of foreshadowing of the Resurrection in the sense that Mary and the others would weep for her Child; but tears turn to joy at the Resurrection.  So here the weeping and wailing is silenced by the One who gives life and His power of Resurrection.

It's always interesting to observe the people who ridicule Jesus.  They are the ones who are sure of the girl's death, who weep and wail, already mourning her.  But Christ teaches us about the power of faith, and here there is no denying that the power of faith in Christ's word is paired with the power of life.  The ones who weep and wail are certain of the things they know on worldly terms; by all signs this girl is dead, and death is not to be argued with.  But our own certainties about death and disaster -- on any number of levels, symbolic and otherwise -- might not always prove to be the case.  The deeply important thing here is communion with God, keeping our faith strong, through His word, through worship, through prayer, through the Eucharist which He has called His body and blood, through all the means of our faith.  It reminds us that there are times when we are ready to call something lost to us, finished, a deep cynicism and despondency or depression that only seems to give us a picture of death.  We might want to give up on ourselves, when there is a future that He has awaiting us that we just can't see or understand on worldly terms. or reconcile with our past experience.  We can think of both of these women -- one an older woman who's spent all she has on doctors and a twelve-year-old illness, and the other who herself is just on the verge of maturity at twelve years of age -- who are at particular stages in their lives when it seems that all is lost for them.  These "signposts" of maturity are important, because they indicate significant stages of growth, especially in women's lives.  Both seem to be connected to life and life-giving, as the older woman is likely in the period of menopause but with significant signs of illness through bleeding, and the other is on the eve of beginning the reproductive period of a woman's life.  In both cases, it is Christ who corrects and heals, and resurrects the young girl so that she in turn may mature into the possibility to give birth one day.  Christ's power to heal and to resurrect in both cases opens up life to new growth, new future, a new period of life to look forward to.  And so it is with faith.  What I find in my own life is just such encouragement through faith and prayer to look forward to a future I can't see, and in which I find myself becoming frequently pessimistic.  It is hard to move on to new stages of life when one period has ended, or a relationship terminates, or a job is over.  Simply getting older comes with stages of life we can't foresee or clearly know, especially in times of more generalized uncertainty.  But I find that it is faith that keeps me looking forward, that encourages me to new things and new growth, not to look back or try to reclaim the past -- and the loving relationships sustained in that faith that are so paramount in importance to do so.  Jairus comes to Christ in the first place because he has a small hope for his daughter, and it is Christ who nurtures his faith through various means.   First, He brings His disciples with the strongest faith, that inner circle of Peter, James, and John, to help to shore up the faith of the parents.  Second, He puts outside all those who weep and wail, separating Jairus and his wife and child from all from the ones who are certain of death.  And before that, while Jairus waited and no doubt watched anxiously, let us note that Jesus brought the healed woman in front of all the crowd and praised her faith before everyone.  All of these are acts to shore up faith, to encourage to look forward to renewal and resurrection, in whatever form that might take, to new periods of growth ahead.  Both in the case of the mature woman and also of Jairus' daughter, neither is restored to her previous life.  That is, each will go ahead to new growth, new life, new things.  Neither of Jesus' healings in today's reading restore an old life, a return to old ways and old things.  Rather, both indicate a future of new things to look to, new life to build, new experience going forward.  As Jairus' daughter is not restored to childhood but to the maturity that lies before her. so the older woman also is restored to her future period of maturity, without the blood flow.  Each is given the future and new growth.  So, I find, it is also true in my life.  There may be things which are behind me, but it is Christ and my faith that always asks me to look in front of me, to live life in the best way to build up what is good going ahead, to make the most of the time of the future in faith and through all the means at our disposal to live a life of faith.  The woman is told, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction," while Jesus' touch uplifts the girl (she arose) so that she walks forward and must be given something to nourish her for her life ahead.  Let us rely on our faith to keep us moving forward and to do so in peace.