Lent 3 - Monday - The Scandal of Availability

Text: Mark 5:21-43 (see below)

Back in the boat with Jesus once more and this time returning under full sail to the “Jewish” territory along the Sea of Galilee. Like a hometown hero, large crowds awaited Jesus and his entourage pressing him in on one side and the other. The first person to greet him is a man by the name of Jairus. The text is very clear that Jairus was a leader in the local synagogue, a respected man, a person of influence and power.

With all of that authority and with all of that sway, Jairus falls before Jesus and pleads for him to go and lay hands on his daughter so that she may be made well. This man is at the end of his rope. His daughter is gravely ill and it appears that only one person can change the outcome of the current situation: Jesus. Notice the text carefully that Jesus does not say a word to this man. Jesus simply agrees to go with Jairus to his home.



The Hem of His Garment by Stephen Gjertson

Now, we come to another example of a sandwich construction in the Gospel of Mark that wraps a story within a story in order to grab the reader’s attention to relate with two very different yet similar characters. On the way to Jairus’ home, the crowd continues to swarm around Jesus. The focus narrows to a woman, a nameless woman, who because of her physical illness has been left to survive on the margin of that first century society. Again, notice the great detail that Mark offers to his readers about this woman: she has been hemorrhaging for twelve years; she had been exploited by a multiple of physicians; she had spent all of her money trying to get well; and now she was worse off than before.

Look at the approach that these two persons take in coming to Jesus. Jairus, a leader in the community, was openly engaging. He acknowledged Jesus’ authority by lowering himself in order to make a request. This nameless woman on the other hand believing Jesus to be a spiritual healer covertly comes up behind him and tries desperately to grab at the hem of his garment. Jairus speaks directly to Jesus, the woman talks to her self. Mark goes overboard to make sure that the reader understands that Jesus is now dealing with two people from the opposite end of the social spectrum.

Verse 29 and 30 always rock my world! Listen again: “Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’”

This is no random act of healing. This is a moment of salvation! The twelve years of exile for this woman are over. “We must grapple with Jesus’ power,” as Richard Deibert writes in his commentary on the Gospel of Mark, and “the scandal of its availability” (Mark, page 52).

“Who touched my clothes?” Jesus asks.

“What do you mean, Master? Look at the crowd around you!” the disciples respond.

You can’t really blame the disciples for their reply. It had been a most unusual day up to this point: a raging storm on the sea; a guy completely off of his rocker who was returned to sanity; and then there were those two thousand hogs that ended up in the bottom of the Lake. Not your typical day by any measure. So, the disciples appear to be inconvenienced at best. But, Jesus is looking for the face of a person. The Good Shepherd is looking for that lost lamb.

It is now the woman’s turn. She falls at the Master’s feet (An equal to Jairus? You bet! Scandalous!!). She is fearful and trembling. But she finds her voice and tells Jesus the whole story. Jesus responds by giving this woman a name, “Daughter”. Awesome!

Jesus goes further. He tells her that her faith has made her well. She may go in peace. She has been healed. The possibility of an abundant life was now hers to claim. Salvation had come to this woman!

But, what about the other “daughter” in the story? The child that was near death?

Jairus must have been amazed at what he had witnessed between Jesus and woman. Perhaps thinking that a miracle would happen for his daughter as well, Jairus receives the worst news any parent can ever hear: “Your child is dead. No need to bother Jesus any longer.”

I cannot even begin to imagine what Jairus must have felt like in that moment. Like crashing waves along the Sea of Galilee during a storm, these words must have flooded any thought that Jairus had for the future. If you are a parent who has experienced the loss of a child, you know better than any of us that Jairus was drowning.

But, Jesus ignoring this news calmly speaks to Jairus, “Don’t fear, only believe.”

In the end, that is really what the journey of faith is all about: believing. It is about turning our fear over to God and believing that God can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. As Deibert states later in his commentary, “Human faith and divine re-creation form an organic whole. Each always includes the other (Mark, page 54).

At this point only a few people are allowed to follow Jesus – no need to take a crowd. By the time they arrive at Jairus’ home, the professional wailers and family members have begun their mourning for the little girl. Jesus will have none of it and will not be bothered by their lack of faith. He orders everybody out except five people.

Jesus raises the little girl from her “sleep” with a short command. She awakes as if from a deep slumber and now we are given more details about the girl: She is twelve years old. Does that number sound familiar? (You bet and I will leave it to you the reader to make all of the connections with the other woman.) Jairus’ future and the future of his daughter are re-created by the healing power of the Most High God in the person of Jesus.

Let’s tie up some loose ends before we go on to Chapter 6 in tomorrow’s post.  What is the greater lesson from these healing stories that Mark offers to his readers that assist us in answering the question: Who is this guy? (Mark 4:41).



Rainbow Over the Sea of Galilee: D. Andreich @ Flickr

Jesus has healed the Gerasene demonic of his past. So, you and I, like the demonic no longer have to live in the prisons of our past. Jesus healed the woman of her present illness. So, you and I like that “daughter” no longer need to be defined by the circumstances of the present. Jesus healed Jairus’ daughter and restored her future. So, you and I, like that little girl do not have to fear our future. The Lordship of Jesus “knows no bounds (Williamson, Mark, page 108).

Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God can heal us of our past, can restore us to wholeness in our present, and can open for us the future so that we no longer have to live in fear but may walk confidently by faith. Thanks be to God!

Love One Another – Brian

The Creator of the Big-Bang

Douglass Hare

“These stories confirm that the Creator of this vast universe, the power behind the “’Big-Bang,’ is not to be conceived of as a watchmaker who wound up the universe and abandoned it to run on its own, but as involved and interactive.”

Source: Mark, Westminister Bible Companion

Mark 5:21-43

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered round him; and he was by the lake. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.’ So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.’ Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, “Who touched me?” ’ He looked all round to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’ While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, ‘Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha cum’, which means, ‘Little girl, get up!’ And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.