GOSPEL MEDITATION # 187
Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus’s Daughter
Mark 5:1-20
- Find a quiet place without distractions.
- Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace.
- Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer.
- Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
- Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
- Jesus was unable to get away from crowds of people.
- Jairus, the president or ruler of a synagogue (Capernaum?), had a 12 year old daughter, an only child, who was dying. He came to Jesus believing He could do something about it.
- While walking to Jairus’s home, a woman who for 12 years suffered terribly from an unknown malady, thought that if she merely touched Jesus’ garment, she would be healed.
- The woman was healed instantly, and Jesus, in a way that is unexplained other than “power had gone out from him” then searched for the woman and spoke with her.
- Jesus said her faith had healed her, and then said, “be healed of your disease.” One must ask, what was the nature of her healing? She sought Jesus–perhaps this is the key. She had faith Jesus could heal her but that alone did not result in her healing. It was the work of Jesus alone.
- In the midst of the healing of the woman, word comes that the little girl is dead. What use then of Jesus? But He continues. As per custom, the mourners had already arrived and the scene was chaotic. Taking only the inner three with Him, and the parents, Jesus enters the room. Those gathered laughed at Him when Jesus said she was only sleeping.
- One must again ask, why did Jesus say this? He knew she was dead. He took her hand, and speaking Aramaic, told the corpse to rise up. She did and there was no trace of disease. Jesus did not want news of this first of three resurrections to be broadcast about. Curious for sure.