Today we finish reading from Mark 5: 21-43:

21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. 22 Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 23 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.” 24 So he went with him.

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29 Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 He looked all around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

35 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?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38 When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 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. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43 He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

One of the reasons why Mark puts these stories together like this is because he is showing the heart that Jesus has for people. The child, unnoticed.  The woman, an outcast.  In one long story, Mark is showing us that that there is no one who escapes Jesus’ sight.  Today, for whatever reason, if you feel unloved, or unworthy of Jesus’ love, we see in this passage that He loves you and desires for you to be made whole and brought back to life. 

With the story in the middle, the woman who had been bleeding, there are a lot of theories as to what was her medical condition.  We know that this condition would have made her unclean for these 12 years.  Can you imagine?  Twelve years of not being able to see your parents?  Not being able to go to church.  Not being able to go into town, be in a crowd, do anything.  She would have been an outcast, like a leaper. She would have been separated from all she loved.  

So, she takes a risk.  She touched Jesus’ cloak.  What is always interesting to me about this is the way that Jesus’ holiness worked.  Normally someone unclean touches you, their uncleanliness transfers to you.  What happens here?  Jesus’ holiness, His purity, His power, it transfers to her.  His holiness is greater than her illness.  

Jesus’ power is greater than our imperfection, or weakiness, or whatever.  His grace overcomes all.  Instead of her making Him unclean, He makes her whole. Jesus is greater than whatever we face.  

She had faith, she knew that Jesus could heal her and she would go to whatever effort she had to take to be healed.  She trusted in that power.  And she saw that power.  

Today, do you trust in the power of Jesus to restore you?  To give you life?  To save you?  Jesus brings healing and hope to two people, to two families today in this passage. 

He can, and will, do it for us today as well.  May we have faith.  

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