Introduction: Last week Jesus displayed his power by triumphing over Satan’s demons. He took a man trapped in darkness and freed him by restoring his honor and dignity by giving him back his right mind and restoring him to fellowship with God… and his fellow man. Jesus now returns back to the Galilean side of the Sea of Galilee, and we will see Jesus’ power once again over sickness….disease….But more than that, Jesus wields power over death itself. Mark’s gospel is going to continue pressing into this theme, which you’ve already heard a lot “fear” or “faith.” “fear or faith.” Read: Mark 5:21–43 Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus’s Daughter [21] And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. [22] Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet [23] and implored him earnestly, saying, “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] And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. [25] And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, [26] and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. [27] She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. [28] For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” [29] And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. [30] And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” [31] And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” [32] And he looked around to see who had done it. [33] But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. [34] And 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, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” [36] But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” [37] And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. [38] They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. [39] And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” [40] And they laughed at him. But 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] Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” [42] And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. [43] And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. (ESV) Two Needy People: A strong man with earnest faith and a woman desperate faith Both with quite normal fears of Sickness and death #1 The Woman’s Fear & Faith (vv. 24b-34) #2 Jairus’ Fear & Faith (vv. 35-43). #3 Us Today: Lessons from comparing the woman and Jairus’ kinds of fear and faith. Right off the boat, Jesus encounters crowds again…and a Man named Jairus. In contrast with our other main character this morning, Jairus, socially, a prestigious man, a ruler of the synagogue. And yet, our passage says “…he fell at [Jesus’] feet [23] and implored/pleaded/entreated him earnestly, saying, “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] And Jesus went with him. Christ Goes with him. We’ll return to this later….But just remember for the next 10 verses…Jairus is there, earnest, but thinking that Jesus’ ability to help is on a clock, he has faith, but it is limited, and this second need delays Jesus and gets in the way. So we meet our second character, with no name… #1 The Woman’s Fear & Faith (vv. 24b-34) vv. 24b And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. [25] And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, [26] and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She suffers physically from this chronic bleeding condition, weakness, pain, but also social and religious isolation. She is under the Mosaic law, ceremonially unclean and unable to worship at the temple; she also she must announce her unclean status to others… Financially She has spent all her earthly riches on doctors in a pursuit to heal herself….Many have spent fortunes in search of physical health, some have spent fortunes battling their minds So she is truly desperate to be navigating a crowd where she could be scolded for pressing through the crowd….but she does because she needs to get to Jesus. J.C. Ryle remarks that [though] many are thronging Christ, many are curious about spiritual things, a teacher, a guru…But The disciples have witnessed far more recently in the storm and the demons being Cast out…And here comes a woman with NEED, she works her way through the crowd in desperation because for 12 LONG years she has suffered. Verse 27, says, “She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. [28] For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” [Jairus too has said: Come and lay your hands on [my little daughter], so that she may be made well and live] We should commend both of these desperate sufferers that they took action to go to Jesus, seeing that he has some power in himself to save….Do you just hang around spiritual things to see and hear but view Christ as separate from your true deepest struggles, griefs, and pains? Or do you know your pain, know your suffering, have been in it, whether the sufferings of your mind, your body, and your relationships…Is there anything in your life you can say, I have suffered pain, loss, uncleanness, sorrow for years. …And I think Jesus is the solution. Matthew Henry remarks of the woman’s faith, “She believed that [Jesus] cured not as a prophet, by virtue derived from God, but as the Son of God—by a virtue [a power] inherent in himself.” (Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible) [Verse 29 highlights the immediacy the fullness of jesus’ power] And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. [30] And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him [that is by nature of Jesus’ identity, his deity], immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” [31] And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” · The disciples are a little bit cheeky, everyone’s bumping into everybody Jesus! But Jesus is asking not out of alarm, not out of accusation, to call out to shame, but to improve upon her healing, her salvation, with ASSURANCES, with Full removal of guilt and shame. · The ESV study bible is right to say, “ in working her way through the crowd to get to Jesus, she would have touched many other people and thus rendered them ceremonially unclean (cf. Lev. 15:19–27).” · She is afraid even in her new status, her new immediate cleanness…she is afraid to be caught, and have others consider her very presence as shameful. · Let’s look at this Fear and Faith a little more closely [32] And he looked around to see who had done it. [33] But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. [34] And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace [like in the storm], and be healed of your disease.” She is in Fear, in Awe, in reverence as she approaches him. But still I think in fear about her shame… But still coming forward in Gratitude. And Jesus’ words show he is commending her for her faith, Giving her an assurance of pardonby his authoritative word, just as Jesus, in Mark 2, He told the paralyzed man with his friends: “Your sins are forgiven, rise up and walk.” The same is implied here. Your faith has made you well! The word is σώζω, saved, well. There is a double meaning here. Healed and Saved. She understood before she uses the passive I will be made well (By Jesus not Her) and Jesus You have been made well, It is done, and definitive. Note carefully: Jesus Himself is the power. Faith simply lays hold of Him. “By touching Jesus’ garment, for anyone else she would have made him ceremonially unclean, but we have seen already Jesus renders unclean things clean, and HOLY. And if she is Clean and Holy that would already be enough….But she is more, she is Daughter. In the Gospels Jesus’ Physical healing is always the proof that spiritual healing can really occur. Spiritual healing at the same time does not mean that Jesus did not truly have compassion and continue to have compassion and draw near to those who are physically suffering …But what Jesus is showing ultimately is that he is the complete solution to our sin and misery. And as our next passage shows, to death itself and the pains of hell forever. …Jesus’ ministry of instantaneous and complete healing promisessalvation in the ultimate sense. But Jesus is now in heaven, we have the assurance of our salvation, and the encouragement to go to him in
