A 40-DAY JOURNEY WITH THE KING: Lenten reflections from Mark’s Gospel (15)

 


“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.” (Mk. 5.22-23)

     After his brief visit to the country of the Gerasenes, Jesus returns westward across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, which presumably, is much “cleaner” than the pig-infested graveyard of Gadara.  However, as we shall soon see, there is plenty of uncleanness in Capernaum as well.  Immediately upon his arrival, the crowd reconvenes and detains Jesus on the beach (5.21).  One of the leaders of the synagogue, Jairus by name, comes and falls at Jesus’ feet and begs him to come and “save” his daughter (i.e. make her well; Gr sozo), who is at the point of death (5.22-23).  The familiar pattern of kneeling/begging plays out once again (cf. 1.40; 5.6, 10).

     The synagogue in Capernaum was the site of Jesus’ first “work of power” (cf. 1.21-28).  After the escalation of hostilities with the Pharisees following upon the sabbath healing of the man with the withered hand – again, in the synagogue (cf. 3.1-6) – Jesus had not again set foot in Capernaum’s official place of prayer.  However, in spite of Jesus’ ongoing conflict with the Pharisees, Mark is keen to underline the fact that “one of the leaders of the synagogue” believes in Jesus’ power to heal and seeks him out so that he can “save” his daughter (5.22, 35, 36, 38).  Jesus accepts Jairus’ request and begins to accompany him through the congested streets of the town (5.24).  Following the healing of the woman with the hemorrhage (5.25-34), and while Jesus is still speaking with her, messengers arrive from Jairus’ house with the news that his daughter has died and that there is therefore no further need to “trouble the teacher” (5.35).  Jesus reassures Jairus and tells him not to fear, but only to “have faith” (Gr: pisteuo; 5.36).  From this point on, Jesus takes only Peter, James and John with him to Jairus’ house.

     Upon arrival, they encounter a group of “professional mourners” weeping and wailing loudly.  The “professional” part becomes obvious when the weeping quickly turns to laughter upon Jesus telling them that the child is not dead but sleeping (5.38-40).  Jesus then takes his three disciples and the parents of the child and enters the room where she is lying.  Jesus took the child by the hand and said to her, “Little girl, rise!” (Gr: egeiro; cf. 2.9, 11, 12).  Immediately the girl “rose” (Gr: anistemi) and began to walk about.  This is reminiscent of Jesus’ healing of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law (cf. 1.29-31).  In that episode, a woman was laid up in bed with a fever; Jesus then proceeded to take her by the hand and “raise her up” (egeiro).  This is resurrection language (cf. 16.6).

     Mark has deliberately “sandwiched” the account of the healing of the woman with the hemorrhage between the beginning and the end of the Jairus story (beginning: 5.21-24; woman: 5.25-34; end: 5.35-43).  Both the woman and Jairus’ daughter need to be “saved” (5.23, 34).  The woman has been suffering from the hemorrhage for as long as Jairus’ daughter had been alive (5.25, 42).  While the woman was the only member of the crowd who “touched” Jesus “in faith” (5.27-30), and so is the only person to be healed, so Jesus leaves the crowd (and most of the disciples) behind as he goes to “raise” Jairus’ daughter (5.37, 40).  The woman’s “faith” (Gr: pistis: 5.34) saved her and Jesus tells Jairus to “have faith” (pisteuo: 5.36).

     Once again, Jesus has performed a work of power in a home (cf. 1.29-34; 2.1-12; 3.19-20).  Once again, the reaction to Jesus’ action is one of amazement (5.42; cf. 1.27; 2.12; 4.41; 5.20).  Who is this, that even the dead obey him (cf. 1.27; 4.41)?  Yet again, Jesus attempts to manage the aftermath of the miracle (5.43; cf. 1.34, 43-44; 3.12).

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