Dire Straits: Daily Thoughts from Mark (Mark 5:21-43)

What is the most dire situation you have ever faced?  I immediately think of the near death of my son-in-law, my oldest daughter’s husband.  In Mark’s Gospel Jesus has been meeting people at the point of their most dire situation and transforming these dire straits into joyous rescues.  The storm threatening to capsize, the demons ravaging, and now two people dealing with hopeless illnesses.

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. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 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.” And he went with him.

And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. 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. And 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, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 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. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.  (Mark 5:21-43, ESV)

Once again, back on the more Jewish side of the Sea of Galilee, the throngs return.  This time, someone who represents the community and has a position of authority and responsibility, the ruler of the synagogue, the man responsible for making sure that the synagogue remains in order and who probably secures rabbis to teach each Saturday, comes to Jesus in desperation.  Even if before he had questions about Jesus he now sees him as his only hope for his daughter’s life.  He believes that if Jesus comes and lays his hands on his sick daughter she will live.  So Jesus agrees and goes with him.

But on the way another desperate person, a woman with a longstanding illness, also believes that by even touching the hem of Jesus’ garment, the hem being something people of that day thought represented the holiness of a rabbi, she would be healed.  And she is! Fascinatingly, Jesus does not consciously heal her but senses power going out from him to heal.  This reinforces the truth that Jesus did all his miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit, not out of his own deity.  In this instance, the Spirit responds to the woman’s faith and Jesus confirms that with his words.  Shame on his disciples for questioning Jesus’ sense that something unique had happened.

Suddenly word comes to Jairus that his daughter is dead.  But Jesus tells him to believe and not fear.  It is not that if Jairus does not believe Jesus will not heal his daughter, but that Jesus is already determined to heal her, and Jairus will be comforted if he believes.

Jesus raises her from the dead but seeks to deflect knowledge of this, again because of the stir it will create and the way it will hinder what he is trying to accomplish.  But only the prophets Elijah and Elisha have ever raised people from the dead.  Jesus is wielding the power of God.

Faith often springs out of desperation, out of times when the straits we need to sail through are too narrow and dangerous.  We are open to seeking new and miraculous answers when all our strategies fail.  Jesus urges us to believe and not be afraid.  No straits are too dire for him.