Mark 5:35-43

c. THE RAISING OF JAIRUS-' DAUGHTER 5:35-43

TEXT 5:35-43

While he yet spake, they come from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? But Jesus, not heeding the word spoken, saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Fear not, only believe, And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James, And they come to the house of the ruler of the synagogue; and he beholdeth a tumult, and many weeping and wailing greatly, And when he was entered in, he saith unto them, Why make ye a tumult, and weep? the child is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But he, having put them all forth, taketh the father of the child and her mother and them that were with him, and goeth in where the child was, And taking the child by the hand, he saith unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, Arise. And straightway the damsel rose up, and walked; for she was twelve years old. And they were amazed straightway with a great amazement. And he charged them much that no man should know this: and he commanded that something should be given her to eat.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 5:35-43

243.

What was the attitude of Jairus while Jesus stopped to speak to the woman who touched?

244.

In what tone of voice do you imagine the message of the death of the daughter was given?

245.

In what sense did they feel they were troubling Jesus?

246.

What was Jairus to believe? Cf. Mark 5:36.

247.

Why send the crowd away?

248.

On what other occasions did Peter, James & John accompany Jesus?

249.

What was the point in the demonstration of grief?

250.

Did Jesus know some would misunderstand his words about sleeping? Why mention it?

251.

In what sense was the girl asleep?

252.

Upon what was the laugh of scorn based?

253.

Try to understand the feelings of the mother as Jesus spoke to the girl. What were they?

254.

Why mention that she was twelve years old?

255.

Why ask that she be fed?

COMMENT

TIMEJust a few minutes after the preceding incident of the timid woman.
PLACEIn the home of Jairusprobably in the city of Capernaum.

PARALLEL ACCOUNTSMatthew 9:23-26; Luke 8:49-56.

OUTLINE1. The Message of death, Mark 5:35-36. Mark 5:2. To the house of Jairus, Mark 5:37-38. Mark 5:3. The place of death, Mark 5:39-40. Mark 5:4. The resurrection, Mark 5:41-43.

ANALYSIS

I.

THE MESSAGE OF DEATH, Mark 5:35-36.

1.

Given while Jesus yet spoke to the woman.

2.

No need to try further, your daughter is dead.

3.

Jesus heard man but believed Godthis He wanted Jairus to do.

II.

TO THE HOUSE OF JAIRUS, Mark 5:37-38.

1.

Just Peter, James and John were to accompany Him.

2.

A great tumult of weeping.

III.

THE PLACE OF DEATH, Mark 5:39-40.

1.

No need to weepshe sleeps.

2.

Scornall are asked to leave except the parents.

IV.

THE RESURRECTION, Mark 5:41-43.

1.

He taketh her by the hand and calls her by name.arise

2.

She immediately arose from the dead.

EXPLANATORY NOTES

Mark 5:35. While he yet spake, there came. why troublest thou the Master any further? Hitherto He had not shown His power over death, and so there may be an excuse for the message, but surely there might be some consolation in the words of such a Master! His presence need not be out of place in the house of mourning. There is a curtness and abruptness in this message which savors of unbelief.

Mark 5:36. As soon as Jesus heard (or not heeding) the word. Be not afraid, only believe. Jesus, perceiving the mischief which the message might work, at once put in a comforting and hope-inspiring word, Be not afraid, only believe.

Belief is in one sense the only thing needful, because it is the one condition on which we can receive salvation and grace from the Lord. But what does the Lord here mean by only believe? Only believe what? Why, evidently, that I have power after death, that My might reaches beyond the grave. If the man believed that his daughter was dead, and the Lord bid him fear not, it must mean fear not, but that I will give her to you again. If He added to this fear not the words only believe, it must mean, Believe that I am life to the dead. You may not know how, but let not your faith in Me fail, and you shall see.
If it be said that this was too much to require of this ruler, we can only answer that the Lord thought otherwise. The man had known of the healing of the centurion's servant, and of the woman with the issue, most probably also of the casting out of the devils out of the Gergesenes; and we know not how many more mighty works performed in Capernaum, and around the borders of the lake, and now he was asked to go one step further in the same road, i.e., to believe that death was not the termination of the Lord's power.

Mark 5:37. And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John, etc. The three who were to be witnesses of His Transfiguration, and of His agony.

Mark 5:38. And he cometh to the house. wept and wailed greatly. From the parallel words in St, Matthew, Saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, there is no doubt that these were hired mourners, such as are described in Jeremiah 9:17-18: Consider ye, and call for the mourning women that they may come; and send for cunning women, that they may come, and let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters.

Dr. Thomson, in The Land and the Book, says: Every particular here alluded to is observed on funeral occasions at the present day. There are in every city and community women exceedingly cunning in this business. These are always sent for and kept in readiness. When a fresh company of sympathizers comes in, these women -make haste-' to take up a wailing, that the newly come may the more easily unite their tears with the mourners. They know the domestic history of every person, and immediately strike up an impromptu lamentation, in which they introduce the names of their relations who have recently died, touching some tender chord of every heart, and thus each weeps for his own dead.

Mark 5:39. And when he was come in, he saith ... sleepeth. There can be little doubt but that the Saviour here employs the same way of speaking as when He says, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of sleep; and immediately afterwards He told them plainly, Lazarus is dead. Some have said that the maiden had fallen into the death-like swoon which often precedes, and then passes into actual death; but those watching her must have been conscious that so far as the help of man was concerned, all was over, or they would not have sent the message to the ruler which they did.

Mark 5:40. And they laughed him to scorn. This ridicule would be stimulated by their interests, for their wages as mourners depended on the death having actually taken place.

Them that were with him. Only Peter, James and John.

Mark 5:41-42. And he took the damsel by the hand. Talitha cumi. astonishment. The very Syriac or Aramaic words which the Lord used are here preserved by the Evangelist, doubtless from the recollection of St. Peter. The words properly translated are, Girl, arise. Quesnel'S remarks on this are well worth reproducing: The sacred Humanity is, as it were, the hand and instrument of the Divinity, to which it is united in the person of the Word. It is from this Humanity that our life proceeds, because it was in this that Christ died and rose again, and completed His Sacrifice. He is man, since He takes the dead person by the hand; He is God since He commands her to live, and to arise, and is immediately obeyed.

Mark 5:43. And he charged them straitly. given her to eat. It is to be noticed that in the case of the Gergesene demoniac, after healing He bade him make known what God had done for Him, and He Himself compelled the woman, in the last miracle, to confess her healing before the crowd. How is it that here He forbids the parents to make it known? Very probably He foresees how in some cases the fame of some mighty deed might be an hindrance to, as in other cases it might forward His real work.

Or in each He might have had regard to the spiritual temperament of those whom He charged. Canon Farrar has a good remark: If He added His customary warning, that they should not speak of what had happened, it was not evidently in the intention that the entire fact should remain unknown, for that would have been impossible, when all the circumstances had been witnessed by so many, but because those who had received from God's hand unbounded mercy are more likely to reverence that mercy with adoring gratitude, if it be kept like a hidden treasure in the inmost heart.

And commanded that something should be given her to eat. There must be some reason why this is specifically mentioned. It may have been to show the completeness of the recovery, in that one, a short time before so utterly prostrated and weak, should be able to take ordinary nourishment. It may be mentioned for a mystical significance, that those to whom God has given spiritual life, require spiritual food for its continuance. (M. F. Sadler)

FACT QUESTIONS 5:35-43

276.

Who do you suppose brought the news to Jairus of the death of his daughter?

277.

Why ask the question, Why dost thou trouble the teacher further?

278.

Please read Isaiah 42:3 and show how it is fulfilled in the dealing of Jesus with Jairus.

279.

Why send the crowd away?

280.

Why take the three?

281.

What do Matthew and Luke add to the description of the mourning?

282.

Why did Jesus say the girl was only asleep?

283.

Just what did Jesus say to the little girl?

284.

How do we know for certainty the girl was dead?

285.

Besides the physical restoration what was the purpose of this miracle? Was it accomplished?