Today’s Scripture Readings

Gospel Reading

NRSV

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered round him; and he was by the lake. 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.’ So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.’ Immediately her haemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, “Who touched me?” ’ He looked all round to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 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, some people came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, ‘Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.’ 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. He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha cum’, which means, ‘Little girl, get up!’ And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

The two miracles that Jesus performs in today’s reading are incredible for us to consider.

Here we are presented with two desperate scenarios: a 12 year old child at the point of death, and a woman who has suffered physically and been excluded from her community for 12 years because of hemorrhages.

What I particularly notice about the reading today is the intimate nature of how Jesus chooses to heal the child, who has just been announced dead (Mark 5:35-43). After the disbelief and laughter of those who had gathered within the house upon Jesus’ arrival, Jesus proceeds to ask them to leave and then he takes only the father and the mother into the house where the child is, and there, with only the family, he performs the healing.

I can imagine in this scene the father and mother, full of shock and grief, yet holding on to desperate faith in the hope of the one who can heal all sickness. In this moment, Jesus chooses to reveal his divine nature in the world and supernaturally heals the child physically, bringing her back to the fullness of life. All this happens through an element of touch (Jesus touches her hand) and speech, as Jesus uses his words to call the child back to wellness. And, with this, she is healed.

God continues to draw close to each one of us today through the power of the Holy Spirit.

How might you invite God to bring you back to the fullness of life?