MARKAN MEDITATIONS

Meditations in the Gospel of St.Mark

St. Mark 5:21-24;35-43

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THE NEXT section of Mark's Gospel has two incidents in it. At first they may seem to have much the same lessons for us to learn, but in fact, although some lessons are common to both, the healing of the woman with bleeding has some particular and important insights of its own, and so it is better to keep the two incidents separate. In this meditation we shall consider only the raising of Jairus' daughter.

It is noticeable, first of all, how the crowds again gathered around Jesus (v21). It would appear on the surface that this was an indication of seeking salvation. In fact we happen to know from other parts of the gospel, particularly John 6, that the crowds followed Jesus much more for temporal and earthly reasons, than for spiritual. So much of the crowd gathered to see a spectacle, or for some temporal benefit. It is still so even today. If we press, in our evangelism, Jesus as a healer of our earthly ills, then we shall find people gathering to embrace him, but sadly this does not mean necessarily that they have a care for their souls and eternal salvation.

There is a deep lesson in the approach of Jairus to Jesus. Would that this was the approach adopted always by us when we come to the Saviour. Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue. He was a very important member of his Jewish community. Jesus was not acceptable to the Jewish community as a whole, and the Pharisees perceived him as a threat and a danger. In spite of this Jairus was willing to approach Jesus with great trust, humility and commitment before the whole crowd gathered around Jesus. He was putting his reputation under threat.

He was ready to come in this way because he was desperate and had come to the end of his own resources. Unless Jesus healed, his precious daughter would die. So he fell humbly at Jesus feet acknowledging Jesus' lordship and supremacy above him. It was an attitude of subjection and worship. He made no demands, acknowledging he had no claim on the goodness and mercy of the Lord. He simply pleaded for his help. In his pleading there was such great faith. He never doubted the ability of Jesus to heal, he simply pleaded that he would be willing to do so. This excellent faith did not falter even when he heard of the death of his daughter. He believed the word of Jesus that he need not worry or be afraid.

Such humble and faithful approach is one we come to when we come to the end of ourselves, and fly to the Saviour in our need. It is when we see ourselves as totally lost in sin, that we then are ready to throw the world's opinions away, and openly throw ourselves on the mercy of Jesus. Even when we are healed and saved, this humility remains. It is just added to by a sense of deep love for the Saviour.

The response of Jesus to the pleading of Jairus is so reassuring and comforting. There was no delay or hesitation. We are told in verse 24 that Jesus immediately went with Jairus. Then when the report of the death of the little girl came with such shock, as they were on their way, Jesus immediately steps in to give reassurance to Jairus. This is ever the response of Jesus to the troubled and seeking soul, whether it is for the initial healing of salvation, or whether it is in the many needs which life brings to the Christian. It is Satan who creates doubts concerning this response of love and succour from Jesus. If he can cause doubts to rise in our minds, he is delighted because of the pain and suffering it brings into our lives, and the way it hurts our dear Lord. Meditate deeply on these simple words 'so Jesus went with him'. Let the truth in it sink deeply into our souls with all its implications of love and security. Then we will be strong in the day of trouble.

Then we have this amazing revelation and demonstration of the power and deity of the Lord. The child is dead. She had been dead for sometime, enough to make any resuscitation impossible without brain damage. By a word of divine authority he commands life to return to the child. She immediately stood up. She was in possession of all her faculties. She was immediately strong, with no weakness of the fever still with her. Her abundant health was seen in her immediate need and desire for food. We must never let the scepticism of the world take away from the clear evidence of history to the nature of Jesus. He is God. He is our creator. He has come to heal and to save. He has all the power to do this.

Finally we have in this raising of the daughter of Jairus a revealing of the great work Jesus came to do. He shows here he has power to cancel death. In this case it was just a demonstration, because no doubt the child later, at a good age, succumbed to the normal process of physical death. However Jesus by this raising reveals he has come to destroy death, which is the punishment of sin, and deliver his people from the prison of Satan's rule and dominion. It is pointing to the mighty work Jesus would do by his sacrificial death. It points to the fact that he would bear the sin of the world in his body on the cross, and so free those who believe in him from the consequences of their sins, so that they would not have to suffer eternal death, and that physical death would simply be the gateway to eternal life and glory. It points to his victory over death, by meeting all the demands of God in holiness against sin, exhausting those demands, so that the sentence of death is withdrawn.

Let us glory is the Saviour who raises the dead, by his dying for us and in our place. Let us glory in the fact that Jesus by his death has destroyed death for all believers.