All Things New in Jesus

Faith gives life. Two miracles – the cure of a woman with the flow of blood and the rising of Jairus’ daughter – are presented by Mark to portray the crucial role of faith to those who come to Jesus. The miracles wrought by Jesus in today’s Gospel are responses to faith. The woman shows faith in Jesus in believing that she could be cured by even just touching a part of his garment. Her faith makes her dare to dare Jewish law that says that any woman with a flow blood is in the state of uncleanness (Lv 15:25-28). Anyone who has contact with her will also be considered unclean. But Jesus’ holiness is beyond contamination of impurity imposed by human law. Instead of being contaminated himself, he effects healing and restoration by saying, “Go in peace and be cured of your afflictions” (v34). Jesus effects a two-level healing on her: physical and spiritual. From being devalued and unwelcome in society, from being regarded as unclean and unholy, she is healed by Jesus and restored to society. Jesus grants both salvation and life to her who has displayed faith in him.

The same firm faith is manifested by Jairus. He asks Jesus for the healing of his daughter. He does not lose faith even though the news came to him that his daughter already died. In response to his faith, Jesus enters his house and raises his child.

GOSPEL Matthew 5:21-43 | 5:21-24, 35b-43

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named, Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.” He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?” But his disciples said to Jesus, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, “Who touched me?” And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?” Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the hose of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping?” The child is not dead but asleep. And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, ”Talitha kuom,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no none should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.