Jairus' daughter lives

Jesus crossed the sea, and a large crowd gathered around him. Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue, came to Jesus and fell at his feet. His little daughter was close to death. Jairus begged Jesus to come, lay his hands on her, and heal her. Jesus went with him.

On the way, a woman who had been ill for twelve years came through the crowd and touched Jesus' clothes. She was healed. Jesus stopped, and the woman came before him and told him the truth. Jesus spoke kindly to her and told her that her faith had made her whole.

While Jesus was still speaking, people came from Jairus' house. They said his daughter had died. Jesus told Jairus not to be afraid, but to believe.

Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him to the house. People there were weeping. Jesus went in with the girl's father, mother, and the disciples who were with him. He took the girl by the hand and told her to arise.

Immediately she got up and walked. Mark tells us she was twelve years old. Everyone there was greatly astonished. Jesus told them not to spread the news, and he also told them to give the girl something to eat.

Jesus had crossed the sea again when a large crowd gathered around him near the shore. Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue, came to Jesus, fell at his feet, and begged for help. His little daughter was at the point of death. Jairus asked Jesus to come, lay his hands on her, and heal her so that she might live. Jesus went with him, and the crowd followed closely.

The journey was interrupted. A woman who had suffered from an issue of blood for twelve years came up behind Jesus in the crowd and touched his garment. She had suffered much under many physicians, spent all she had, and grown worse rather than better. She believed that touching Jesus' clothes would make her whole. She was healed immediately.

Jesus knew that power had gone out from him and asked who had touched his clothes. The disciples pointed out how tightly the crowd surrounded him, but Jesus kept looking. The woman came trembling, fell before him, and told him the truth. Jesus called her daughter, said her faith had made her whole, and told her to go in peace.

Then came the hardest news for Jairus. People from his house reported that his daughter had died and said there was no need to trouble the Master further. Jesus heard the message and told Jairus not to be afraid, but to believe.

Jesus allowed only Peter, James, and John to follow him. At the house there was loud weeping. Jesus said that the child was not dead but sleeping, and the people laughed at him. He put them outside, then took the girl's father and mother and those with him into the room.

Jesus took the girl by the hand and spoke the words Mark records as Talitha cumi. Mark explains that Jesus was telling the girl to arise. She immediately stood up and walked. She was twelve years old. Those present were astonished. Jesus strictly told them that no one should know it, and he commanded that something be given to her to eat.

The account places Jairus' urgent request around the healing of another person. The delay did not prevent Jesus from reaching Jairus' daughter, and the final detail about food keeps the moment wonderfully concrete: the girl who had died was alive, walking, and ready to be cared for.