48 TIME-LIFE MIRACLES OF FAITH
ACTS OF DESPERATION
REACHING OUT
FOR HELP
On hiswaythroughthecrowd,Jesusissidetrackedbya
woman who desperately needs his attentionT
he people of Capernaum, a fishing village
on the Sea of Galilee, have seen Jesus per-
form a number of healings during his pre-
vious visits. So a large crowd is waiting for
him when he returns with his disciples. Ac-
cording to the Gospel of Mark, Rabbi Jairus, a leader of the
local synagogue, comes forward and falls to the ground in
front of Jesus, imploring him for help: “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.”
But before he can get to the home of this important
and powerful man, Jesus is interrupted. As he walks with
Jairus, the crowd follows, crushing up against Jesus. At
one point, according to Mark, Jesus stops and asks, “Who
touched my clothes?”
His disciples are bewildered, replying, “You see the
crowd pressing in on you; how can you say ‘Who touched
me?’ ” But, according to Luke, Jesus persists: “Someone
touched me; for I noticed that power
had gone out from me.”
At last, a woman emerges from the
crowd and admits to touching Jesus’
clothing in the hope that he might heal
the bleeding illness from which she
has suffered for 12 years. According to
biblical law, a menstruating woman is
considered “ceremonially unclean” and is not allowed to
touch anyone, nor enter a synagogue. On those days, she
is “untouchable.” By breaking a sacred rule and defiling
Jesus with her touch, she commits a bold, desperate act to
get well. Jesus forgives the woman, saying, “Daughter, your
faith has made you well; go in peace.”
But as Jesus speaks with the woman, bad news comes
from the home of Rabbi Jairus. A messenger tells Jairus,
“Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any lon-
ger.” When Jesus hears this, he assures the grief-stricken
rabbi, “Do not fear. Only believe, and shewill be saved.”
Jesus arrives at Jairus’ house to find a group of wailing
mourners. According to Mark’saccount, Jesus addresses
them: “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The
child is not dead but sleeping.” They begin to laugh at this
preposterous notion, at which point Jesus insists that ev-
eryone leave the house except the girl’s parents and his
disciples Peter, James, and John.
Jesus approaches the motionless
child and takes her hand, intoning,
“Talitha cum!”—in Aramaic, “Little girl,
get up!” The rabbi’s daughter arises im-
mediately and begins to walk. Jesus in-
structs her astonished parents to tell no
one what has happened. But details of
the event spread throughout the area. ▪SHE WAS ONLY SLEEPING
Jesus Raising of the Daughter of
Jairusby Paolo Veronese
(c. 1546). Surrounded by her
family and the disciples, the
daughter of Jairus rose from
sleep. Her resurrection, a test of
faith, was the first of many.NEW TESTAMENT