54. A Girl and a Woman

When Jesus had crossed over in the boat to the other side, a great crowd came to him by the sea. Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue, came and fell at his feet, saying, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please come and lay your hands on her, that she may be healed, and live.”

Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed, pressing against him on all sides. In the crowd was a woman who had experienced a menstrual bleed for twelve years, suffering from many doctors’ treatments, and spending all she had while getting worse, not better. Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd, and touched the fringe of his clothes, thinking, “If I just touch his clothes, I’ll be made well.” Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

Jesus, perceiving that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd, and asked, “Who touched me?”

His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you, and you say, ‘Who touched me?’”

But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, because power has gone out of me.” He looked around to see who had done this. The woman, in fear and trembling at what she had done, came and fell down before him, and told him everything.

He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be cured of your disease.”

While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue ruler’s house came saying, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher anymore?”

When Jesus heard the message, he said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; only believe.” He allowed no one to follow him, except Peter, James, and John. Coming to the house, he saw an uproar with weeping and great wailing. When he had entered the house, he said to them, “Why do you make an uproar and weep? The child is not dead, but is asleep.”

They ridiculed him. But having sent them outside, he took the child’s father, mother, and those who were with them, and went in where the child was lying. Taking her by the hand, he said, “Talitha cumi!” which means, “Girl, I tell you, get up!” Immediately the girl, who was twelve years old, rose up and walked. They were amazed.  He told them no one should know this, and said something should be given her to eat.

Jesus had a reputation as a healer, and yet there was often opposition to him. In this story, some ridiculed him when he said Jairus’ daughter was not dead, but asleep. Do you think of yourself as a negative person? How would others describe you in this regard? What creates a negative attitude in people?

Prayer: Stop me, Lord, whenever I am tempted to make fun of others to cover up the pain in my own life.