† 12. Jairus' Daughter and the Woman with a Hemorrhage

Note

This reading will appear again later in this section (§ 8. Jesus' Ministry in Galilee Continued) as the 56th reading. Scholars have included it twice because they are following the lead of Mark and Luke instead of Matthew at that point.

Resurrection

The resurrection of the dead is the major theme of this episode.

Matthew's account in particular focuses on the little girl's resurrection. His details taken alone paint a picture of the coming resurrection of Jesus:

the girl's father comes to ask Jesus to raise her from the dead;
a group follows Jesus to her house in hope that she could live;
the crowd at the house are in mourning already;
everyone witnesses her death or the report of it;
those at home dispute the idea she could live;
only a select few are allowed to witness her resurrection;
the message spreads from these select witnesses far and wide.

Mark in his account also foresees resurrection and adds these supporting details:

death is to be met not with fear but faith;
the recently resurrected girl is to be given something to eat.

Luke captures the foregoing and notes the return of her spirit, a claim to the permanence of essence resurrection hinges upon.

Two Daughters

By giving the details of the two women and their respective 12 years right next to each other in his account (vv. 42–43), Luke prompts us to compare the two.

There are two daughters in this episode. The first is the ruler's literal daughter, who is 12 years old. But Jesus also calls the woman who had suffered hemorrhage for 12 years "daughter," a term of endearment and kindness.

While the little girl has a synagogue leader for her dad, the woman seemingly has no one to look after her. The little girl's father has not given up even though she has died, while the living woman's physicians say there's nothing more they can do. When Jesus calls the woman "daughter," He makes God her father and caretaker. The Lord cares for the poor and down-trodden even when they have no other!

If the little girl's resurrection foreshadows the resurrection of Christ, and Luke draws a parallel between the little girl and the woman, do we find resurrection in the woman's story, too? Indeed, we do!

The crowd of mourners did not believe the little girl would live; the disciples did not think it possible only a single person could have touched Jesus.
The little girl was dead when Jesus arrived; the woman carried a sentence of death before approaching Him.
The little girl was raised in private; the woman's healing remained hidden at first.
The little girl got up at once; the woman's flow of blood stopped immediately.
The story of the little girl's resurrection spread throughout the region; the woman's healing was revealed before the crowd.

Who Touched Me?

Mark and Luke go into detail about the manner in which the woman came to be healed. They emphasize that while the throng were pressing in on Him, only one person managed to touch Jesus—in a certain sense. She is different because she came to Him by faith!

Matthew 9

18 While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”
19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples.
20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment,
21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.”
22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.
23 And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion,
24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him.
25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.
26 And the report of this went through all that district.

My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.

The way Matthew words it, the ruler knows the girl is dead when he approaches Jesus. He must, therefore, believe in resurrection and in Jesus's power to raise the dead. In this way Matthew calls us to read the account as a foreshadow of the resurrection of Christ.

Though Mark and Luke both clearly indicate the girl had been alive when the ruler left the house, they also tell us word of her death reached them while they were still on the way—and they kept on. All three accounts demonstrate the ruler's belief in resurrection.

she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment…

The faith of this woman is that without even interrupting Jesus she can be healed of a chronic disease no doctor had been able to remedy—all she has to do is touch His garment. (The ruler, by contrast, had said, "Come and lay Your hand on her.") While being healed of disease and being raised from the dead seem to us like very different things, the fact is they are both beyond human capacity—and nothing is impossible for God.

the flute players and the crowd making a commotion

These are the signs of mourning for the dead. This detail shows her death is considered an established fact by those who are present at the time. The death of Christ was also witnessed and mourned by a great crowd.

Luke 23:47–48

Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.

the girl is not dead but sleeping

Both here and in John 11 the gospels record Jesus's use of the term "sleep" as a euphemism for "death." The people in this account evidently thought He meant literal sleep. But by speaking of her death in this way, Jesus is telling us all that death is not as permanent as we may think.

John 11:25–26

Jesus said…, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Revelation 14:13

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

For more on the euphemism "sleep," see the Appendix: Asleep in Jesus.

they laughed at him

These mourners may misunderstand Jesus's words, but they also represent doubt. His claim that she will be well again seems to them so impossible that it merits mockery.

The resurrection of Christ was similarly met with utter disbelief by some.

Matthew 27:62–64

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.”

Acts 17:32

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked….

when the crowd had been put outside

Matthew's account changes setting quickly from the large crowds outdoors to this private home, drawing our attention to this event and making clear the major theme. In this place, a select few will witness the little girl's resurrection.

In similar fashion, the resurrection of Christ was witnessed by a select few.

Acts 10:39–41

And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

the report of this went through all that district

The larger crowd witnessed the little girl's death; the smaller audience witnessed her resurrection. Despite the small audience, this girl's resurrection was not hidden, but spread far and wide.

After His resurrection, Christ directed His apostles to spread the news all over the world.

Matthew 28:19–20

“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Mark 5

21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea.
22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet
23 and implored him earnestly, saying, “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.”
24 And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.
25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years,
26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.
27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment.
28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.”
29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.
30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?”
31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’”
32 And he looked around to see who had done it.
33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth.
34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”
37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James.
38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.
39 And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.”
40 And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was.
41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”
42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.
43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name

Jairus does not appear anywhere else in the Bible except this episode. Matthew did not give us the name or office of the ruler. In general, Matthew's account is shorter, with fewer details than the other two, so the absence of the ruler's name is not surprising.

at the point of death

As mentioned earlier, Mark and Luke both tell us the girl was not yet dead at the start of the episode, while Matthew records the father telling Jesus she had just died. In point of fact, Mark says Jesus was busy speaking to the woman who had been healed and the crowd following when the messengers came with the news of the little girl's death. Matthew's account is thus perfectly harmonious: despite receiving the news of her death, the girl's father elects to keep going with Jesus.

If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.

The woman's concept is that Jesus's power is so great she only needs the smallest hint of His presence to be healed. The centurion who said to Jesus, "Only say the word, and my servant will be healed," evidenced the same concept (Matthew 8:5–13). So, too, did the woman who said to Him, "Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table" (Matthew 15:21–28). These all recognize the greatness of His power, and how nothing is too hard for God.

perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him

If any still wonder whether Jesus is deity, here is another clear indication. The power to heal came from Himself, with His full knowledge.

Who touched me?

Crowds may throng Him, but only one succeeded in actually reaching Him. She was the one who approached Him in faith. As was the case for the paralyzed man lowered through the roof to Jesus, this woman in her pursuit of the blessing shows persistence and ingenuity—which is what Jesus calls faith.

On the other hand, Jesus warned in another place:

Matthew 7:21–23

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

he looked around

This search for someone who will take responsibility and stand for truth is reminiscent of an earlier episode. Right before Jesus healed a man with a withered hand, He asked whether it was lawful to save life or kill on a Sabbath and "looked around" for anyone willing to stand up (Mark 3:1–5). At that time, no one did; this woman's faith and courage, then, are greater than that of the religious leaders of the day.

Do not fear, only believe.

Mark tells us Jesus said this directly to the ruler, likely indicating not everyone there heard this word.

The initial news of His resurrection was shared with only a few, and the contrast of fear and belief is also evident at that time.

Matthew 28:1, 10, 16–17

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. …Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” …Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.

Taking her by the hand he said to her…

Matthew said Jesus "took her by the hand," but Mark provides this additional detail. She was raised not by His touch alone but by His word!

As John also says:

John 5:24–25

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.”

immediately the girl got up and began walking

Mark shows the immediacy of her return to full function in life as an indication of the power of Christ's resurrection.

Luke 24:2–3

And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

he strictly charged them that no one should know this

As Mark 1:45 told us, the purpose of this charge is to keep the crowds from becoming overwhelming. Jesus wants to teach where the people can get to Him easily.

give her something to eat

It perhaps seems an odd instruction, but the purpose of eating immediately is to show resurrection is quite real. When Jesus was resurrected, He also made sure to eat in front of His disciples so that they understood He was no mere apparition but fully back from the dead.

Luke 24:36–43

As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.

Luke 8

40 Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.
41 And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house,
42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As Jesus went, the people pressed around him.
43 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone.
44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.
45 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!”
46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.”
47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed.
48 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
49 While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.”
50 But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.”
51 And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child.
52 And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.”
53 And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.
54 But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.”
55 And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat.
56 And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

he had an only daughter

And God's only Son also would die and be resurrected.

and she was dying

See the comment on Mark 5:23, "at the point of death."

twelve years of age…blood for twelve years

Luke is doing something amazing by placing the little girl and the woman side-by-side in adjacent verses. The little girl, the ruler's daughter, is 12 years old; the woman suffering for 12 years is called "daughter."

The little girl's age is not mentioned at all in Matthew, and Mark only gives it by way of explanation at the end of his account. Luke's order and wording clearly joins the two daughters in parallel stories of redemption!

the fringe of his garment

The idea seems to have spread by later in Matthew.

Matthew 14:35–36

And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

One could even say that David, by getting the edge of Saul's coat in 1 Samuel 12, obtained for himself a kind of resurrection by reversing Saul's death sentence against himself.

her spirit returned

Luke's wording is consistent with the euphemism "sleep," where the essence of the person lives on, merely dwelling elsewhere at this time.

Paul expresses a similar thought with the illustration of the body as a tent:

2 Corinthians 4:16

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians 5:1

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

§ 8. Jesus' Ministry in Galilee Continued