Mk 5:21-43 [or 5:21-24, 35-43]
Mark’s account of the raising of the daughter of Jairus is divided into two parts with the healing of a woman with hemorrhages sandwiched in between. This technique, referred to as intercalating, is used extensively by Mark.
Mark’s account of the raising of the daughter of Jairus is divided into two parts with the healing of a woman with hemorrhages sandwiched in between. This technique, referred to as intercalating, is used extensively by Mark.
A number of points are presented for our consideration. First, the faith of Jairus and that of the unnamed woman is contrasted to the lack of faith of the crowd and the disciples. Jairus requests that Jesus come and lay his hands on his daughter for the purpose of healing. The woman just wants to touch Jesus’ clothing. In both cases physical contact with Jesus accompanied by faith effected a cure. The emphasis is not on the cure, however, but on the faith of these two people.
Second, Mark adds a touch of ironic humor to the narrative of the woman with the hemorrhages. All hemmed in by a crowd, much like lines in an amusement park or in an airport, where lots of people touch each other, Jesus asks, “Who has touched my clothes?” (v 30). The answer is impossible, except for Jesus, who is “aware… that power had gone out from him” (v 30). The disciples do not understand. Thus, the “unlikely but present faith” of a smart woman is set side-by-side with the “likely but not present” faith of Jesus’ own disciples.
Third, the story of Jairus becomes even more complicated with the reported death of his daughter. He had sought a cure; now, he must seek her life. “Don’t be afraid; just believe,” Jesus tells him. Thus, the faith of Jairus is contrasted to the lack of faith of the people of his household, who were weeping and wailing loudly.
Fourth, the awakening of the little girl by Jesus faintly echoes the resuscitation of the son of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kgs 17:17-24). When the life breath returns to the boy, his mother declares, “Now indeed I know that you are a man of God… The word of the Lord comes truly from your mouth” (17:24). In relating this story, Mark is declaring Jesus to be a great prophet like Elijah, who will later appear in the transfiguration narrative.