Jairus’s Little Girl

“Do not be afraid; just believe.” — Mark 5:36

When Jesus came back across the lake, a big crowd was waiting for Him. One of the leaders of the synagogue, a man called Jairus, pushed his way through the crowd and fell at Jesus’ feet.

“My little daughter is dying,” he begged. “Please come and put Your hands on her, so that she will get better and live!”

So Jesus went with him. And the whole crowd came too, pressing in all around Jesus.

In the crowd there was a woman who had been ill for twelve years. She had been bleeding all that time, and it wouldn’t stop. She had been to lots of doctors and spent all her money, but instead of getting better, she had got worse. Because of her illness, the law said she was “unclean”, so she wasn’t supposed to touch anyone.

She had heard about Jesus. “If I can just touch His clothes,” she thought, “I will be healed.” So she crept up behind Jesus in the crowd and touched His cloak.

Immediately the bleeding stopped! She could feel in her body that she was healed.

At once Jesus knew that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd. “Who touched My clothes?” He asked.

“Look at this crowd pressing all around You,” His disciples said, “and You ask, ‘Who touched Me?’”

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, trembling with fear, came and fell at His feet and told Him the whole truth.

“Daughter,” Jesus said kindly, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace, and be free from your suffering.”

He called her “Daughter”. For twelve years nobody had wanted to touch her. Now Jesus called her part of His family.

But while Jesus was still speaking, some men came from Jairus’s house. “Your daughter is dead,” they told Jairus. “Why bother the Teacher any more?”

Jesus heard what they said. He turned to Jairus. “Don’t be afraid,” He said. “Just believe.”

Jesus took only Peter, James and John with Him. At Jairus’s house, people were crying and wailing loudly. “Why all this noise and crying?” Jesus said. “The child isn’t dead. She’s asleep.” And they laughed at Him.

But Jesus sent them all outside. He took the girl’s mother and father and His three disciples into the room where she was lying. He took her by the hand and said, “Talitha koum!” That means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”

And immediately the little girl stood up and began to walk around! She was twelve years old. Her parents were completely amazed.

Jesus told them to give her something to eat.

Read it in your Bible: Mark 5:21–43

Dear Jesus, thank you that you care about every person in the crowd, and that you are stronger than sickness and even death. When I am afraid, help me to hear you say, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Amen.