While he was speaking to them, suddenly one of the officials came up, who bowed low in front of him and said, 'My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and her life will be saved.'19Jesus rose and, with his disciples, followed him.
20Then suddenly from behind him came a woman, who had been suffering from a haemorrhage for twelve years, and she touched the fringe of his cloak,21for she was thinking, 'If only I can touch his cloak I shall be saved.'22Jesus turned round and saw her; and he said to her, 'Courage, my daughter, your faith has saved you.' And from that moment the woman was saved.
23When Jesus reached the official's house and saw the flute-players, with the crowd making a commotion, he said,24'Get out of here; the little girl is not dead; she is asleep.' And they ridiculed him.25But when the people had been turned out he went inside and took her by the hand; and she stood up.
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered round him and he stayed by the lake.22Then the president of the synagogue came up, named Jairus, and seeing him, fell at his feet 23and begged him earnestly, saying, 'My little daughter is desperately sick. Do come and lay your hands on her that she may be saved and may live.' 24Jesus went with him and a large crowd followed him; they were pressing all round him.
25Now there was a woman who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years; 26after long and painful treatment under various doctors, she had spent all she had without being any the better for it; in fact, she was getting worse.27She had heard about Jesus, and she came up through the crowd and touched his cloak from behind, thinking,28'If I can just touch his clothes, I shall be saved.'29And at once the source of the bleeding dried up, and she felt in herself that she was cured of her complaint.30And at once aware of the power that had gone out from him, Jesus turned round in the crowd and said, 'Who touched my clothes?'31His disciples said to him, 'You see how the crowd is pressing round you; how can you ask, "Who touched me?"32But he continued to look all round to see who had done it. 33Then the woman came forward, frightened and trembling because she knew what had happened to her, and she fell at his feet and told him the whole truth.34'My daughter,' he said, 'your faith has restored you to health; go in peace and be free of your complaint.'
35While he was still speaking some people arrived from the house of the president of the synagogue to say, 'Your daughter is dead; why put the Master to any further trouble?'36But Jesus overheard what they said and he said to the president of the synagogue, 'Do not be afraid; only have faith.'37And he allowed no one to go with him except Peter and James and John the brother of James.38So they came to the house of the president of the synagogue, and Jesus noticed all the commotion, with people weeping and wailing unrestrainedly.39He went in and said to them, 'Why all this commotion and crying? The child is not dead, but asleep.'40But they ridiculed him. So he turned them all out and, taking with him the child's father and mother and his own companions, he went into the place where the child lay.41And taking the child by the hand he said to her, 'Talitha kum!' which means, 'Little girl, I tell you to get up.'42The little girl got up at once and began to walk about, for she was twelve years old. At once they were overcome with astonishment,43and he gave them strict orders not to let anyone know about it, and told them to give her something to eat.
On his return Jesus was welcomed by the crowd, for they were all there waiting for him. 41And suddenly there came a man named Jairus, who was president of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus' feet and pleaded with him to come to his house, 42because he had an only daughter about twelve years old, who was dying. And the crowds were almost stifling Jesus as he went.
43Now there was a woman suffering from a haemorrhage for the past twelve years, whom no one had been able to cure.44She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak; and the haemorrhage stopped at that very moment.45Jesus said, 'Who was it that touched me?' When they all denied it, Peter said, 'Master, it is the crowds round you, pushing.'46But Jesus said, 'Somebody touched me. I felt that power had gone out from me.'47Seeing herself discovered, the woman came forward trembling, and falling at his feet explained in front of all the people why she had touched him and how she had been cured at that very moment.48'My daughter,' he said, 'your faith has saved you; go in peace.'
49While he was still speaking, someone arrived from the house of the president of the synagogue to say, 'Your daughter has died. Do not trouble the Master any further.'50But Jesus heard this, and he spoke to the man, 'Do not be afraid, only have faith and she will be saved.'51When he came to the house he allowed no one to go in with him except Peter and John and James, and the child's father and mother.52They were all crying and mourning for her, but Jesus said, 'Stop crying; she is not dead, but asleep.'53But they ridiculed him, knowing she was dead.54But taking her by the hand himself he spoke to her, 'Child, get up.'55And her spirit returned and she got up at that very moment. Then he told them to give her something to eat.56Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
1. Jairus and the women both experienced great fear in the course of the events described here. Mark 5:33-36, Luke 8:47-50. They were not alone in that. We often experience fear and other negative emotions in route to healing and other blessings. That happens even when we are right in the middle of God’s will. We see that elsewhere in the gospels, Luke 1:5-12, Luke 1:29, Matthew 8:22-27 & parallel, Matthew 14:22-33 & parallel, and throughout scripture. Exodus 14:10-18, Deuteronomy 1:26-33, Judges 6:27.Indeed, Jesus Himself experienced great fear. Mathew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46. It is an unavoidable part of the human condition.
2. God knows that, and does not hold it us against us. Jesus did not reject the Jairus or the woman, but instead comforted them. Mark 5:33-36, Luke 8:47-50. Nor were the Hebrews rejected because of their fear by the Red Sea. Exodus 14:10-18. God stuck with Mary and Zechariah in spite of their fear at their annunciations, with the apostles in spite of their fearful responses to storms, Peter in spite of his fear driven denials, the terrified disciples at the resurrection, and Ananias when he initially balked at approaching the newly converted Saul. Luke 1:5-12, Luke 1:29, Matthew 8:22-27 & parallel, Matthew 14:22-33 & parallel, Luke 22:31-34, Mark 16:8, Luke 24:5 & 37, Acts 9:10-19.
3. We and others receive great blessings if we persist in seeking God’s will in spite of our fears/negative emotions. Jairus, his family and the woman experienced miraculous healing from grave maladies because the persisted in spite of their fears. Others were greatly edified by those healings, both then and in the centuries since. And think of the billions of billions of blessings that resulted from Mary and Ananias overcoming their fears.
4. Perhaps one way to understand this dynamic is to consider how a child develops. Every child must get through scary things in order to realize all the good that God created him or her for. Think of the fear involved in the first day of school. It can be scary, but the child must get through it to fully develop and experience/produce all the good God intends for and from the child. The continues with adults; we must go through things that inspire negative emotions in order to realize all the good God wants for and from us.
5. God therefore explicitly—and repeatedly—tells us to control our fear and other negative emotions. We see that here and elsewhere in the gospels, Mark 5:36, Luke 8:50, John 14:1, 27.We see thatin all parts of scripture. See e.g. Deuteronomy 1:29-31, Deuteronomy 7:17-19, Joshua 1:6-9, Psalm 37:1-11, Sirach 4:17-18, Isaiah 41:8-14, Philippians 4:6-7. It’s often hard, but in can be done to enough of an extent that we can get through them and realize the good that God intends. Indeed, God would not tell us to do something we are incapable of.
6. So how do we do that? Scripture reveals several specific ways:
A. Consider the deliverances God has worked from other seemingly overwhelming circumstances, both in your life and as recorded in scripture. Deuteronomy 1:29-31, 1 Samuel 17:31-37, Sirach 2:10-11, Hebrews 12:11-12.
B. Remember that God is in indeed in control and can deal with the things that scare us in ways we cannot understand or conceive of. We see that in Mary’s response to the annunciation, Luke 1:34-38, and (part of) Peter’s response to the storm after the feeding of the multitudes. Matthew 14:22-33. That thought pattern is implicit in David’s words in Psalm 23:4-5.
C. Focus on God, pray, talk to Him about what you are feeling. That’s what Jesus did during the terrifying time in Gethsemane. Mathew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46. Scripture repeatedly instructs this. Psalm 37:1-11; Psalm 55:1-2, 4-9, 16-19, 22; Isaiah 41:8-14; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:7.
D. Recognize that the disturbing circumstances will pass and that good things will come after—and likely because of—your getting through what’s immediately confronting you. Psalm 37:1-11, Sirach 4:17-18, Hebrews 12:11-12. See alsoRomans 5:3-5, Romans 8:18, James 1:2-3.
E. Realize that your response to your emotions will impact others. They will likely be blessed if you are able to control your fear/negative emotions. Joshua 1:6-9.
F. Do not delay dealing with whatever is prompting your fear/negative emotion. That’s what Jesus and Abraham did. Mark 14:32-42, Genesis 22:1-3. That makes sense: the longer you delay, the longer you will be exposed to those emotions. Conversely, the sooner you deal the thing prompting the emotions the sooner those emotions will pass.
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