Jairus' Daughter

There is a concept in the medical world called “triage”. In emergency rooms it’s not “first come first serve” doctors give priority to those who are the most critical.

Jesus did not practice triage when he healed the sick. Sometimes the critically ill waited while Jesus healed someone not as critical.

Consider, Mark 5:22-43 which records the accounts of Jesus bringing a 12 year old girl back to life and the healing of a woman who had a bleeding disorder for 12 years.

Jairus is the ruler of the synagogue, he’s an important guy. He comes to Jesus and states, “My little daughter is at the point of death: I pray thee, that thou come and lay thy hands on her that she may be made whole and live”.

I imagine he had run, not walked, to Jesus in great fear of losing his 12 year old daughter. I imagine his feelings were more like this, “Please Jesus my precious little girl is about to die… I love her. Help me please help me. Hurry we need to get going so you can save her.”

So, Jesus and the surrounding crowd start following Jairus back to his home. Along the way, with the crowd pressing in on him, Jesus stops and turns around and faces the crowd and states, “Who touched me?” The disciples are incredulous and state, “the crowd is pressing on us and you ask who touched me?”

And then unfolds the story of the woman with the chronic bleeding disorder and Jesus’ healing of her. In the meantime Jairus’ daughter dies.

Jairus is identified several times in this text as being “the ruler of the synagogue”. That’s not by accident. Jairus was a very important person. I’m sure the disciples realized how important the healing of “the ruler of the synagogues” daughter would be to Jesus’ ministry. That has to be part of the reason the disciples were distraught at the delay caused by Jesus stopping to heal the woman with the bleeding disorder.

Jairus had been afraid that he would lose his daughter. When the report of her death comes he is no longer afraid… he is sorrowful, and yet Jesus tells him to “fear not… only believe” and continues the walk to Jairus’ home and proceeds to bring Jairus’ daughter back to life.

An important concept is taught here, Jesus can not only heal… he can bring the dead back to life. Triage may be important for doctors but when you can bring the dead back to life… it’s not that important. The scriptures say that the “ruler of the synagogue” was amazed with great amazement. I guess so.