Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

 Sermon Text: Mark 5:21-24a,35-43

 Other Readings: Lamentations 3:22-33 and 2 Corinthians 4:7-15


 

  1. One commentator wrote, “Notice both the faith and its limits in Jairus.” How does Jairus display faith in Jesus? What limits might Jairus have had about Jesus’ power?
     
  2. There are people who try to discredit this miracle by saying that the girl was not truly dead; she was just in a coma or some other condition where she could be confused for dead. In the text, what disproves the claim that she was not truly dead?
     
  3. What does it say about Jesus that he made sure the girl was given something to eat right (v. 43)? How can that be an encouragement to you?
     
  4. In verse 43, Jesus commanded the parents not to tell anyone what happened. It seems counterintuitive, but Jesus obviously thought that something could go wrong if the parents would promote this miracle. Come up with some things that might have gone wrong if the parents went around actively promoting this.
     
  5. These verses can comfort us about our Christian loved ones who have died and can comfort us about our own death. But how might you use this account and/or the other readings to support someone else who is dealing with death and grief?

 

  1. Jairus displays faith in Jesus by going to him, by trusting in his power to heal, and by being confident that Jesus wants to help people like him and his little daughter.
    Jairus may have put limits on Jesus’ faith when he said that Jesus should “come and put [his] hands on her” (v. 23 NIV). That may indicate that, unlike the centurion of Matthew 8, Jairus thought Jesus     had to be present and had to do a physical touch in order to heal.
     
  2. Even if she were just sleeping, Jesus still performed a tremendous miracle, making the girl completely whole immediately. But we know it was a resurrection because, first, there are eyewitnesses who saw her condition before and after the resurrection. They could attest to the fact that she had been gravely ill but alive and then did die. Secondly, there were mourners who had shown up. (It was customary to begin and/or conduct funerals on the day of death, and that culture often hired ‘professional’ mourners to help with remembering the dead.) Thirdly, Jesus was openly mocked when he said that she was “sleeping.”
     
  3. It says that Jesus cares even about our “smaller” physical needs. He had just raised the girl from the dead, but he also wanted to make sure that after a bout of illness she had some food in her stomach to aid her. In the same way, Jesus is active in even the most basic, mundane blessings of life and can be a reminder that even in the ordinary moments we can know that everything is right between us and God.
     
  4. If the parents went around actively promoting this their accounts, understandably, would be emotional, and they might embellish certain things or have things less than correct. Secondly, they might draw more attention to Jesus as just a miracle worker, as opposed to the one who came to preach the good news, which works faith. Lastly, one commentator noted that this might be a way to protect Jairus and family from the Pharisees who may have persecuted him if they knew that a local synagogue ruler had gone to Jesus for help.
     
  5. Answers will vary based on personal perspective. But perhaps we can note these things. First, Jesus never tells Jairus not to be sad; he just tells him not to let fear overcome his faith. In the same way, we ought to let people grieve; Christians can be sad even if they know death is a sleep. Secondly, the family and disciples probably looked back in appreciation for Jesus’ calm, stable demeanor. Not that you have to be a robot or put on some fake heroic demeanor, but perhaps your stable presence alone can be a support to those who have been shaken by death. That starts with knowing that death truly is just a sleep for believers. God bless the chances you get to serve others when they grieve!