Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

One of my favorite passages in Mark’s gospel is the interweaved stories of a distressed father and a chronically sick woman. 

Jairus said to Jesus, “My daughter is dying. Please come to my home and save her.” In the translations I use Jairus asks Jesus to “heal her” instead of “save her”. Maybe because translators want Jesus to heal sickness and save souls. 

But the original language uses the same word for bodies and souls. Jairus asked Jesus to save his daughter from dying.   

As Jesus left for Jairus’ home, a woman was stalking him. She had suffered much under the care of many doctors, and spent all her money, but she kept getting sicker and sicker. That’s not a glowing endorsement of the medical profession that Mark gives us. 

In Luke’s gospel, the story says the woman had been sick for twelve years and no one could heal her (Luke 8:43). Dr. Luke didn’t even mention the medical profession that Mark disparaged. 

Luke says the woman needed healing, using the Greek word “therapy”. But this woman had had enough therapy from many doctors. She wanted someone to save her from–to save her from her illness and from the professionals who had taken all her money. She said, “If I touch Jesus’ clothes, I’ll be saved” (Mark 5:28). 

So she stalked Jesus in the crowd and got close enough to touch his garment. Mission accomplished. Then she disappeared. 

But not so fast . . . 

Jesus sensed he’d just healed someone and said, “Who touched me?” His disciples said, “You’re being ridiculous. In this crowd, everybody touches you.” But Jesus kept looking until the woman re-surfaced to tell her story. Jesus said, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace” (Mark 5:32-34). 

What do you think? Was she healed or saved? 

Meanwhile, what about Jairus’ daughter? Messengers arrived and reported that the girl had died. That didn’t deter Jesus. He said, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe” (Mark 5:35-36). Can Jesus save this situation? 

When Jesus arrived at Jairus’ home, mourners were already wailing outside. Jesus brushed past them, entered the house, and raised the child from the dead. “Maybe she’d like something to eat,” he suggested. 

What do you think? Did Jesus save her or heal her? 

Let’s pray. 

O Jesus, two people needed to be saved. Jairus wanted you to save his dying daughter. The sick woman wanted you to save her from 12 years of illness.  

We also come to be saved. To be saved from chronic medical problems doctors cannot cure. To be saved from persistent mental illness for which psychiatrists have no answer. To be saved from ourselves, from anxiety and depression and attitudes that grow hard and harder and more unwelcoming. 

Save us from ourselves, that we may find our life in you. 

O Jesus, look at us when we reach out to you, feel our hand touching your garment. Accept our meagre faith. Give us life and health and gladness. 

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

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