Crispus, Jimmy, June 3

Mark 5

Jesus has returned to Capernaum again! After He fed the 5000, Jesus got into a boat with His disciples and crossed the lake. Along with all the other people, I had to take a day to walk around it to catch up. When I caught up with Him, He was walking through the streets of Capernaum, with people crowding around Him. Jairus, the local synagogue leader, all of a sudden appeared before Jesus and kneeled before Him. I listened, curious as to what Jairus would say.

As it seems, Jairus’ daughter had become ill while I was following Jesus, and was near death. Jairus had heard of Jesus, and wanted Jesus to heal his daughter. Right as Jairus asked, Jesus agreed to go with him, and they both started walking toward Jairus’ home. The crowd followed, when all of a sudden, Jesus paused. He looked around and asked, “Who touched my robe?” The people were puzzled, as they were all pressing around Jesus. Then a woman with a bleeding problem, whom I had seen before, stepped forward. She had been healed! The crowd was amazed. This woman had been sick for ages, and we had all watched as she paid crackpot doctors to give her treatments, but she still became worse. Now, just by reaching to touch Jesus’ garment as He walked by, Jesus had healed her! Jesus turned to the woman. She was afraid, but Jesus comforted her, saying, “Daughter, your faith has made you well.”

Another of Jairus’ servants showed up just then. He said to Jairus, “Your daughter has died.” Jairus’ face sank, but Jesus told him not to be afraid, but to have faith. Then Jesus told the rest of us to wait, took three of His disciples with Jairus, and went to Jairus’ home. The crowd, with me in it, waited with anticipation. We guessed what Jesus would do. Some said Jesus would comfort the family, but I knew what Jesus would do. About half an hour later, Jesus returned. Then we heard laughter and shouts of joy as the girl walked down the street after Jesus, between her parents!

I thought about what I had seen of Jesus. He healed in response to faith, not status, gender, race, or heritage. He healed the peasant, the cripple, the sick woman, and the daughter of the synagogue ruler. What had prompted the healings? Jesus had said their faith was why they were healed.