Introduction: Jesus spent a lot of His earthly ministry meeting with and helping people. Many of these were among the poor or lower classes of people, but He also ministered to those who had status. Jairus was one of these, a synagogue ruler, who came to Jesus when his daughter, his only child, was dying. His concern, in approaching Jesus for help, makes him a great father!
The story of Jairus and his daughter is found in the Gospels by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Being a doctor himself (Colossians 4:14), Luke adds his own perspective to this event.
I Jairus spoke with Jesus
[Luke 8:40-42, KJV] 40 And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people [gladly] received him: for they were all waiting for him. 41 And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house: 42 For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.
In the immediate context, Jesus and the disciples had just returned from a journey to the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. There He had met with, and healed, a man who had a considerable amount of demons living inside him; in fact, when Jesus asked the man’s name, he replied “Legion, for we are many (Mark 5:9)”! A Roman legion, in terms of army organization, was around 6000 soldiers but it is not certain if the man had that many demons or if they were giving an approximation (“there’s more of us than there is of you and we can get more!”) for effect. Regardless, Jesus cast out every demon and restored the man to his senses (Luke 8:30-40).
Now Jesus and the disciples have returned to the western side of the Sea of Galilee, probably back to Capernaum where He had done several things (see Luke 7). Luke does not say where Jesus was going; only that people were waiting for Him, again probably near the shore. There is a similar incident, where many people were waiting for Him, in John 6 after Jesus had fed the 5000 people using only five loaves of bread and two small fish.
While Jesus and the disciples were apparently making their way through the crowd, someone was making his way to Jesus! His name was Jairus, and he was “a ruler of the synagogue”. And Jairus had a serious problem: his only child, his daughter, was dying,
The girl was only twelve years old, and may have been looking forward to a full and productive life in Capernaum or anywhere she and maybe her family, too, might live. But now, she has a serious condition. She’s not only sick, she’s dying, and there doesn’t seem to be anything that anybody could do. Besides, if her father had contacted or consulted any doctors, Luke doesn’t mention anything about this in the text.
So, maybe out of sheer desperation, Jairus went to find Jesus (how did he know where Jesus was?) and ask Him, interestingly, to only come to his house. And Jesus agreed to go with him.
Verses 43-48 relate an incident that happened as Jesus was walking with Jairus back to his house. The text is omitted here but describes how a woman, who had a serious medical problem of her own, came behind Jesus, touched part of His clothing, and was instantly healed. When Jesus asked who had touched Him, the woman explained everything. Jesus gave her a warm and comforting parting thought and continued on His journey with Jairus back to the house.
But what was going to happen once Jesus arrived at the house?
II Jairus heard something from a messenger
[Luke 8:49] While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's [house], saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. 50 But when Jesus heard [it], he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.
One of the most unpleasant things anyone has to do is inform a person that a loved one has died. Many, if not most, of us recall hearing the news that a parent, grandparent, sibling, or even child has lost the battle for life—and is dead.
It couldn’t be easy for anyone to bring such a message to a father, especially Jairus, who knew his daughter was dying already. Now, he receives word that she’s dead. Even worse, the messenger adds a perhaps well-intentioned remark, “don’t bother the Teacher (there isn’t anything He can do for her now, is implied).” Jairus must have felt any number of emotions at this time: grief, now that she’s gone; dismay, as he had no other children; uneasiness, because what would the members of the synagogue think (oh, he must have sinned greatly or his child wouldn’t have died); maybe even more emotions.
Please keep in mind that most people back then seemed to think that if something bad happened to you, or your children, it was a result of sin. The disciples themselves were still thinking of this at a later time when they and Jesus found a man who had been born blind (John 9). They asked Jesus who had sinned, either the man or his parents, because the man was blind from his birth.
Jesus, however, didn’t think that way at all! When He heard the message, and perhaps saw the result it had on Jairus, Jesus then gave Jairus some very comforting words: “Stop fearing, only believe (that I can do something about this) and she’ll be made whole (I’ll restore her to you).”
But they were not yet at Jairus’ house, even though his daughter (at least her body) was still there. What kinds of thoughts were going through Jairus’ mind at this time? Did he really believe Jesus could heal his daughter, let alone bring her back to life?
He and several other people were about to find out.
III Jairus showed a lack of faith
[Luke 8:51] And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. 52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. 53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
Verse 51 mentions “he”, in reference to Jesus Himself. Jesus didn’t “suffer (KJV)” or permit anyone else to enter Jairus’ house except Peter, James, and John plus Jairus and his wife. One reason for this was to reduce the noise! Matthew’s account says there were minstrels, or those who made music; and “people making a noise (Matthew 9:23)”. Mark’s account (Mark 5:38) relates that there was a “tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly”. My wife shared with me that Jesus needed their full attention, which would have been difficult at best with all the noise going on. The crowd meant well, I’m sure, but they would have just plain been in the way while Jesus was trying to minister to Jairus and his wife.
Another reason why it may have been so difficult for the Lord to minister to Jairus was that Jairus and his wife may have been overcome with their own grief. Luke says in verse 52 that “all wept, and bewailed her” so this may include Jairus and his wife. This would be understandable; after all, the little girl was their only child and, besides that, grief is universal. Jairus may also have felt let down: he had asked Jesus to come heal his daughter, and if they hadn’t been interrupted by the woman who touched Jesus’ garments (see verses 43-48), they might have made it in time to save his daughter from death.
But that didn’t happen.
And now, Jairus’ daughter was dead. Her body is lying in place; the mourners are outside, playing music, weeping and making noise; and all their hopes for the future are gone.
Then Jesus spoke a message to them: “Weep not” or, “Stop weeping”; they were already weeping (because of their grief, most likely). Jesus went on to say, “she’s not dead, but is asleep (paraphrased).” How do you think the people responded to that statement?
They laughed Him to scorn! Now, one thing that has amazed me every time I’ve read this story—from any of the Gospel writers—is how quickly the other people changed from grief to whatever emotion caused them to burst into laughter at Jesus. I mean, Jairus had already expressed his belief that Jesus could heal the little girl, and I’m sure he was sincere in that regard; but now Jairus shows a tremendous lack of faith. The same is probably true for his wife; maybe even the three disciples fell into this despair too.
And it was all because Jesus said “she’s asleep” when the others knew she was dead (how?).
But now Jesus was going to prove He could even raise people from the dead!
IV Jairus received his daughter—and something else
[Luke 8:54] And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. 55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. 56 And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.
When the people, most likely Jairus, his wife, and perhaps others, laughed Jesus “to scorn”, Jesus simply told them to leave. All of them. Then He performed one of His greatest miracles, right there in Jairus’ own house.
Jesus took the little girl’s hand and said (here), “Maid, arise”. Mark’s version adds the Aramaic version of Jesus’ own words” “Talitha kumi” which meant “little girl, I say to you, arise!” In one of his works, Dr. J. Vernon McGee relates that Jesus used some very tender words here: ”Little lamb, get up.” What a contrast to the grief Jesus had endured from Jairus, during this whole episode; plus the unbelief from the very people who had asked Him for help.
He spoke only a few words, and SHE WAS ALIVE!
Luke says the little girl’s “spirit came again (which, being a doctor, Luke would know when the spirit was in the body or otherwise)” and that she arose IMMEDIATELY (“straightway, KJV’). But Jesus didn’t stop there. He also commanded that they give her something to eat. Why the Lord gave this command is nowhere explained or specified. There is no need to speculate.
But the Lord didn’t stop there. Unbelief cannot be rewarded. And there had been plenty of unbelief during this episode. So, Jesus was going to reward their faith and their request (He did heal their daughter—He brought her back to life!) but He was also going to punish their unbelief. This is how He did it.
Note in verse 56 that her parents were “astonished”; a current expression is that they had a “deer in the headlight” look. They had seen their daughter sick, they had seen their daughter’s body after she had died, and now they’re seeing her alive again. Who wouldn’t be astonished at something like this! They couldn’t believe it would happen, and now they’re amazed beyond words that it did happen!
And yet Jesus gave them one of the most unusual commands in the Bible.
He “charged” them—gave them strict orders—to not tell anybody what had happened. Whether or not they followed that command is never specified but just think, a concerned father received more than he asked, but lost the chance to declare what Jesus had done because of his unbelief. May we never fall into the same trap that snared Jairus, but always have faith in what Jesus and all that He can do for us, with us, and through us!
Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV).
