“Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, Do not fear, only believe.’” (Mark 5:36b

Jairus and this nameless woman were both moved by desperation to seek out the Lord and He did not reject them. He healed the woman instantly just as she touched the fringe of His robe. Then He made her act of faith and healing known to all. Her whole life was changed. She was touched by the mercy of God, cleansed and made whole.

Due to Jesus’ delay, however, things got worse for Jairus. When Jesus and Jairus arrived at his house, the mourners were already there. It looked like it was too late. But not so. Jesus removed the mourners. Then He raised the little girl from the dead. When I was a kid I remember seeing a painting of this in our family Bible. The little girl was as white as alabaster and Jesus was holding her hand as she was sitting up. The onlookers stand amazed. How incredible this must have been for all to see, particularly Jairus. He received a blessing because he decided to trust Jesus despite the damage it would do to his reputation with the rulers of the Jews. 

One message here we see is one of trust, of faith in Jesus. He told Jairus to trust in Him despite the circumstances, a message that was emphasized by what Jairus had just witnessed with the healing of the woman. The woman was unclean but she touched Jesus. Jairus would see that although The dead body of his little girl was also unclean, that was no problem for Jesus. The Lord touched her by the hand and raised her. He was not made unclean nor could He be. No unclean person could remain unclean when Jesus touched them. Nothing unclean or imperfect could withstand His power.

The Lord Jesus still makes unclean people whole. He makes unclean sinners whole when they come to Him and touch Him.  No one should ever be afraid to seek His touch. Jesus calls sinners who know they are sinners. He wants us to admit our sin, our unclean state and go to Him. He stands ready to cleanse us from our sin, guilt, and shame and restore us all to wholeness and bring us into His Heavenly Kingdom.