Mark 5:21-43

When you are really good at something, you can demonstrate it many ways. Consider how the best soccer players can use their legs to move a soccer ball. In almost any situation, they can contort their bodies to move the ball where they want.

There are many examples. From chefs—to woodworkers—to Jesus.

It matters not the situation. In every situation Jesus meets people where they are, in the present “now moment” of their lives. He loves them.

What Jesus is best at (beyond everything) is that he can, no matter the situation, invite you to believe in him—to trust him—to have faith. 

Consider the various situations. He has met those who need healing. He has met the religious with all their questions. He has taught those seeking to know about God. 

In each case, he has invited them to believe in him. Some have. Some have not. Some are still trying to work it out.

To drive home how Jesus invites people to have faith in him, Mark uses a literary device often called a sandwich!

He starts one story. In this case Jairus’ sick daughter. Then he completely tells another story. Finally, he returns to the first story to finish it. 

The stories all reinforce Jesus’ invitation to trust in him.

He did this in chapter 3 verses 13-35. I “broke apart” those bits of chapter 3 so we could look at the various pieces. If you go back and look, you will note that they all have to do with displaying the faith to recognize Jesus. 

Mark is skillful at using this technique of setting side-by-side stories that appear to be disparate, but in fact have the same point. 

Consider Jairus the synagogue ruler and the woman with the hemorrhage. 

On the surface they could hardly be more different. Jairus has a name. She does not. Different in gender. Different in social status (one is a synagogue ruler who people will come to, and the other must walk down the street and yell “unclean” so people may run away.) 

Yet notice. She believes. You might call her faith superstitious. I call it her understanding that all she needs is to be in his presence.

By setting her faith side-by-side with Jairus household (contrast her in 5:28 with 5:35 and 5:40, for example) we see Jesus’ point.

This unnamed woman, who because of her flow of blood is untouchable, touches Jesus. Driven by desperation, she first trusts Jesus, and then when Jesus challenges her to step forward and tell him all—she again trusts Jesus.

Imagine the crowd gasping, maybe even pulling back to avoid touching her. What does Jesus do? He calls her, “daughter”.

To finish his culinary masterpiece, Mark returns us to the first story. Jairus receives the news of his daughter’s death. People tell him to give up, to not bother the Teacher. 

Jesus says, “Do not fear, only believe.” 

Again, we see Jesus inviting someone in distress to trust, to have faith, that being in Jesus’ presence is all anyone needs. Jairus is not disappointed.

This literary sandwich is packed with the strong flavor of faith. 

Mark tells us clearly that today we are to come, come with all the bits and pieces of our lives. Come in our “now moment”. He is urging us to understand we can come to Jesus.

Over and over in this part of the Gospel we are invited to believe, to trust that when Jesus is present, we have all we need.

What bits of your life would benefit from Jesus’ presence? Will you pray right now to invite him into those bits?