Luke 8:49Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When Jesus perceived a man speaking to the synagogue leader, saying, ‘Do not disturb the Teacher,’ he understood the implication to mean, ‘do not worry,’ or do not make a request to...

Gather, all who cherish the glory of the Savior and fashion crowns for your heads; let us come together once more to rejoice in Him, offering eternal praises and echoing the words of the prophet Isaiah: ‘O Lord my God, I will praise Thee, and I will praise Thy name, for Thou hast done marvellous works, and Thy purpose has been faithful from the beginning.’ What was the will and intention of God the Father from the very beginning and is true? It pertains to us, undeniably. For Christ envisioned His divine mystery before the world was formed; yet, in the final ages, He resurrected for the inhabitants of the earth, to remove the sin of the world, thereby abolishing both it and the death that ensues from it, which was brought upon us through sin.

Let us return to the young girl who remains gravely ill; otherwise, it might be perceived that her demise was due to His delay rather than our own! The Gospel relays that the servants approached the synagogue leader and informed him, “Thy daughter is dead, do not trouble Him” (Luke 8:49). Observe that in His mission to resurrect the dead, He first brought healing to the woman suffering from a hemorrhage, thereby uplifting faith. As the Lord restored the one while on His way to the other, we understand that the cessation of the bleeding was for the purpose of strengthening faith. Similarly, in our observance, we commemorate the resurrection amid the sufferings of Christ, while maintaining our belief in an everlasting resurrection. Mary was informed of the forthcoming birth of the barren Elizabeth, so she might trust in the miraculous virgin birth: she learned about Elizabeth’s pregnancy and did not waver in her faith (see Luke 1:36).

Mark includes this in his thirteenth chapter (Mark 5:35-36), or consider it for its interpretation.

They did not recognize Jesus Christ as God Almighty, which led them to believe that while He could heal the ill, He lacked the power to bring the dead back to life. When the young girl passed away, someone, perhaps a relative or a friend from the household of the ruler of the synagogue, approached Him and announced, ‘Your daughter has died.’ However, upon hearing this, before the ruler had spoken fully, Jesus responded, ‘Do not be afraid, do not doubt that I can raise the dead, but simply believe: if you have faith, your daughter will be restored to life.’

When the Lord spoke these words, news reached Jairus that his daughter had passed away. Yet Jesus reassured him, saying, "Do not fear; instead, trust that I am able to bring her back to life." Upon arriving at the house, He found a scene of turmoil. Such confusion could have posed a risk to faith. The Lord comforted them, declaring that the girl was not dead, but merely sleeping; their laughter mocked Him. He then sent them all away, and, with only the parents and a few disciples remaining, He took the girl by the hand and called out, "Little girl, arise," and she came back to life. The astonished parents received a command to remain silent about this miracle. This instruction was due to the potential threats from the Pharisees and the unpredictable actions of the crowd.

The resurrection of Jairus' daughter occurred as Jesus' journey was interrupted by the healing of a woman suffering from a bleeding condition. In that moment, news arrived that Jairus' daughter had passed away, prompting someone to advise him not to disturb the Teacher any further. Jairus, filled with sorrow, felt that all hope was lost. He had believed that Jesus could save his daughter; the miraculous healing he had just witnessed bolstered that faith. Yet now despair overwhelmed him; his only child was gone, and healing her seemed no longer possible.

The event likely led to some delays, and for Jairus, every second was significant. However, he was not the only one in distress seeking the mercy of the Lord, and his silence indicates that his sorrow did not turn him inward. In that moment, a messenger approached with the stark message: ‘your daughter is dead,’ to which Opp, seemingly already colored by frustration and sarcasm, remarked: ‘do not trouble the Master’.

The Lord's return from the region of the Gerasenes is marked by Jairus' plea, the healing of a woman suffering from an issue of blood, and the resurrection of Jairus' daughter. The narrative presented by Luke is strikingly similar to that recorded by Mark (Mark 5:21-43). Conversely, Matthew offers a briefer account of these occurrences, though it captures their essence well (Matthew 9:18-26). For a deeper understanding, refer to the notes regarding these passages. In the accounts found in Matthew and Mark, the phrase "The people received Him" indicates that they welcomed Him with joy and affection.

The healing of the woman with the issue of blood served to uplift Jairus and fortify his confidence in the Lord's miraculous power. While Jesus was still offering His final words of comfort to her, messengers arrived from the home of the synagogue leader with the sorrowful report: “Thy daughter is dead; why trouble the Master any further?” Christ aimed for them to fully grasp the reality of the young girl’s death so they could later believe in her resurrection, as stated by St. John Chrysostom. Upon hearing of her passing, the Lord addressed the father: “Do not be afraid, but believe, and she will be saved,” as remarked by St. Athanasius of Alexandria.