Mark 5:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Then, a ruler of the synagogue named Jairus approached Him, and upon seeing Him, he fell at His feet, and so on. The resurrection of Jairus' daughter must have occurred following Jesus' return by boat from the land of the Gerasenes, although the exact timing is unspecified. If there were no interval, the feast described in Matthew's house could not have taken place. However, in typical fashion, the Evangelist recounts what occurred to him and in his home as if it involved someone else. After the feast, he transitions directly to the ruler of the synagogue's daughter without introducing additional events, reinforcing that he maintains their actual order. After completing Jesus’ parable regarding new cloth and new wine, he states: When He had spoken these things, a certain ruler came to Him. Conversely, Luke does not transition from the miracle in the land of the Gerasenes to the account of the synagogue ruler's daughter as Matthew does, who starts this event after the familiar parables of cloth and wine. Luke connects the events as follows: When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed Him, for they had been eagerly awaiting Him. Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, continuing from there. It seems that Jesus was promptly greeted by the gathered crowds eager for His return, but the phrase And behold, there came a man named Jairus should not be interpreted as initiating the event occurring at that exact moment; the feast with the tax collectors mentioned by Matthew must be considered.

His plea reveals much: "My daughter," he proclaimed, "is at the end of her life; come and lay Your hand on her, so that she may be healed" (Mark 5:23). From this statement, it becomes clear that his faith lacked the depth seen in the centurion's request, who believed that a single word from Jesus would suffice to heal his servant. Additionally, they were not on equal footing; though both saw the necessity of the Lord's physical presence, by the time Jairus made his request, Jesus had already performed numerous miracles, whereas the centurion had known Him by only one at Cana. Furthermore, the centurion was a Gentile, while Jairus was a Jew, which would suggest that greater faith might be expected from the archdeacon. Nevertheless, the Lord, as described by Isaiah, who will not break a bruised reed nor extinguish a smoldering wick, sought to ignite the small ember of faith within Jairus into a flame. Despite the frailty of his faith, the Lord did not deny his plea; He set out with no one else accompanying Him, and the crowd pressed around Him as He made His way.

Since Matthew does not mention Jairus being informed about his daughter's death beforehand, the phrase, αΰτη ετελέυτησεν, aligns well with the situation. It is reasonable to conclude that his initial prayer for healing was transformed into a plea for resurrection, even if he did not verbally express such a request.

The woman suffering from bleeding hesitated to make her needs known to Jesus, as her condition rendered her ceremonially unclean (Luke 15). Yet, her faith was resolute enough that she felt merely touching the fringe of His garment (κρασπεδον Mt. 20. Lk. 44 cf. Num. 15:38. Matthew 14:36. 23, 5. Lk. 8:44. Mk. 6:56) would suffice to receive healing. Jesus called her to openly confess her faith and the miracle she experienced, asking, ‘Who is he that touches Me? I am the one who touched Me’ (Luke). His final words suggest that His healing power could manifest even without His conscious intention. However, it is evident that Jesus recognized the woman’s intention and her act of faith when she touched Him, affirming in His spirit, ‘Courage, woman, thy faith shall save thee’—a reassurance He later spoke aloud to the frightened woman. Though many people were pressing in around Him and touching Him, it was her faith that drew forth His miraculous power; thus, the act of touching Christ was significant not for Him but for her, symbolizing a profound expression of her faith that resulted in her healing.

Falling at Jesus' feet, his voice trembling with sorrow, he implored Him, stating that his beloved daughter, his only child, was gravely ill, perhaps even dead, yet he believed that if Jesus came and laid His hand upon her, she would recover. With a compassion that never turned away from those in mourning, Jesus immediately rose and accompanied him, followed not only by His disciples but also by the throngs of people witnessing the unfolding scene. As they proceeded, the crowds eagerly pressed in around Him.

This distinction arises from the fact that Mark directly links the return of the Lord from Perea to the resurrection of Jairus' daughter; thus, the difference is merely superficial, a distinction in wording rather than in action. The account in Mark regarding the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter and the healing of the woman with the issue of blood is more extensive and illustrative compared to Matthew’s account; it aligns in detail more closely with Luke’s narrative. However, in essence, all three Evangelists convey the same core message, which affirms the authenticity of the event despite the perceived differences in their accounts. See note on Matthew 9:18-26.