Mark 5:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

however, requesting Him to come demonstrates a lack of faith as it ought to be; he should have expressed, 'only say the word.' (Matthew 8:8)

A person who is ill cannot order another to restore his health; he can only plead for assistance. As the leader of the synagogue, this individual was well-versed in the scriptures and understood that everything exists by the Word, and humanity was crafted by God's own hand. Consequently, he expresses his faith in God by seeking healing for his daughter through that very same hand that fashioned her into existence. For He who created from nothing is fully capable of resurrecting what has been lost (cf. Matt. 18:11; Lk. 19:10).

As the Lord journeyed to the Gerasenes, the inhabitants of Capernaum awaited His return rather than leaving the city. Jairus, the chief of the synagogue, urgently sought His help for his ailing daughter. Upon the Lord's return to Capernaum, Jairus implored Him to rescue his daughter, who was gravely ill, from death. It is clear that this was not the first instance of mercy exhibited by the Lord in Capernaum; He had previously shown compassion by healing the son of a royal official and restoring the servant of a centurion at Cana. Many had already been beneficiaries of His grace. Divine Providence placed Jairus in need of Him as well. However, did Jairus possess the same level of faith as those other recipients of the Lord's kindness?

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jairus informs Jesus that his daughter has passed away (ετελέυτησεν v. 18) and seeks a resurrection from Him. In contrast, the accounts in the Gospels of Mark (εσχάτως έχει v. 23) and Luke (αυτη άπεθνισκεν v. 42) indicate that she was merely dying, leading Jairus to initially request healing for his daughter; he learned of her death later. Given the condition of the afflicted woman and Jairus's emotional state, it is unlikely that his words were entirely precise and without doubt; it appears he intended to convey that as he departed from his home, his daughter was in her final moments, possibly deceased by that point.

A multitude of individuals gathered along the shore, waiting for Jesus. Among them was Jairus, a leader of the synagogue whose twelve-year-old daughter was gravely ill. He anxiously anticipated the arrival of the miracle worker, hoping for healing for his precious child. As an elder of the Jewish community, Jairus was part of a faction that was often opposed to Jesus, evidenced by the inquiry of the Pharisees to the chief priests: “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed” (John 7:47-48).

Upon His return from Perea, the Savior resumed His teaching and acts of compassion throughout the towns and villages of Galilee, attracting a large crowd once more. Among them, a ruler of the synagogue, a respected elder in the Jewish community, approached Him in great agitation. This leader might have previously been part of a delegation that sought Jesus’ help on behalf of the centurion who had funded the synagogue. If so, he was familiar with the authority of the One he now implored. Falling at Jesus’ feet, his voice trembling with sorrow, he shared that his beloved daughter, his only child, was gravely ill and possibly already deceased. He expressed his belief that if Jesus would just come and place His hand on her, she would be restored to life.

Upon the Lord Jesus' return to Capernaum, located on the western shore of Lake Gennesaret, He arrived to find a large crowd eagerly gathered to see Him. From this throng emerged a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. His only daughter, about twelve years old, was gravely ill and near death. In his deep sorrow, he fell at the feet of the Lord, pleading earnestly, “My daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her so that she may be healed and live.” The blessed Theophylact notes that Jairus displayed faith, albeit a measure of faith, since he requested not merely a word from Jesus, as the centurion had (Matt. 8:8), but also His physical presence and touch. Jesus set out for Jairus' home, accompanied by His disciples, while a multitude pressed around Him along the journey.