Mark 5:39Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He entered the home and observed that all arrangements for burial had been made in accordance with tradition. He asked them, "Why are you troubled and crying? The young girl is not dead, but merely sleeping." The Lord spoke truthfully: she was in a state of sleep, but only for the One who had the power to awaken her. After bringing her back to consciousness, He restored the living daughter to her parents.

After the woman was restored to health, the Lord asked, "Who touched Me?" (Mark 5:30), so that she could share her testimony in their presence about how her wellness was restored. Similarly, regarding the young girl, He referred to her as "sleeping" (Luke 8:52), allowing those present to witness her death. This way, when they later observed her being brought back to life, those who doubted would have their skepticism transformed into testimony for Him. Their acknowledgment of the girl’s death and her subsequent resurrection served as an initial witness to the Lord’s own death, ensuring that it would not seem unbelievable to them when they witnessed His resurrection. By presenting this situation, He provided them with two possible conclusions.

You mourn and lament, and as if consumed by a raging fire, you exert all your strength in despair. Yet, compassionate Jesus approaches someone like you and asks, ‘Why are you weeping? The young girl is not dead, but is sleeping’ (Mark 5:39). Let those nearby mock; such disbelief is characteristic of the Jews.

What can be said about the daughter of the synagogue leader, whose passing was lamented by a crowd accompanied by the sound of flutes? Already arrangements for her burial are underway, as they are convinced she has died. Yet, the moment the Lord's voice is spoken, her spirit is restored, her renewed body is raised, and she partakes of food, demonstrating to them that she is truly alive.

Before the profound truths of the Gospel are revealed, it is important to reflect on the tribulations that parents willingly endure out of love for their children. The daughter lies peacefully upon a gentle bed, encircled by her family and those who empathize with her plight. The heartbroken father remains on the barren earth, beset by sorrow. She departs from her physical form—while he suffers deeply in body and spirit; she bears the torment of her affliction—he, disheveled and overcome with anguish, cries out in the sight of all; she enters eternal rest—he continues to endure his grief. Oh, why are children unresponsive to this pain? Why do they fail to contemplate it? Why do they not strive to restore the strength of their parents? Despite all obstacles, parental love remains unwavering, for the sacrifices parents make for their children will be rewarded by the ultimate Parent—God.

As soon as the Lord finished His words, news reached Jairus that his daughter had passed away. Yet Jesus comforted him, saying, Do not fear, but have faith that I can bring her back to life. Upon arriving at the house, He found it filled with commotion. This scene could have threatened their belief. The Lord affirmed that the girl was not dead, but merely asleep; they mocked Him in response. He then dismissed them all and, taking the girl’s hand, called out, 'Little girl, arise,' and she was restored to life. The parents were astonished and were instructed along with their daughter to keep quiet. This discretion was necessary due to the potential threats from the Pharisees and the unrestrained actions of the crowd.

When Jesus arrived at Jairus' home, he told the grieving relatives and mourners, “The maiden is not dead, but asleep.” In this statement, Christ both foreshadows the girl’s resurrection and underscores the truth that death does not equate to total annihilation. While the physical body may perish, a person endures in spirit, capable of being restored through divine power (cf. Jn. 11:11).

Mourning is reserved for the deceased, yet Jairus' daughter is on the brink of being resurrected; there's no reason for sorrow over her. "Do not weep," Jesus states, "she is not dead, but asleep" (Luke 8:52). Those who deny miracles take His words at face value, suggesting that Jairus' daughter was merely in a faint and not truly raised, but only awakened. However, Jesus' assertion—that she is not dead, but asleep—cannot be interpreted literally.

Initially, He commanded the fruitless wailing to stop; however, when His statement that 'the maiden was not dead but sleeping' was met with scornful laughter, He expelled the professional mourners in anger. Once silence returned, He brought the girl's parents and three selected apostles with Him as He entered the room shrouded in the profound stillness of death.

The healing of the woman with the issue of blood served to uplift Jairus and bolster his trust in the Lord’s miraculous abilities. While Jesus was still offering words of comfort to her, news arrived from the ruler’s household that his daughter had passed away. What could the Master possibly do now? “Christ intended for them to recognize the reality of the young girl’s death, so that later they would not doubt her resurrection” (St John Chrysostom). Upon hearing of her demise, the Lord reassured the father, saying, “Do not be afraid, but believe, and she will be made whole” (St. Athanasius of Alexandria). “He does not seek faith because He is in need of assistance from others; He is the Lord and the Source of faith.