Jairus's Daughter
A girl, a woman, and a touch of faith
This story includes the death of a child and a woman who has been seriously ill for twelve years.
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Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Jesus: The one the Gospels present as the promised Messiah and the Son of God.
- Jairus: A leader of the synagogue in his town. His daughter is twelve years old and very sick.
- The woman: A woman who has been bleeding for twelve years. Mark does not tell us her name.
- Peter, James, and John: Three of Jesus's closest followers. James and John are brothers.
- The crowd and the mourners: A large crowd pushes around Jesus. Later, people at Jairus's house cry for his daughter.
Setting
- First, the shore of the Sea of Galilee, a large lake in northern Israel. Then a crowded road. Last, Jairus's house.
When
- About 2,000 years ago, during the time when Jesus was teaching and healing in Galilee.
Before the Story
Jesus had crossed the lake and back. On the way over, he calmed a storm (4:35-41). On the other side, he set free a man troubled by many demons (5:1-20).
Crowds followed Jesus everywhere. People brought their sick to him, hoping he would heal them.
A synagogue is a local meeting place for Jewish worship and study. Jairus helped lead one.
Mark tells two stories at once. He starts one story, tells a second one in the middle, and then finishes the first. Many Bible scholars call this a "sandwich." This is a comparison. One story sits inside the other, like the filling in a sandwich. Each half helps explain the other.
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. A father begs | 5:21-24 | Jairus falls at Jesus's feet. Jesus goes with him |
| 2. Twelve years | 5:25-26 | We meet a woman who has been bleeding for twelve years |
| 3. One touch | 5:27-29 | She touches Jesus's cloak and is healed |
| 4. "Who touched me?" | 5:30-32 | Jesus stops and looks for her |
| 5. The whole truth | 5:33-34 | She tells him everything. He calls her "Daughter" |
| 6. Bad news | 5:35-36 | Messengers say Jairus's daughter has died |
| 7. Laughing | 5:37-40 | Mourners laugh at Jesus. He sends them out |
| 8. "Little girl, get up" | 5:41-43 | Jesus takes her hand, and she gets up |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 8A Father Begs
A boat pulled up on the shore of the lake. Jesus and his disciples had crossed back from the other side.
A large crowd gathered around Jesus beside the water.
A man came up to Jesus. His name was Jairus. He was a leader of the local synagogue.
When Jairus saw Jesus, he fell down at his feet.
Jairus begged him urgently. "My little daughter is near death. Please come and place Your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live" (5:23).
Jairus was afraid. His child was dying, and he had come to Jesus for help. He believed that one touch from Jesus's hands could make her well.
So Jesus went with him. The large crowd went too. People pressed in on every side.
Scene 2 of 8Twelve Years
In that crowd was a woman. She had been bleeding for twelve years. It was a long illness, and it would not stop.
She had gone to many doctors. She had suffered a lot under their care. She had spent all her money. But she had not gotten better. She had gotten worse.
This kind of bleeding also caused another problem. Under Moses's law, it made a woman "unclean" (Leviticus 15:25). This did not mean she was bad or dirty. It was not a sin. It meant she could not take part in worship at the temple until the bleeding stopped. Anyone who touched her bed or her chair had to wash and wait until evening (Leviticus 15:26-27).
For most people, being unclean lasted a few days. For this woman, it had lasted twelve years. She was still sick, and she had no money left. Nothing anyone tried had worked. Mark himself does not use the word "unclean" in this story. He tells us about her suffering.
Scene 3 of 8One Touch
The woman had heard about Jesus. She came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak.
She kept saying, "If only I touch His garments, I will be healed" (5:28).
The Bible doesn't say why she came from behind. But remember: for twelve years, her illness had kept her apart in some ways.
Right away, her bleeding stopped. She could feel it in her body. She was healed.
Scene 4 of 8"Who Touched Me?"
At the same moment, Jesus knew that "power had gone out from Him" (5:30).
Jesus stopped. He turned around to face the crowd. He asked, "Who touched My garments?" (5:30).
His disciples did not understand. They said, "You can see the crowd pressing in on you. And you still ask who touched you?" People were pushing against Jesus from every side. To the disciples, his question did not make sense.
But Jesus kept looking around. He wanted to see who had done it.
All this time, Jairus was waiting. His daughter was still dying at home. The Bible doesn't say how long Jesus stopped. But remember: Jairus had said she was near death.
Halfway thereThis is a good place for a break. Your spot is saved on this device.
Scene 5 of 8The Whole Truth
The woman knew what had happened to her. She came forward, shaking with fear. She fell down in front of Jesus.
Then she told him the whole truth.
The Bible doesn't say why she was so afraid. But remember: she had touched a teacher in front of a whole crowd, and she had been unclean for twelve years.
Jesus did not scold her. He spoke kindly. "Daughter ... your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free of your affliction" (5:34). An affliction is a suffering that goes on and on.
She had come in secret, from behind. Jesus sent her away in peace, in front of everyone. He called her daughter.
Scene 6 of 8Bad News
Jesus was still speaking to the woman when messengers came from Jairus's house.
They said to Jairus, "Your daughter is dead; why bother the Teacher anymore?" (5:35).
The worst thing had happened. Jairus had come for help, and now his little girl was gone. The messengers thought it was too late for Jesus to help.
Jesus heard what they said. He turned to Jairus. "Do not be afraid; just believe" (5:36).
Jesus did not tell Jairus that the news was wrong. He told Jairus to keep trusting him. And Jesus kept walking toward the house.
Scene 7 of 8Laughing
Jesus did not let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John.
They came to Jairus's house. It was loud. People were crying and wailing. Many people had come to grieve with the family.
Jesus went inside. He asked, "Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep" (5:39).
"Asleep" was a comparison. The girl really had died. One likely reason Jesus called it sleep: he was about to wake her up.
The people laughed at him. Luke says they knew she was dead (Luke 8:53).
Jesus sent them all outside. He took the girl's father and mother, and Peter, James, and John. They went in to where the girl lay.
Scene 8 of 8"Little Girl, Get Up"
Jesus took the girl by the hand.
He said, "Talitha koum!" (5:41).
Those are words in Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke every day. Mark tells us what they mean: "Little girl, I say to you, get up" (5:41).
Right away, the girl got up. She began to walk around. A moment before, she had been dead. Now she was on her feet.
Mark tells us she was twelve years old. The woman on the road had been sick for twelve years. That is as long as this girl had been alive.
Her parents and the three disciples were completely amazed.
Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone about this. Then he told them to give her something to eat.
That day, Jesus called two people "daughter." One had been sick for twelve years. One was twelve years old. Jesus had told Jairus not to be afraid. Now Jairus's little girl was alive.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "He fell at His feet" (5:22) | Jairus was an important man. He bowed low in front of everyone. He cared more about his daughter than about looking important. |
| "If only I touch His garments" (5:28) | The woman trusted that Jesus could heal her. Her plan was small and quiet. Jesus met her anyway. |
| "Power had gone out from Him" (5:30) | The healing came from Jesus. Her touch did not have power by itself. |
| "Who touched My garments?" (5:30) | Jesus wanted to meet her face to face. He did not want her to leave in secret. |
| "Daughter" (5:34) | With this word, Jesus treated her as family. Her illness had kept her apart for twelve years. Jesus welcomed her in public. |
| "Your faith has healed you" (5:34) | The word Mark uses for "healed" can also mean "saved." Jesus gave her more than a healthy body. He gave her peace and a place with him. |
| "Do not be afraid; just believe" (5:36) | Jesus told Jairus to keep trusting him, even after the worst news. Here "just" means "only." |
| "The child is not dead, but asleep" (5:39) | This is a comparison. The girl really had died. For Jesus, waking her was as easy as waking someone from sleep. |
| "Give her something to eat" (5:43) | She was really alive, in her body. Jesus cared about her hunger too. |
Back Then
Synagogue leaders were in charge of the local meeting place. They had the most honored seats (Easton's Bible Dictionary). In Acts, synagogue leaders invite visitors to speak after the Scripture readings (Acts 13:15).
Being "unclean" was common, and it was not a sin. Under Moses's law, many ordinary things made a person unclean for a time, like giving birth or touching a dead body (Leviticus 12:2, Numbers 19:11). It usually ended with washing and waiting (Smith's Bible Dictionary). This woman's illness meant it never ended for her.
Two touches. The woman touched Jesus. Then Jesus took a dead girl by the hand. Under the law, touching a dead body made a person unclean (Numbers 19:11). Mark does not say Jesus became unclean. Instead, healing and life went out from Jesus to them.
Mourning was loud. A house of mourning filled with relatives, hired mourners, wailing women, and musicians (Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah). Matthew says there were flute players at Jairus's house (Matthew 9:23).
Jesus spoke Aramaic. Mark wrote in Greek. But a few times, Mark keeps Jesus's own Aramaic words, like here and in Gethsemane (14:36).
Literal Reader Alert
Why does Mark put one story inside another? Many Bible scholars call this Mark's "sandwich." He does it more than once. For example, he puts the cleansing of the temple between two parts of a story about a fig tree (11:12-21). The two stories explain each other. Here, both are about a "daughter." Both involve the number twelve. Both are about what happens when help seems too late.
Was the woman unclean as a person? No. The law's word "unclean" was about taking part in worship, not about her worth. Her illness was not a punishment, and it was not her fault. Jesus did not treat her as someone to avoid. He called her daughter. Some Christians have used this story to describe Moses's law, or Jewish people, as cruel. That is not fair. Nobody in Mark's story complains about her touch. Mark never mentions the law here.
Does this story mean doctors are bad? No. Mark tells us the doctors could not help her. That was sad for her. It is not a rule against medical care. God often cares for us through doctors, nurses, and medicine.
Why did Jesus tell them not to tell anyone? It's okay to notice things like this. Careful readers have asked about it for centuries. Mark does this more than once. Jesus often told people to keep quiet about who he was. Many readers think he did not want people to see him only as a wonder-worker. Many also think Mark wants readers to learn who Jesus is at the cross (15:39).
If someone I love died, was it because we did not have enough faith? No. Jesus raised this girl as a sign, to show who he is. Most of the time, God does not bring people back to this life now. If someone you love died, it does not mean you or they lacked faith. Jairus did not have perfect faith either. Jesus had to tell him not to be afraid. Jesus kept walking with him anyway. If this story brings up big feelings, talk with a parent, pastor, or trusted adult.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Jairus | Desperate | His little daughter was dying (5:23) |
| The woman | Hopeless, then hopeful | She had suffered for twelve years and spent everything. Then she heard about Jesus (5:26-27) |
| The woman | Terrified | Jesus stopped and looked for the person who touched him (5:32-33) |
| The disciples | Confused | So many people were touching Jesus. His question made no sense to them (5:31) |
| The mourners | Grieving, then scornful | They knew the girl had died, so they laughed at Jesus (5:38-40) |
| Jairus and his wife | Utterly amazed | Their daughter got up and walked (5:42) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Which person in this story feels most like you today? Tap one.
The worried parent
Jairus fell at Jesus's feet and asked for help. You can ask too. Jesus went with Jairus, even when the news got worse.
The one left out
The woman had been kept apart for twelve years. Jesus stopped the whole crowd to find her. He calls you his child too.
Scared to speak up
The woman was shaking when she told the truth. Jesus did not scold her. He spoke peace to her.
I lost someone
Jesus knows how deeply that hurts. Losing someone does not mean your faith was too small. You can bring your sadness to him.
It's really bad right now
Please tell a trusted adult today. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 any time. If you are in danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. Outside the U.S., findahelpline.com lists free helplines.
You Might Have Heard
"If you have enough faith, God will heal you or the person you love."
What's true: Jesus praised the woman's faith. Trusting Jesus matters, and we can ask him for healing.
What the story is mainly about: Jesus's power and love, not the size of anyone's faith. The woman's plan was small and secret. Jairus heard terrible news and needed Jesus to tell him not to be afraid. Jesus helped them both. Faith is not a power we use to get what we want. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit. And many faithful people are not healed in this life. Their faith was not too small.
Where Jesus is: On a crowded road, stopping for a woman who had come in secret. Then in a quiet room, holding a dead girl's hand.
Good News
The woman came to Jesus from behind, hoping no one would see. Jesus did not let her leave in secret. He called her "Daughter" (5:34).
In Baptism, God does the same for us. Paul wrote, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26). This means all of us, daughters and sons alike.
Jairus got the worst news a parent can get. Jesus did not leave Jairus. He went in to where the girl lay dead, and he took her by the hand.
Later, Jesus himself died on the cross. God raised him from the dead (16:6). Paul wrote that "God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him" (1 Thessalonians 4:14).
Jesus calls you his child, and death will not be the end for the people he loves.
Big Idea
Jesus stops for people who feel left out, stays with people who are grieving, and gives life where death seemed final.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Martin Luther preached on Matthew's telling of this story (a sermon for the 24th Sunday after Trinity, printed in his Church Postil). He said Jesus took the girl by the hand the way someone wakes a sleeper. Luther told Christians not to be alarmed by death. He said that "in Christ it is indeed not death, but a fine, sweet and brief sleep."
In the Small Catechism, Luther explained that we cannot believe in Jesus by our own reason or strength. The Holy Spirit calls us and gives us faith (Explanation of the Third Article, 1529).
In Church
Many churches follow a reading plan called the Revised Common Lectionary. It reads Mark 5:21-43 in late June or early July of Year B. That Sunday is called Proper 8. Lutherans call it Lectionary 13. That same Sunday, some churches hear Lamentations 3:22-33, which says God's mercies are new every morning.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
Do not be afraid; just believe.
How did that feel?