When
Jesus had crossed back over in the boat to the other side, a great multitude was gathered to him; and he was by the sea. Behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came; and seeing him, he fell at his feet, and begged him much, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Please come and lay your hands on her, that she may be made healthy, and live.”
Mark 5:21-23
Mark 5 [20.] He went his way, and began to proclaim in Decapolis how Jesus had done great things for him, and everyone marveled.
Mark 5 [21.] When Jesus had crossed back over in the boat to the other side, a great multitude was gathered to him; and he was by the sea. Behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came; and seeing him, he fell at his feet, and begged him much, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Please come and lay your hands on her, that she may be made healthy, and live.”
Mark 5 [24.] He went with him, and a great multitude followed him, and they pressed upon him on all sides. A certain woman, who had an issue of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things by many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather grew worse, having heard the things concerning Jesus, came up behind him in the crowd, and touched his clothes. For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be made well.” Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Meaning:
Mark 5:21-23 brings Jesus back across the Sea of Galilee to the Jewish side of the lake, where a large crowd is waiting. Out of that crowd comes a respected man in desperate need. Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, falls at Jesus’ feet and pleads for his little daughter, who is at the point of death. His request begins one of Mark’s “sandwich” stories: the account of Jairus will be interrupted by the healing of a woman, and then resumed with an even greater miracle.
- Back on the Jewish Shore
After being asked to leave the Gentile region of the Gerasenes (Mark 5:17), Jesus crossed back over, probably to the area around Capernaum. The contrast is sharp. On one shore people begged Jesus to go; on this shore “a great multitude was gathered to him.” Yet even here, the person who matters most in the story is not the crowd but one anxious father.
- A Ruler of the Synagogue
A synagogue ruler was a respected lay leader responsible for the life of the local synagogue: arranging the Sabbath services, choosing who would read the Scriptures and pray, and caring for the building. Such men were pillars of the community. Many religious leaders were already suspicious of Jesus; after he healed on the Sabbath in a synagogue, “The Pharisees went out, and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him” (Mark 3:6).
For Jairus to fall publicly at Jesus’ feet was therefore a risk to his standing. Love for his daughter outweighed concern for his reputation. His name, from the Hebrew Jair, is usually understood to mean “he enlightens” or “he will awaken,” a fitting name in light of how the story ends.
- “My Little Daughter”
Mark uses a tender word, “my little daughter.” We later learn that she was twelve years old (Mark 5:42), on the threshold of womanhood in that culture, when a girl might soon be betrothed. Her approaching death meant the loss of all the hopes of the family. Jairus’ words tumble out with urgency: she is “at the point of death.”
- “Lay Your Hands on Her”
Jairus asked Jesus to lay his hands on her. Laying on of hands was a sign of blessing and of the transfer of God’s power; Jesus often healed by touch (Mark 1:41), and he blessed children, “laying his hands on them” (Mark 10:16). Jairus asked that she might “be made healthy, and live.” The word for “made healthy” is the same Greek word often translated “saved,” hinting that Jesus brings wholeness to the whole person.
Jairus’ faith was real but limited. He believed Jesus had to come in person and touch her before she died. Jesus would soon stretch that faith beyond what he could imagine.
The Significance of Mark 5:21-23
- Humility Opens the Door
Jairus laid aside his position and fell at Jesus’ feet. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:10). Whatever our status, we come to Jesus the same way: as needy people asking for help.
- Bring Your Children to Jesus
Parents today carry fears for their children’s health, safety and faith. Jairus shows us where to take them. Jesus welcomes children, and our heavenly Father delights to give: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11). We can cast “all your worries on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
Cross-References:
Mark 10:16: "He took them in his arms, and blessed them, laying his hands on them." Jesus delights to lay his hands on children in blessing.
James 4:10: "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you." Jairus humbled himself, and Jesus answered.
Matthew 7:11: "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" A father’s love for his child reflects God’s love for his people.
1 Peter 5:7: "casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you." Jairus brought his greatest worry to Jesus.
Conclusion: Mark 5:21-23 introduces a father with a breaking heart and a ruler who forgot his rank. Jairus came to Jesus with urgency, humility and a measure of faith, and Jesus went with him. His example invites every anxious parent and every needy person to bring their burdens to Jesus, trusting that he cares and that he is able to do far more than we ask.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible