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Book: Mark
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Mark 5:21-34 The Touch of Faith
I. We see in our story two people one who sought the Lord to touch his
little girl, the other who made her way through the crowd to touch
Jesus.
A. The fame of Jesus was spreading, and more and more people who
were in desperate need were coming to Him.
1. In the third chapter of Mark we read where He had
healed so many that they were bringing to Jesus all
that had plagues that they might just touch Him.
2. Special power was received just by touching Jesus or
by being touched by Jesus.
B. One of the rulers of the synagogue, Jarius by name had a 12
year old daughter that was lying at the point of death.
1. You dads and moms, put yourselves in the shoes of these
parents.
a. The mother stayed by the daughters side, while
the dad went for help.
b. Back in chapter three Jesus was in the
synagogue of which Jarius was a ruler, and no
doubt Jairus was there on that sabbath when
Jesus healed the man with the withe .
c. He perhaps was among those who determined that
Jesus must be stopped, or as Mark puts it,
destroyed.
d. He had a great obstacle keeping him from Jesus
and that is prejudice. This is a difficult
obstacle to overcome.
e. Things are different now, he knows that his
little girl is dying, and He is convinced of
the power of Jesus to heal her.
f God can surely change our attitude in a hurry.
g. Desperation can do amazing things, it can help
us to overcome our prejudices.
2. He fell at the feet of Jesus begging Him to come and
touch his little girl.
a. He could care less at this moment as to what
the other rulers of the synagogue would think
of his actions.
b. The life was passing out of his little love,
his little pride and joy.
c. He expressed his faith in Jesus declaring that
if Jesus would just come and lay His hands on
her she would be healed and she would live.
C. "And Jesus went with him."
1. He did not rebuke the man for the treatment He had
received in synagogue.
2. He did not bring up the past rejection.
3. He was pleased for the change of heart.
D. Many people who have mistreated Jesus in the past are afraid
to come to Him now in their distress, knowing that they
deserved to be rejected by Jesus.
1. They are afraid that the Lord might be curt with them.
They are afraid that He will say to them, "You come now
because you are in trouble, where were you when things
were going well?"
2. Jesus will never reject a desperate soul, no matter
what they may have done or said in the past.
E. He had a lot to lose in coming to Jesus.
1. He might lose his position as a ruler in the synagogue.
2. The Pharisees had determined that if any man confessed
that Jesus was the Messiah, that they would be put out
of the synagogue.
3. He might lose many of his friends that were now
conspiring to put Jesus to death.
F. He had much to gain by coming to Jesus. The life of his
precious little girl.
II. The other person in the story was desperate to touch Jesus.
A. She had a physical condition that made her an outcast from
society.
1. She had been hemorrhaging for 12 years.
2. Under the law, while she was bleeding, she was
considered unclean, and whoever touched her would also
be unclean.
3. To touch her bed, or the chair where she was sitting
would cause you to be considered unclean.
4. She had spent all her money on physicians, and was not
any better.
5. About the time that the light had come into the home of
Jarius, the light had gone out in her life.
6. Twelve years can seem such a short time when you are
having such joy, but it can seem like an eternity when
you are in the midst of suffering.
B. She too was convinced in the power of Jesus. She felt that if
she could just make it through the crowd that was thronging
about Jesus and touch the hem of His garment, that she would be
healed of her plague.
1. Both parties were correct in their conclusions. If
Jesus would just touch his daughter she would be
healed. If I can just touch Jesus I will be healed.
2. The touch of Jesus can make the wrongs right.
C. She had obstacles in her way of touching Jesus, mainly the
crowd that was thronging Him. Pushing, shoving, all trying to
get close.
1. She was desperate, and she was determined.
2. She had nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
D. There were great diversities in the two that were coming to
Jesus.
1. The one was a ruler of the synagogue, the other had be
excluded from the synagogue for 12 years, because of
her condition.
2. The one coming for his dying daughter, the other
coming for herself.
E. They had one thing in common. They were desperate.
III. We see Jesus making His way through the throng, with the desperate
father by his side probably exhorting the crowd to make room, to
move aside, seeking to hurry Jesus along.
A. Jesus suddenly stopped and asked, "Who touched My clothes?"
1. This question amazed the disciples, and one of them
asked, probably Peter, "What do you mean, who touched
Me?"
The whole city seemed to be pressing against Him.
There is a vast difference between pressing against
Jesus and touching Jesus.
2. The Greek word translated touch is stronger than just
touch, it means to grasp, or clutch. It is the word
that Jesus used when Mary grabbed hold of Him in the
garden the first time she saw Him after His
resurrection, and Jesus said to her, "Touch Me not."
or "Don't cling to Me."
3. It is a strange question indeed, for many were
touching Him in order to be healed, why would Jesus
suddenly stop to discuss the healing of this one
person when the Father is so desperate to get Jesus
to his dying daughter?
4. Jesus knew that the girl had already died, and that
messengers were on the way to inform the father of the
tragedy. For while Jesus was talking with the woman
the messengers arrived.
B. I believe that Jesus stopped to talk to this woman, to help
increase the faith of Jarius.
1. As the woman told her story, the time of her
affliction, 12 years must have struck a chord in his
mind. That's how old my little girl is.
2. Her life has been slowly ebbing away for 12 years, and
by just touching Jesus, she has been made whole.
3. As Jesus was saying to her, "Daughter, your faith has
made you whole, go in peace, and be made whole of your
plague."
4. While she was being sent away in peace, the disturbing
news came to the father of the little girl. She died.
He didn't get to Jesus in time.
5. He no doubt with the news of the death of his little
girl let out a wail of distress, and Jesus said to
Him, "Be not afraid, only believe."
C. At this point Jesus dismissed the crowd, would not allow them
to follow Him any farther. Only the father of the girl, and
Peter, James, and John.
1. As they approached the house they could hear the
weeping and wailing of the assembled friends.
2. As He came in He asked them, "Why all this fuss and
weeping?
She is not dead, she is only asleep."
3. Their wailing immediately turned into scornful laughter
of Him, so He ordered them all out of the house.
4. He then took the father and mother of the little child
into the room where her little dead body was lying. He
took her little hand in His, and said, "Talitha
cumi." He used the Aramaic language which was probably
the language of the household. The words literally
translated are, "Little lamb, arise."
5. Immediately to their astonishment the little girl
arose, and walked. Jesus commanded them that they
should not tell anyone about this miracle, and
suggested that they give the little girl something to
eat.
D. The touch of Jesus is a touch of love, He wants to touch you
with His love today.
E. The touch of Jesus is a touch of healing. He wants to touch
you and heal you today.
F. The touch of Jesus is a touch of life, He wants to give you
life today.
G. The touch of Jesus is a touch of power, He wants to give you
power today.
H. I encourage you to get in touch with Jesus today, let Him
touch your life, or you reach out and touch Him now. There is
healing and help for you, the moment you touch Him.
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