Bible ReadingMark 5:21–4321 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea.
22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet
23 and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.”
24 And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.
25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years,
26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.
27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment.
28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.”
29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.
30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?”
31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’”
32 And he looked around to see who had done it.
33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth.
34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”
37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James.
38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.
39 And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.”
40 And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was.
41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”
42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.
43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Observation questions- What details in this passage show how crowded, noisy, and urgent the situation was for Jesus, Jairus, and the woman?
- What did Jairus do and say when he came to Jesus, and how did Jesus respond to him?
- The woman hoped to touch Jesus quietly and leave, but Jesus stopped and looked for her. What did she do once she came forward, and what name did Jesus call her? [01:05:02]
- What did Jesus say to Jairus after the report came that his daughter had died, and what did Jesus do when He arrived at Jairus’s home? [01:07:47]
Interpretation questions- Jesus already knew Jairus’s need, yet He allowed Jairus to plead and explain what was happening. What does this show about the value Jesus places on people being able to speak honestly about their pain? [01:03:24]
- Why might it have mattered that the woman told Jesus “the whole truth” in front of others, even though she had already been healed? How does Jesus calling her “daughter” shape the meaning of that moment? [01:06:31]
- Jesus stopped for the woman while Jairus’s daughter was critically ill. What does this reveal about Jesus’ attention to people whose needs may seem like interruptions or delays?
- Jesus told Jairus, “Do not fear, only believe,” after Jairus received terrible news. How does being heard by Jesus help a person become ready to listen to Jesus in a fearful moment? [01:07:46]
Application questions- Who is one person in your life—perhaps a neighbor, coworker, family member, or friend—whom you want to love well and carry before God in prayer this week? What do you already know about what matters to them? [48:25]
- When someone is sharing something difficult, what tends to pull you away from truly listening: planning your answer, trying to fix the problem, distractions, assumptions, or something else? What would it look like to give that person your full attention? [01:09:14]
- Think of a recent conversation when you interrupted, quickly gave advice, or assumed you already knew what the other person meant. How might the conversation have changed if you had listened for their tone, body language, and heart as well as their words? [01:10:10]
- What is one honest, non-leading question you could ask someone this week to know them better? How could you begin with an everyday question and naturally move a little deeper if they are open to talking? [01:13:27]
- When someone shares a struggle, how can you communicate, “Thank you for sharing that with me,” before trying to offer answers? What words would sound natural in your own voice? [01:17:02]
- Is there someone whose prayer request, family member’s name, or burden you need to remember and follow up on? What could it look like to pray specifically and then ask about that need the next time you see them? [01:17:35]
- Sharing faith is not recruiting people or pressuring them into a response; it is loving someone Jesus already loves and putting the gift of salvation in front of them. How does that change the way you think about a conversation where Jesus comes up? [01:18:33]
