Hello, welcome to the podcast, Bible Wisdom Today. My name is Stan Watkins.

The Bible has always been an important foundation for my personal faith, leading me to complete a Bible degree and enter Christian ministry, ultimately going with my wife and family to Europe for 6 years. There I served in the areas of Bible teaching and music. Since returning to the states, I have supported my local church as I have had opportunity, but now I would like a more regular outlet for teaching God’s word.

Understanding the Bible is not simply a matter of belief that it is God’s word. The Bible was written long ago, in a foreign language, within an alien culture, using unfamiliar literary styles. Today’s Bible student must overcome each of these obstacles. This podcast is for those willing to do the hard work to discover God's wisdom for life today.

In our last episode we began a series of four miracle stories, where Jesus demonstrates his power over the forces of nature, the powers of evil, the desperation of disease, and the decisiveness of death. Last time we saw Jesus still the storm and restore a demon possessed man to wholeness. He proved that he was the mighty God. He also demonstrated his compassion for the ruined lives around him. In our stories today, we continue to see the themes of power and compassion in the miracles of Jesus, but we also discover what it means to have faith in Jesus. This gives us the title of our episode, today, The Meaning of Faith.

When we discuss God and the Bible, we often include the concept of faith. We tend to think that faith is the same as belief and measure our faith by a list of doctrines that we believe. This puts the emphasis on what we know with our head. Alternatively, we might think that faith is trust, an emotion such as confidence or assurance. This puts the emphasis on what we feel in our heart. It is true that faith is related to belief and trust, but in the gospel of Mark, faith is much more practical. Faith is what we do from our will. Even if we are unsure what to believe and can’t quite calm our fears and doubts, we can still have faith, because faith is action.

The confident action of faith (5:21-24)

In our last episode, we saw Jesus bring hope to the demon possessed man in the non-Jewish territory East of Galilee. Today, we find that Jesus has crossed back over the lake to Jewish territory on the western shore of Galilee and continues to bring hope for a distraught father and a desperate woman. Mark presents these two miracles as another Mark sandwich. He begins the story of a father coming to beg Jesus to heal his daughter, but on the way Jesus is interrupted by a desperate woman who also seeks healing. After this miracle, he continues to the little girl’s bedside. As usual, Mark builds his literary sandwich with the meaning in the middle.

Let me read, beginning in chapter 5, verse 21,

When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” So Jesus went with him.
 Mark 5:21-24

In this part of our story, we see the confident action of faith. Jesus drew a crowd wherever he went on either side of the lake, but one man in particular had come to seek Jesus’ help. He is described as “one of the synagogue rulers.” This was a common role throughout the first-century Mediterranean world. He was the head of the local Jewish worshipping community. He was not a professionally trained scribe or rabbi, but a lay member, responsible for the building where they met and organizing worship. Some of his responsibilities included building maintenance and security, procuring scrolls to be used for scripture reading, and arranging the Sabbath worship by designating people to read scripture, pray, and preach.

Mark does not usually include proper names, but here he gives the name Jairus. Since this was probably near Peter’s hometown of Capernaum, Peter may have known him personally. Mark also may have expected a few readers to recognize that his name means “he enlightens,” or even “he awakens.”

When he saw Jesus, Jairus fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying.” This distraught father fell at Jesus feet, pleading in front of him. He explained the closeness of her death with the colloquialism “she is dying,” which is similar to our expression “she is at death’s door” or “she is sinking fast.”

Jairus had heard of Jesus’ power, and he had confidence that He could heal his daughter. “Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” So, Jesus went with him. Jesus entered into the desperation of this father with compassion, again placing supreme value on an individual life. 

But Jairus was not the only supplicant in the crowd. Now we meet a woman who had also come to Jesus for healing. With Jairus, we see the confident action of faith, but in this woman’s story we see the desperate action of faith.

The desperate action of faith (5:24-34)

Let me read, beginning with verse 24,

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
 Mark 5:24-29

We now can begin to see some of the connections between these two stories. Both the people who need a miracle from Jesus are female, and both are nameless. There also are differences between the stories. Jairus was a man of social standing, the woman had been an outsider for twelve years. The woman is both the one who needs healing and the one who seeks Jesus’ power, while these roles are divided in the story of Jairus and his daughter. Jairus, a man with position, approaches Jesus face to face, but the woman with no social standing approaches Jesus from behind.

It is important to understand something about the woman’s physical condition to sense the desperation of her situation. The bleeding spoken of is a reference to menstrual bleeding, and not just a periodic condition but a protracted gynecological problem. According to Torah law, a woman was ritually impure during her monthly period and for seven days after. During that time, anyone who came into contact with her would be banished until evening. A menstruating woman was also not allowed into the temple.

Now imagine that that condition continued for twelve years. No contact with her husband, no contact with her children, no contact with her neighbors or friends, no public worship. You can understand her desperation to be freed from this life worse than death.

Notice how Mark describes the downward trajectory of this woman’s extreme anguish. She had a flow of blood for twelve years. She suffered from many doctors, exhausting all her wealth. Even with all the treatments, she gained nothing. In fact, she only got worse. Anyone who reads the description of ancient treatments for uterine hemorrhage can understand why Mark characterizes the woman as having suffered much without gaining anything.[1]

Mark describes the woman’s act of faith with three simple verbs: “she heard…she came…[she] touched” (v. 27). Notice that Mark does not explain what was in her mind when she said to herself, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Was it superstition? Mark does not comment on the quality of her faith but simply reports the actions stemming from it. She acted on what she heard. She had no right to brush against people in the crowd and no right to render Jesus ritually unclean by touching him, but she does all that she can do. She refuses to be defined by hopeless circumstances but acts in total confidence in Jesus’ power. “I will be healed.”

The word used here for suffering is very strong, combining the ideas of physical suffering and shame. It can mean whip, scourge or torment. This suffering, which lasted twelve long years is resolved in a moment by simply touching Jesus.

Just like the woman immediately felt in her body that she was healed, Jesus also realized at once that power had gone out from him.

Reading from verse 30,

He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
 Mark 5:30-34

Notice that “Jesus kept looking.” His persistence in finding the woman equaled her persistence in reaching out to Jesus. She desired a cure, he desired an encounter. Jesus was not content to simply work a miracle; he wanted to get acquainted with a person. Following Jesus is not simply about getting our needs met but getting to know Jesus. The unlikelihood of finding one seeker in the large crowd exasperated the disciples, but that only showed that they were more out of touch with Jesus than the woman.

When the woman realized that Jesus was not just going to walk on, she “fell at his feet…trembling with fear”. Her behavior reflects her humiliation from her long illness. Perhaps Jesus arranged this public meeting to help overcome her social ostracism. She told him the whole truth. What kind of embarrassment and shame must have filled that public account, but by telling the whole story, she became a model of faith for Jairus, who also stood by waiting for a miracle.

“Daughter, your faith has healed you.” Jesus did not say, “I have healed you,” but he placed the emphasis on her faith. She was healed because of her action; she heard, she came, and she touched. Jesus called that action “faith.” This is the meaning at the center of this story-sandwich. We saw that same definition of faith as action in chapter 2 with the story of the paralytic let down through the roof by his friends and we will see it again in the story of Bartimaeus receiving his sight (10:52).

We might easily imagine the inner turmoil in the heart of Jairus as he observes this profound example of faith. Oh, it was wonderful that this woman had been cured, but his little girl was near death! There was not a moment to lose, and this other encounter had taken so much precious time! 

The unwavering action of faith (5:35-43)

Mark 5:35,

While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”
 Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
 Mark 5:35-36

Now the drama intensifies. This interruption, which gave precious new life to the woman, had now cost the life of his precious little girl. While Jesus was still saying, “Daughter, your faith has healed you,” messengers from his house told him “your daughter is dead.”

Jesus overheard the message. This word can mean simply to overhear something intended for someone else, but it also can mean to ignore, to refuse to listen or to discount the truth. All those meanings apply here.

“Don’t be afraid,” Jesus said to Jairus. “Just believe.” This expression, “just believe” could be translated more literally, “keep on believing”. There is no doubt what kind of faith he should have. It is the kind of faith exemplified by the woman. The kind of faith that continues through many failed healings. The kind of faith that continues even when his child has died. The messengers had expressed the hopelessness of the circumstances well, “Why bother the teacher anymore?” Now Jesus challenges Jairus to keep on believing. This is the unwavering action of faith. 

The grieving father and the compassionate miracle worker set out for the young girl’s bedside.

Reading from verse 37,

[Jesus] did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him.
 Mark 5:37-40

Only Jesus inner circle of disciples are allowed to accompany him. This is the first time we hear of these three disciples as Jesus inner cadre, but it will not be the last. According to Jewish law, it took three witnesses to establish a matter in court. Jesus knew what he was going to do, and he brought his own witnesses.

When they reached the home, they found a great commotion. The mourners had already arrived. Mourners were a professional guild in first-century Judaism and were required at funerals. A century later, Rabbi Judah, a key leader in the Jewish community of Judea, said, "Even the poorest person in Israel should hire at least two flute players and one wailing woman,"[2] Mourners, usually women, would accompany the bier from the house to the grave clapping their hands and wailing laments. Jesus had a message for them, “The child is not dead but asleep.” Jesus was not denying that she had died, but he also knew that she was on the verge of resurrection. Her current condition was only temporary, like sleep. The professional mourners, however, would not have it. They were hard-core realists. They understood that her death had closed off any possibility of divine help, so they laughed at him.

Continuing our reading from verse 40,

After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
 Mark 5:40-43

“Talitha koum” is Aramaic for “little lamb, arise.”[3] The fact that Mark translates this into Greek shows that his first readers were not native Hebrew or Aramaic speakers. The Greek translation, “little girl,” uses a diminutive form for a stately young woman. We might get a better sense with the English colloquialism, “little lady.” Let’s read it that way, “Little lady, get up!”

The effect of the miracle on those who saw it was electrifying! They were ecstatic! The twelve-year-old girl stood up, began to walk around, and Jesus instructed that she should be given something to eat. The act of eating proved that the girl was again a real living person.

The fact that the child was twelve years old is significant for her story. In the culture of that day, at 12 she was considered morally responsible for her own choices and of a suitable age to marry. To die just short of that anticipated milestone added additional heartbreak for her parents. That the bleeding woman had suffered for the same 12 years as the child had lived forms another connection between these two stories. 

“[Jesus] gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this.” This is not the first time Jesus commands secrecy before from those who had receive his touch, but these circumstances seem particularly odd. The funeral was already in progress and the mourners had been hired! How could the parents call off the funeral without acknowledging that circumstances had changed? It is an interesting question, but perhaps the mourners had not actually seen the dead child in her bedroom, and the parents could simply confirm what Jesus had said, “The child is asleep.” If he had allowed Jairus, a synagogue leader, to be his witness, Jesus might have raised an even larger following, but also greater opposition. He knew that he would give his life in death, but it was not yet time.

We now can see even more commonalities between the two stories making up this narrative sandwich. Both the woman and the girl are ritually impure. Jesus should have become impure when he was touched by the bleeding woman or when he touched the dead child, but the exact opposite happened. Impurity was not transmitted to Jesus, but the woman became pure, and the child was restored to life. In both stories, Jesus was met by rebukes—by the disciples who think Jesus is being unrealistic seeking a specific woman in the crowd, and by the mourners who understood the finality of death.

By putting these stories together, Mark places the emphasis, not on Jesus miraculous power, but on the faith of the individuals, specifically the actions which demonstrated their faith—confident action, desperate action, unwavering action.

As any good teacher, Mark knows that to fully explain a concept, he needs to illustrate it not only with positive examples but negative ones as well. He now turns from the action of faith to the steadfast inaction of skepticism. For this picture we travel to Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth.

The steadfast inaction of skepticism (6:1-6)

Let’s read Mark 6, verses 1-6,

Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 
 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.
 Mark 6:1-6

Jesus now returned to his hometown. He came back after an extended time of ministering throughout Galilee which began in Mark 1:39, and he will leave again immediately after this event. He returns as a classic itinerant Jewish rabbi, accompanied by his disciples.

Nazareth was an insignificant town. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament, nor the historian Josephus nor rabbinic literature. It had a total population of 100 at the most[4]. Ever since the Assyrian conquest in 721 B.C., the surrounding region of Galilee had been a predominantly non-Jewish populace, with a few Jewish settlers entering only after the Maccabean revolt in the second century B.C.

Jesus followed his usual custom of teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. This also was the usual response. Amazement in Mark is usually positive but here it is the amazement of skepticism. Mark makes this point clear with six consecutive questions.

• First, where did this man get these things? They refer to him with distance and suspicion as “this man.”
• Second, what is this wisdom that has been given him? They could not deny the wisdom but they looked for credentials. The phrase “has been given” implies that God is the source, but his townsfolk were not willing to acknowledge that.
• Third, what are these remarkable miracles he is performing? They didn’t deny his obvious power, but they didn’t understand the source.
• Fourth, isn’t this the carpenter? They know him only as a worker with his hands, like them. Matthew says that Jesus was the son of the carpenter, but only Mark says that Jesus himself was a carpenter. The Greek word can mean carpenter, mason, or a builder of any kind. Since there were more stones in Palestine than wood, Jesus probably built with stone. In Jewish society, manual labor was honorable but ordinary. Jesus certainly was not worthy to be a teacher.
• Fifth, isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Calling him Mary’s son may mean that Joseph had already died, but it also may imply illegitimacy in the eyes of the villagers, since male children were generally named after their fathers, even after they had died. During Jesus lifetime his brothers were not believing followers, but after his resurrection James became a key leader in the Jerusalem church and both he and his brother Jude wrote letters included in the Christian Bible.
• Sixth question, aren’t his sisters here with us? In the culture of the time, the fact that the sisters are unnamed generally means that they are already married.

We find Mark’s conclusion at the end of verse 3, “they took offense at him.” This word, skandalon, means “stumbling block” It is used eight times in Mark (4:17; 6:3; 9:42,43, 45, 47; 14:27,29) to describe someone who abandons their allegiance to Jesus, or, as here, for people whose skepticism prevents them from becoming disciples.

Jesus then quotes a well-known proverb, “a prophet is not without honor,” and applies it to three diminishing concentric circles: his own town, his relatives, and his own home. Each circle becomes more personal. This recalls the event of Mark 3:20-21, when his family came to take him home, thinking that he had “lost his mind.” Once again, Jesus’ family becomes outsiders, and Jesus is a stranger in his own home.

As a result, “he could not do any miracles there,” we read in verse 5. This does not mean that he was rendered powerless, after all he did lay hands on a few sick people, but he chose not to pour out the blessing of his power because of their unbelief. The focus is not on any limitation of power, but the limitation of blessing. We see this same principle in the very next story when Jesus instructs his disciples to shake the dust off their feet when they encounter a town that will not respond favorably to their message.

Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith. This forms a contrast with the faith of the woman and Jairus. In fact, amazement frames this story. The villagers were amazed at his teaching; Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith. This is the only place where Jesus is amazed at the people and it conveys the human shock and emotion at being rejected by his former friends and neighbors. It is a mystery of the kingdom that some who have every opportunity do not believe, and others whom you would never expect, do.

This event in Jesus’ hometown allows Mark to further clarify the meaning of “faith.” Demonstrating faith by your actions is supremely important, but what you believe is also important. It is not enough to believe that Jesus has power. The people of Nazareth did believe that, but true faith recognizes that the power to control the storm, cast out demons, heal the sick, and raise the dead is not an example of human power. Rather, it shows the presence of God among them.

These four miracles began with Jesus asking his disciples why they still had no faith. He would have expected their faith to have grown. Now he is amazed at the lack of faith in his townsfolk. His disciples did question, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” But the right answer is already implied in the question. This is God. The people of Nazareth never came to that conclusion. They saw his remarkable miracles, but they couldn’t get past their assumption that Jesus was only an ordinary laborer, like them.

By placing the story of hometown skepticism after the tremendous demonstration of faith by the desperate woman and the distraught father, Mark gives a warning to all his readers, both ancient and modern. The miracles of Jesus are not just wonderful stories, but they call for a simple conclusion of faith. Jesus is God! This faith calls us to action like the woman who pressed forward to touch Jesus and the grieving father who continued to accompany Jesus to his daughter’s bedside. Like them, we can experience the power of God to heal our own deep pain.

Final Comments

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with you, today, as we have discovered the meaning of faith through stories of believing action and skeptical inaction. Next time, Jesus begins another tour of ministry in Galilee and this time he also sends out his disciples to expand his ministry. News of Jesus reaches the territorial palace, where his miraculous powers remind the king of John the Baptist, whom he had beheaded. The martyrdom of John allows Mark to hint at the future suffering of Jesus Christ.

If you have found this podcast helpful, I would appreciate your help in expanding its reach. One of the best ways to assist is by leaving a review on the podcast app where you listen. This demonstrates that you appreciate this podcast and will cause it to be listed higher where others can find it. While you are in your podcast app, be sure also to subscribe or follow the podcast so that you will be notified whenever new episodes are released. You also can follow this program at the podcast website, biblewisdomtoday.com. I look forward to spending time with you again, soon. Thank you for your help in growing this Bible Wisdom Today family.

[1] Dowd, S. E. (2000). Reading mark: A literary and theological commentary on the Second gospel. Smyth & Helwys.

[2] Edwards, James R. The gospel according to Mark. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2016.
[3] Edwards
[4] Edwards