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. 22 Behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came; and seeing him, he fell at his feet, 23 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.”

24 He went with him, and a great multitude followed him, and they pressed upon him on all sides. 25 A certain woman, who had an issue of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things by many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather grew worse, 27 having heard the things concerning Jesus, came up behind him in the crowd, and touched his clothes. 28 For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29 Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

30 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in himself that the power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd, and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

31 His disciples said to him, “You see the multitude pressing against you, and you say, ‘Who touched me?’”

32 He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had been done to her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be cured of your disease.”

35 While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue ruler’s house saying, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?”

36 But Jesus, when he heard the message spoken, immediately said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Don’t be afraid, only believe.” 37 He allowed no one to follow him, except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38 He came to the synagogue ruler’s house, and he saw an uproar, weeping, and great wailing. 39 When he had entered in, he said to them, “Why do you make an uproar and weep? The child is not dead, but is asleep.”

40 They ridiculed him. But he, having put them all out, took the father of the child, her mother, and those who were with him, and went in where the child was lying. 41 Taking the child by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha cumi!” which means, being interpreted, “Girl, I tell you, get up!” 42 Immediately the girl rose up and walked, for she was twelve years old. They were amazed with great amazement. 43 He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and commanded that something should be given to her to eat.

Mark 5:21-43 - World English Bible

These verses from Mark wove together a healing and a resurrection. The scene opened with the request of Jairus, a synagogue leader. An ancient synagogue was primarily a civic and learning center, and secondarily a worship center (there was even a synagogue in Jerusalem!). In the time of Jesus, ordained rabbis did not exist, so lay men led the synagogue as event organizers, janitors and building maintainers. Such was Jairus, who approached Jesus about the dire condition of his daughter.

As Jesus, amidst a large, jostling crowd, made his way to the house of Jairus, a woman who had an "issue of blood for twelve years" (possibly a fibroid tumor of the uterus?) touched his clothes. Two points need to be made here. First, the constant issue of blood made her continually unclean (see Leviticus 15:19-30), so family and friends would have kept her at a distance. Second, she exhausted her financial resources on medical visits; at the time of Jesus, "doctors" were nothing more than homeopathic experts, giving drugs to relieve the pain, and philosophers handing out sage advice to face the pain. She touched the clothes of Jesus in hopes his power would cure her, which it did. At that moment, Jesus felt power leave him; if we see the power of the Lord as the Spirit and his mission to give that Spirit to others, then the transfer of power (the Spirit) made perfect sense. After her confession of faith, the Lord bid the woman to go in peace; now she could return to her place in her family and in society.

Jesus continued to the house of Jairus, despite the new of his daughter's death. There, he encountered mourners (some professional mourners, used to heighten and, so, shorten the grieving process). Dismissing the crowd, he took the parents and a select number of disciples up to the room where the body lay. He touched the dead body (thus making himself unclean) and commanded her to rise. Her resurrection foreshadowed his and it also implicitly testified to the power of the Spirit (who else can raise the dead?).

A healing and a resurrection, both made Jesus ritually unclean, both revealed the power of the Spirit.

If Jesus was willing to do this for the woman and the girl, what is he willing to do for us?

Reflect on that question in your life. What has Jesus done for you that reveal the extent of his love and the power of his Spirit?