Tender Mercy for a Man, a Woman and a Child [Mark 5]

 18As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. 19And He did not let him, but He said to him, "Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you." 20And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

 

30Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My garments?" 31And His disciples said to Him, "You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" 32And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. 33But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction."

 

40They began laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He took along the child's father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where the child was. 41Taking the child by the hand, He said to her, "Talitha kum!" (which translated means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). 42Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded. 43And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that something should be given her to eat.


In this chapter three lives are changed drastically - a man, a woman and a child. The man was living in the tombs because "no one was strong enough to subdue him. And always, night and day, he was crying out among the tombs an in the mountains and cutting himself with stones." When the people saw him after Jesus has healed him, he "was dressed and in his right mind: and they were afraid."  What an incredible change for this man.  Jesus told him he could tell everyone "how much the Lord has done for you and how He has had mercy on you." (Holman, CSB).

On the other side of the sea, "One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet and kept begging Him, 'My little daughter is at death's door. Come and lay Your hands on her so she can get well and live.'" As Jesus was going with Jairus, "a womansuffering from bleeding for 12 years had encured much under many doctors..., having heard about Jeus, she came behind Him and touched His robe. "(v.27) "Instantly her flow of blood ceased, ans she sensed in her body that she was cured of her affliction."  Jesus told her that her faith had made her well and that she could go in peace and be free from her affliction.  If you have ever been sick for a long period, exhausted your resources trying to get well and was just getting worse, you can imagine how this mercy would change your life.

While He was still speaking people came saying that Jairus' daughter had died.  Jesus went anyway and said to them "The child is not dead but asleep." (v. 39).  Here was a twelve year old who had been very sick, had died and Jesus tenderly offers her mercy by by bring her back to life. Not just laying there, still sick, but life where she began walking and was ready to eat.  Utterly astounishing! This child's life was changed and so was her family's. But He gave them strict orders not let others know about this event.

May we see how Jesus' tender mercy has changed our lives and go tell everyone He asks us to tell.
Verna McCrillis, 2/7/2009