Mark 5:35-43 comments, part 1, the damsel is not dead

 

Mark 5:35 ¶  While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? 36  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. 37  And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. 38  And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. 39  And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. 40  And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. 41  And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. 42  And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. 43  And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

35 ¶ While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? 36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

Many modern versions omit “As soon as” and “heard” from the Bible based on the authority of our two least favorite corrupt Roman Catholic manuscripts and a couple of less important ones. Jesus did not ignore or pretend not to hear the messengers. But the verse says that as soon as He heard their statements He told Jairus to believe and not to fear.

Here is a clear expression for us to understand, that while the woman received an immediate answer to her desire to be healed, Jairus was told to not be afraid, only believe, and then he would see the answer later. This account is also found in Matthew 9. If the answer to your prayer is not immediate, if your child is still headed in the wrong direction, and if your situation seems hopeless but you are praying and submitting to Christ, walking along the road with Him, the answer He gives is “Be not afraid, only believe.”

In every thing trust in Christ, even unto death. No answer that makes you happy may come in this life. When the three young Hebrew men were threatened with death in a fiery furnace if they did not bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s statue and were asked what God could possibly save them from it they said,

Daniel 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Job said that even though God would slay him that he would still trust in God in Job 13:15.

Paul’s eyesight never cleared up in spite of his prayers but he never stopped being faithful and trusting in Christ. David grew old and died after watching his own family ripped apart because of his sin. Faithful Jeremiah never got one person to believe his warnings from God. Daniel died a prisoner, never seeing his beloved Jerusalem again, as far as we know. Nehemiah and Ezra worked the rest of their lives on rebuilding the Jerusalem but it is certain they never saw Israel or Judah’s glory again on earth. John the Baptist was beheaded for his troubles. All of these people, including Nebuchadnezzar who was converted at the end after losing his mind for a season, we will meet in the heavenly city. But keep praying and depending on Christ and remember, be not afraid, only believe.

37 And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

In Matthew 10:2 these are the first three apostles named. They are to the history of the church as representative of Christ’s sojourn on earth and His physical relationship with His people as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are to the Jews and God’s personal dealing with them.

They represent the Twelve Apostles as witnesses to specific miracles. In Matthew 17:1, in one fulfillment of the preceding verse, Matthew 16:28, they are led up the the Mount of Transfiguration to see the Lord in His glory. This is revealed later in Mark, as well, and beginning in Luke 9:28.

Later in Mark we will see that these three disciples ask him privately about the end of the age as they sit on the Mount of Olives looking in the direction of the temple. He also separates them from the others in the Garden of Gethsemane and takes them with him a little closer to the place where he prays the night before His execution.

There are many people who follow Christ. Some of them are very, very busy for Him, doing all sorts of works they feel called to do. A small few, though, He takes with Him and shows them things the others are too busy to take the time to see. I guess the question you might ask is are you one of those He takes with Him or are you part of the group that is so busy working for Him, trying to earn your salvation, which is an impossibility, that you miss things He wants to show you.

We must always remember, as the great Chinese Christian, Watchman Nee, said in “Two Creations”, that it is not about us. It is about Him. We should not be seeking our own spirituality, our own righteousness, or our own works but His, in all things. Do you desire to see God’s way as a righteous Christian does or do you desire to see God’s way as Christ did? There is a difference.

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.