Mark 5:35-43 Jairus’ Sleeping Daughter
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: January 25, 2018, Mark 5:35-43
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
While he was still speaking, some people came from the synagogue leader’s home and said, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher anymore?” But when Jesus heard what they said, he told the synagogue leader, “Stop being afraid! Just keep on believing.” Jesus allowed no one to go further with him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw mass confusion. People were crying and sobbing loudly. He entered the house and asked them, “Why all this confusion and crying? The child isn’t dead. She’s sleeping.” They laughed and laughed at him. But when he had driven all of them outside, he took the child’s father and mother, along with the men who were with him, and went into the room where the child was. He took her by the hand and told her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Young lady, I tell you, get up!” The young lady got up at once and started to walk. She was twelve years old. Instantly they were overcome with astonishment. But Jesus strictly ordered them not to let anyone know about this. He also told them to give her something to eat.
(Application) There are times when we start out with strong faith, but something happens, and we begin to doubt. Maybe, circumstances worsen, and we feel overwhelmed. Maybe, others’ pessimism begins to affect our faith. Maybe, we realize that we have done something wrong and start to feel condemned. Maybe, we see the lack of faith of people surrounding us and become depressed. In all those times when our faith starts to falter, Jesus tells us to not fear, just keep trusting Him.
(Understanding the Text) Why does the text include limiting the number of people who went into the house? I think it was because Jesus knew that He would be raising the little girl from the dead, and at this point in His ministry, He did not want the rumors that He could raise people from the dead to get out. It would have been partially to protect His own mission, but also to protect the little girl. Because Lazarus’ resurrection was so public, he was a marked man. First, they were going to kill Jesus; then, they were targeting Lazarus. Jesus’ privacy in raising the girl and telling Jairus that she was sleeping confused the issue enough that the little girl was not targeted by the Sanhedrin for death. I always thought that Jesus was limiting the people into the little girl’s room, but this passage says that from the place where the woman was healed, Jesus stopped the crowd from following Him further. This shows that Jesus had always had the power to limit the crowd, but He usually did not use that power. In keeping the crowd away, Jesus limited the number of witnesses who could spread the rumor of the little girl’s resurrection.
Once Jesus reached the house, He drove everyone out except the child’s father and mother and the three disciples who He had brought with Him. (He had even made His other 9 disciples stay back with the crowd.) I understand why He brought James. James would be the first martyr and needed all the faith he could get to give a faithful testimony to the end. I understand why He brought Peter. Peter would be raising Tabitha from the dead and was being trained to see the process. However, I am not sure why He brought John. Was it because John would have followed anyway, and it was easier to just bring him along to start with? Okay, this is all speculation; I really don’t know why.
Why mention that Jesus told the parents to give the little girl something to eat? Was it to give the parents something to do to serve also? This way the parents could feel useful? Or was it because the parents were hugging their little girl so tightly that she needed some freedom to move, and Jesus was distracting her parents?
Jesus told them not to tell anyone what had happened. This was partly to keep the rumor from spreading, but was part of it so that Jairus’ position as synagogue leader remained secure? Did Jesus want Jairus to remain as a man of respect in his community for a while so that others might have the confidence to believe? In either case, the effect was that Jairus was relieved of the pressure of proclaiming the miracle, and could simply say that Jesus had healed his sick daughter.
(Application) Sometimes when Jesus tells us to be quiet and wait, it is harder than when He tells us to do something. When we have a goal and an activity, we feel like something is being accomplished, but when we are idling-preparing for something but we do not know what, we feel like we are wasting time and not doing what we should. It may have been harder for Jairus and his wife to remain quiet than if Jesus had told them to proclaim His works like He did to the demoniac.
(Prayer) Help me in this waiting time. It is difficult to wait not knowing what purpose You have for the actions that I am doing right now. Give me the trust in You to wait with a good attitude and help me to fulfill Your purposes in all that I do. I don’t want You to have to work around me. I want You to be able to work through me. Don’t let me mess things up. Help me to be at peace and patient during the waiting times.