Jairus' Daughter and the Invalid Woman.

  ^a 22 But Jesus turning and seeing her said, ^c unto her, ^a Daughter, be of good cheer [Faith gets a sweet welcome]; thy faith hath made thee whole. ^c go in peace. ^b and be whole of thy plague. [Be permanently whole: an assurance that relief was not temporal, but final.] ^a And the woman was made whole from that hour. [Faith healed her by causing her to so act as to obtain healing. Faith thus saves; not of itself, but by that which it causes us to do. It causes us to so run that we obtain.]

  ^b 35 While he yet spake, they come from {^c there cometh one from} the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying, Thy daughter is dead: ^b why troublest thou the Teacher any further? ^c trouble not the Teacher. [The delay caused by healing this news which followed it must have severely tested his faith; but we hear no word of murmuring or bitterness from him.]

  50 But Jesus hearing it, ^b not heeding the words spoken [not succumbing to the situation], ^c answered him, {^b saith unto the ruler of the synagogue,} Fear not, only believe. ^c and she shall be made whole. [Thus, with words of confidence and cheer, Jesus revived the ruler's failing faith.]

  ^b 37 And he suffered no man to follow with him [into the house with him], save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. [These three were honored above their fellows by special privileges on several occasions, because their natures better fitted them to understand the work of Christ.]

  ^c 51 And when he came to the house, he suffered not any man to enter in with him, save Peter and John, and James, and the father of the maiden and her mother.

  ^b 38 And they come to the house of the ruler of the synagogue;

  ^a 23 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, ^b he beholdeth a tumult, and many weeping and wailing greatly. ^a and saw the flute-players, and the crowd making a tumult,

  24 he said, Give place

[Mourning began at the moment of death, and continued without intermission until the burial, which usually took place on the day of the death. Even to this day Oriental funerals are characterized by noisy uproar and frantic demonstrations of sorrow, made by real and hired mourners. Flute-players, then as now, mingle the plaintive strains of their instruments with the piercing cries of those females who made mourning a profession]:

  ^b 38 And they come to the house of the ruler of the synagogue;

  ^a 23 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, ^b he beholdeth a tumult, and many weeping and wailing greatly. ^a and saw the flute-players, and the crowd making a tumult,

  24 he said, Give place

  ^c 52 And all were weeping, and bewailing her: but he said, {^b saith} unto them, Why make ye a tumult, and weep? ^c Weep not; she ^b the child ^a the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. [Jesus used this figurative language with regard to Lazarus, and explained by this he meant death-- John 11:14 .]

And they laughed him to scorn. ^c knowing that she was dead. [His words formed a criticism as to their judgment and experience as to death, dues.]

  ^a 25 But when the crowd was put forth, ^b he, having put them all forth [because their tumult was unsuited to the solemnity and sublimity of a resurrection. They were in the outer room--not in the room where the dead child lay], taketh the father of the child and her mother and them [the three] that were with him, and goeth in {^a he entered in,} ^b where the child was. [Jesus took with him five witnesses, because in the small space of the room few could see distinctly what happened, and those not seeing distinctly might circulate inaccurate reports and confused statements as to what occurred. Besides, Jesus worked his miracles as privately as possible in order to suppress undue excitement.]

^a and took {^b taking} the child {^c her} by the hand, called, saying, {^b saith} unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, {^c Maiden,} ^b I say unto thee, Arise. [Mark gives the Aramaic words which Jesus used. They were the simple words with which anyone would awaken a child in the morning.]

  ^c 55 And her spirit returned

  ^b 42 And straightway the damsel rose up, {^a arose.} ^c she rose up immediately: ^b and walked

[her restoration was complete]; for she was twelve years old. ^c and he commanded that something ^b should be given her to eat. [Her frame, emaciated by sickness, was to be invigorated by natural means.]

  ^b 42 And straightway the damsel rose up, {^a arose.} ^c she rose up immediately: ^b and walked

  ^c 56 And her parents were amazed: ^b they were amazed straightway with a great amazement. [Faith in God's great promise is seldom so strong that fulfillment fails to waken astonishment.]

  43 And {^c but} ^b he charged them much ^c to tell no man what had been done. ^b that no man should know this [A command given to keep down popular excitement. Moreover, Jesus did not wish to be importuned to raise the dead. He never was so importuned]:

  ^a 26 And the fame hereof went forth into all that land.