Tuesday, May 21, 2019

#61 Raising of the Daughter of Jairus



The scriptures for both #61 and #62 are woven together with each event having an influencing affect upon the other. Please first read the scriptures as a single unit to get the feeling of those who experienced both events. Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:22-43; and Luke 8:41-56.

#61 Raising of the Daughter of Jairus

Our Lord of the Gospels

President J. Reuben Clark Jr.

            “Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, whose daughter lies dying, comes and asks Jesus to come and lay his hands on her that she may live; while they are on the way, messengers come saying the daughter is dead; Jesus bids Jairus have faith, saying all will be well; reaching the house Jesus tells the people there that the child is not dead but sleeps; they laugh him to scorn; taking Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother into the room with him, and putting all others out, he takes the daughter by the hand and commands her to rise; she rises straightway and he commands that they give her something to eat and charges them they shall tell no man what was done.”


Jesus the Christ

Apostle James E. Talmage

            “Jesus and his attendants recrossed the lake from the land of Gadara to the vicinity of Capernaum, where He was received with acclamation by a multitude of people, “for they were all waiting for him.” Immediately after landing, Jesus was approached by Jairus, one of the rulers of the local synagogue, who “besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.”

            “The fact of this man’s coming to Jesus, with the spirit of faith and supplication, is an evidence of the deep impression the ministry of Christ had made even in priestly and ecclesiastical circles. Many of the Jews, rulers and officials as well as the people in common, believed in Jesus; though few belonging to the upper classes were willing to sacrifice prestige and popularity by acknowledging their discipleship. That Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue, came only when impelled by grief over the impending death of his only daughter, a girl of twelve years, is no evidence that he has not before become a believer; certainly at this time his faith was genuine and his trust sincere, as the circumstances of the narrative prove. He approached Jesus with the reverence due One whom he considered able to grant what he asked, and fell at the Lord’s feet, or as Matthew says, worshiped Him. When the man had started from his home to seek aid of Jesus, the maiden was at the point of death; he feared lest she had died in the interval. In the very brief account given in the first Gospel, he is reported as saying to Jesus: “My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her and she shall live.” Jesus went with the imploring father, and many followed.

            “On the way to the house an incident occurred to hinder progress. A sorely afflicted woman was healed, under circumstances of peculiar interest; this occurrence we shall consider presently. No intimation is given that Jairus showed impatience or displeasure over the delay; he had placed trust in the Master and awaited His time and pleasure; while Christ was engaged in the matter of the suffering woman, messengers came from the ruler’s house with the saddening word that the girl was dead. We may infer that even these dread tidings of certainty failed to destroy the man’s faith; he seems to have still looked to the Lord for help, and those who had brought the message asked, “Why troublest thou the Master any further – ?” Jesus heard what was said, and sustained the man’s sorely taxed faith by the encouraging behest: “Be not afraid, only believe.” Jesus permitted none of His followers save three of the apostles to enter the house with Himself and the bereaved but trusting father. Peter and the two brothers James and John were admitted.

            “The house was no place of such respectful silence or subdued quiet as we now consider appropriate to the time and place of death; on the contrary it was a scene of tumult, but that condition was customary in the orthodox observances of mourning at the time. Professional mourners, including singers of weird dirges, and minstrels who made great noise with flutes and other instruments, had already been summoned to the house. To all such Jesus said, on entering, “Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead but sleepeth.” It was in effect a repetition of His comment uttered on a then recent occasion – Peace, be still. His words drew scorn and ridicule from those who were paid for the noise they made, and who, if what He said proved true, would lose this opportunity of professional service. Moreover, they knew the maid was dead; preparations for the funeral, which custom required should follow death as speedily as possible, were already in progress. Jesus ordered these people out, and restored peace to the house. He then entered the death chamber, accompanied only by the three apostles and the parents of the girl. Taking the dead maiden by the hand He “said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.” To the astonishment of all but the Lord, the girl arose, left her bed, and walked. Jesus directed that food be given her, as bodily needs, suspended by death, had returned with the girl’s renewal of life. 

            “The Lord imposed an obligation of secrecy, charging all present to refrain from telling what they had seen. The reasons for this injunction are not stated.”


Note: Peter, James, and John were the only three of the Twelve selected by Jesus to witness the raising of the daughter of Jairus. They will be the same three to witness the transfiguration of Jesus, and then the sole witnesses of our Lord’s agony in Gethsemane.


The Mortal Messiah, book 2

Apostle Bruce R. McConkie

            “[Jesus] has just spoken peace to a Galilean tempest and called a legion of devils out of a wracked and tormented body, acting in each case on his own authority, taking no steps to build up the faith of the beneficiaries of his goodness. Each of these miracles manifest the absolute power inherent in him; sometimes Jesus healed the sick because he had faith to heal and not because they had faith to be healed.  
            “But now in the case of Jairus’s daughter and the woman with the issue of blood, we are about to see healings because those who sought the blessing had faith to be healed. And in each instance we shall see the Blessed One – bearing in himself, as it were, the sicknesses and infirmities of his brethren – we shall see him, with tender solicitude, encourage and increase the faith of those who see his goodness; we shall see him strengthen their faith lest by any chance they fail to obtain the blessings they seek.

            “One of the first to meet Jesus as he came ashore was Jairus, “ruler of the synagogue” in Capernaum. We know Jesus had preached often and wrought miracles in that very house of worship, and we know that such preaching was done at the solicitation of the Jewish elders who held local synagogue rule. Thus Jesus and Jairus knew and respected each other; this devout Jew had heard Jesus preach, had believed his words, and had rejoiced in the knowledge of other miracles. Is it too much to suppose he was present on that glorious Capernaum Sabbath when Jesus cast the evil spirit from the man in the synagogue of that city?

            “But whatever their prior association, Jairus had faith in Christ, and coming this day, “he fell down at Jesus’ feet” “and worshipped him.” “My little daughter lieth at the point of death,” he said. “I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.”

            “Can anyone doubt the faith of Jairus? Or that he knew and understood the ordinance of administration to the sick? “Come and lay thy hands on her,” he pled, “and she shall live!” “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.” (James 5:14-15) “And the elders of the church, two or more, shall be called, and shall pray for and lay their hands upon them in my name.” (D & C 42:44)

Glenn R. McGettigan

May 2019

References

“Our Lord of the Gospels.” Clark
“The Mortal Messiah. Book 2.” McConkie






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