What does Mark 5:21 mean?
Jesus and the disciples had escaped the crowd on the western, Jewish side of the Sea of Galilee and were met by a man possessed by a legion of demons on the eastern, Gentile side. After Jesus healed the man, the people from the surrounding area, terrified by His power, begged Him to leave (Mark 5:1–20).One of the reasons Jesus had left previously faces Him once again: a crowd that threatens to mob Him or push Him into the Sea (Mark 3:7–10; 4:1, 4:35–36). Although some want to gather around quietly and listen to His teaching (Mark 3:31–35), most want relief from their physical and spiritual ailments.
In the Bible, God powers His prophets to perform miracles to validate their status as His spokesmen. We see this with Elisha, when he raises the Shunammite woman's son (2 Kings 4:18–37), with Peter when he heals a lame beggar (Acts 3:1–10), and with Paul on several occasions (for example, Acts 14:8–18; 16:16–18; 19:11–12). But while healing provided by God is meant as a loving, merciful blessing, it is always meant to be a means of supporting His message, not healing for the sake of healing.
The Jews understand this to some extent, but they misunderstand the message that the miracles authenticate. Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, come to restore Israel and bring them back to God. But not yet. First He must do the hard work—the crucifixion and resurrection—of providing the means of restoration. Then the news of that work must spread throughout the world. Only after that can the Jews see the great prophecies of the Old Testament come to life.
We need this reminder as well. The miracle is not the message. Healing is a gift, but healing on earth is not the point. God wants our hearts turned to Him. He wants us to turn our attention to Jesus' teaching. Only then can we be fully healed.
Mark 5:21–24 describes a synagogue leader, Jairus, asking Jesus to heal his daughter. After freeing a man who is possessed by a legion of demons, Jesus and the disciples return to the Jewish side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus is again met by a mob seeking healing. The story of Jesus resurrecting this synagogue leader's daughter is divided by the account of the healing of a woman with an issue of blood (Mark 5:25–34). This literary device leads us to compare the honorable leader and his beloved daughter to the unclean, destitute, and most likely abandoned woman. It also shows us that to Jesus, there is no difference. This incident is also described in Matthew 9:18–19 and Luke 8:40–42.
Jesus arrives on the other side of the Sea of Galilee and heals a man afflicted by a ''legion'' of demons. In the aftermath of this event, Jesus once again crosses the waters within this region, known as the Decapolis. There, He is approached by a synagogue leader, begging Him to come and save a dying girl. In the midst of this trip, Jesus stops the crowd to identify a woman who attempted to covertly touch his robes; her faithful act results in healing. Jesus then continues on to the home of the synagogue leader and resurrects his recently-deceased child.
