Mark 5:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe."

NIV: Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, "Don’t be afraid; just believe."

NASB: But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, *said to the synagogue official, 'Do not be afraid, only believe.'

CSB: When Jesus overheard what was said, he told the synagogue leader, "Don’t be afraid. Only believe."

NLT: But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, 'Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.'

KJV: As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

NKJV: As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”

The wording indicates that Jesus overhears the person from Jairus' house while He is speaking to the woman healed from an issue of blood. There is a similarity here between the girl and Lazarus—both times, Jesus waits until the person is identified as dead before He comes to them. In the case of Lazarus, however, Jesus waits a full four days from the moment of death, which is the time the Jews believe it takes for the soul to leave the body, making full restoration is impossible (John 11:6). The scope of Jesus' miracles builds gradually, and here He merely delays until immediately after the girl has passed.

"Believe" is from the Greek root word pisteuo and basically means "to be persuaded as true." This is a tall order. People have been raised from the dead before, but the accounts were recorded in the Old Testament, written hundreds of years ago. Even if he is a leader of the Synagogue, Jairus has no particular reason to believe his twelve-year-old daughter is significant enough to be brought back to life by God's messenger.

In Jesus' ministry, faith is a conduit that allows the power of God to act. The faith of the woman with an issue of blood is so great she is healed without Jesus taking an active part. Conversely, when Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth, their unbelief will keep Jesus from doing the miracles that come so easily in Capernaum (Mark 6:1–6).

Miracles, impelled by faith in Jesus' ministry, are meant to identify Him as a representative of God. They alert the people to the fact that His teachings are from God and to be heeded. Now that those teachings are gathered in the Bible, God works in a slightly different way.

Our faith is still required for God to work in us. It doesn't have to be big (Luke 17:6), just pointed in the right direction (Hebrews 11:6) and persistent (1 Thessalonians 5:17). It also needs to have the right intent. It is not biblical to have "faith" that God will give us riches or health (James 4:2–3). Instead, God promises to give us what we need to do His will. If our hearts are aligned with His and we value what He prioritizes, we will be satisfied with what He gives us (John 15:7). It is okay to be disappointed when we don't receive the blessings we hope for if we also acknowledge that our hope, ultimately, rests in Him (1 Peter 1:3).

Mark 5:35–43 returns to Jesus' encounter with a synagogue leader and his ailing daughter, after pausing to describe Jesus healing a woman who had suffered for years with a debilitating hemorrhage. The scope of Jesus' power and authority has built to this moment. He controlled a fierce storm (Mark 4:35–41), expelled a legion of demons (Mark 5:1–13), and healed a chronically ill woman without even trying (Mark 5:25–34). Now He will raise the dead. This is the first of three times Jesus is recorded as raising the dead (John 11:1–44; Luke 7:11–17). Despite this display, Jesus will soon go to His hometown of Nazareth where He will be rejected by the people who have known Him longest. This account can also be found in Matthew 9:23–26 and Luke 8:49–56.

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.

Mark 4:35—5:43 sees an increase in the scope of Jesus' miracles. He has just calmed a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee. Now, He expels a legion of demons, heals a woman without overtly acting, and brings a girl back to life. All three situations—related to tombs, blood, and death—show Jesus bringing healing to unclean circumstances. In chapter 6, the tone of His ministry will develop. He will be rejected by those who should know Him best, He will send out His followers to do His work, and His direct link to the Old Testament prophets will be explained.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.