Lenten Reader | Day 11

March 2nd, 2026

When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”

Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Mark 5:21-43

Believe

Don’t be afraid; just believe.

If only it were that easy, right?

If only we could all have the faith of the woman who had been suffering from the bleeding issue for twelve years, who believed that all she had to do was touch a thread on His cloak and she would be healed.

When she realized what had happened, she fell at His feet and thanked Him for healing her. Jesus then assured her that it was her faith that healed her.

Jairus came to Jesus begging that He heal his sick daughter. But by the time they made it to the house, many believed that Jairus’ daughter had passed. Only for Jesus to tell them that she was sleeping. Many laughed. But when Jesus took her by the hand and said, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” And she immediately got up and began to walk. They were astonished. 

In reading these Scriptures about the miracles and healing that Jesus had performed, it shows not only his ability to restore life in hopeless and near impossible situations, but it is a prime example of his love and compassion for each and every one of us. 

When Jesus followed Jairus to his home to heal his daughter, He stopped to help someone else. Showing that His timing is perfect and that not even death can limit Him.

No matter how hopeless or abandoned a situation or person may seem, Jesus assures us that we are never too far gone or unclean for Him to rewrite our story. We just have to trust in Him and…

Do not be afraid; just believe.

Doug Lowe