Sheep Without a Shepherd

Thoughts from Matthew 9…

 

Many people talk about being religious. Some are proud and some are humble. There are devout men and women of all religions, who have sacrificed more than I can even imagine.

The world religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, or Islam dominate the news headlines.

Some look at the religions in the world as the best thing about ourselves. “Their faith makes them a better person” is a common philosophy, regardless of what they believe.

Some look at religion as the biggest problem in the world. Richard Dawkins, the famous atheist, once said that “faith is one of the world’s great evils”, and that “religion is a force for evil”. Many others have looked through the religious disasters of history (e.g. crusades, persecutions, terrorism, etc.) and concluded that religion is a problem, not a help to society.

Jesus was often called a “Rabbi” or a “Teacher”, indicating that He was a respected religious leader of His day. He lived in the deeply religious society of first-century Israel. He taught devotion to His followers and commended them for their faith. Yet in the end, His greatest enemies were also the religious leaders who tried to destroy Him.

But when He talked about religion, He cared little for the customs and traditions of His day. He cared only for what God had taught! When Jesus taught about faith, it wasn’t enough that they had faith. They needed to have faith in Him!

It wasn’t the presence of their faith. It was the object of their faith.

It wasn’t enough to trust their traditions. They needed to trust Him!

When Jesus looked at the religious landscape of His day, he responded, not with respect, nor with anger, but with compassion. He saw a nation of people who were lost in their own religion. They were so caught up in their customs that were missing God.

Matthew 9:36
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

He described the people as “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”. Their religion had failed them. The religion of their day was totally unequipped to address the problems that these people faced. And more importantly, the problems were only an illustration of the main failure of their religion. Their religion was unable to show them how to get to God.

The narrative of Matthew 9 shows five scenes where Jesus met with the harassed and helpless. Their religion had failed them.

But as He showed, the important thing is not about being religious, it is about knowing Jesus Christ!

Matthew 9:18-38
While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. And the report of this went through all that district.

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

 

The religious man who trusted in Jesus

Matthew 9:18-19
While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples.

Mark 5:21-24
And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.

Luke 8:40-42
Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As Jesus went, the people pressed around him.

The first scene shows a crisis in the life of the synagogue ruler. This man, Jairus, was not a scribe nor a teacher of the law, but he was responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the local synagogue, the Jewish place for worship.^{a j} He would have been close friends with the local scribes and religious leaders of this town.^b

There is no reason to think that Jairus believed in Jesus. On the contrary, he was probably united with his religious friend against this teacher from Nazareth.¹¹ He didn’t come to Jesus until his daughter was near death and he had exhausted all other options.

But when his only daughter became ill, all of his religious convictions came to naught. Instead of going to the synagogue leaders, he came to Jesus seeking his help before his little girl died.^c Abandoning all pride and decorum, he fell down at His feet and begged Him to come!

She was his only daughter, and about twelve years old. She would soon have been considered a woman.^d

Jesus did not respond with an elaborate answer. He clearly saw the man’s need and simply got up and left with him, accompanied by his disciples and a large crowd.

“Only in the hour of supreme need, when his only child lay dying, did he resort to Jesus.” – Edersheim⁷

“Not every­body has the same degree of faith, but Jesus responds to faith no matter how feeble it might be.” – Warren Wiersbe⁵

 

The sick woman who touched Jesus’ coat

Matthew 9:20-22
And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

Mark 5:25-34
And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

Luke 8:43-48
And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

Jairus had finally humbled himself to go and find Jesus, and now He was coming to help his daughter. If only He could get there before it is too late!

But as Jesus encountered the next scene, Jairus must wait. His daughter’s life hangs in the balance, and yet he must wait.

Unnoticed by the crowd, a woman sneaks in and grabs the tassel at the end of Jesus’ cloak. Any Jewish teacher would have worn such a cloak with tassels on the corners.^e And she was desperate — she was sure that if she could only touch the end of His clothes, she would become well.

This woman’s religion had failed her. While Jairus had had twelve years of joy with his daughter, she had twelve years of shame. She had a bleeding disorder which rendered her unclean from the temple worship.

The Old Testament law declared her to be unclean and unable to participate in the temple sacrifices (Leviticus 15:25-30). But while the Old Testament laws would have had a minor effect on her life, the Jewish tradition made her life absolutely miserable. The rabbis taught that illness and injuries were a result of sin (see the notes here), and her specific condition must have been caused by unfaithfulness. Therefore, she was branded as an adultress, cast out of the synagogue, and shunned by her neighbors. The rabbis would have encouraged her husband to divorce her and remarry. She was innocent of these charges, and her religion had abandoned her.

“For every year of joy that Jairus has had with his daughter, she has had a year of agony.” – Stephen Davey¹⁰

For twelve years, she spent all her money and went to all the doctors, but to no avail. She was at wits end when she came to Jesus, hoping to only touch a corner of his cloak so that she might be healed.

And it worked! She took hold of the tassel on His cloak and was healed! But as she tried to quietly slip away, Jesus called out, “Who touched me?”^f She was exposed! In all her shame, she came to Him, trembling and falling down, confessing her entire story.

But Jesus wanted more for her than a simple mystical event. He gave her healing, peace, and comfort, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” There was not some mystical power transferred through His clothes. It was her simple trust in Jesus Christ Himself that brought her peace and healing.^{g h}

And in the only time recorded in His ministry, Jesus called this outcast woman, “daughter”.¹⁰ She is no longer an alien — she is part of His family!

“She knew her healing was complete and she was never again to suffer what she had in the past, for she had contacted the Great Healer Himself.” – H.A. Ironside³

“She was defiled, des­titute, discouraged, and desperate, but she came to Jesus and her need was met.” – Warren Wiersbe⁶

 

The girl who was raised to life

Matthew 9:23-26
And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. And the report of this went through all that district.

Mark 5:35-43
While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Luke 8:49-56
While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

Although the woman was grateful for Jesus, the interruption must have been heartbreaking for Jairus. Jesus was still speaking to the woman when the messenger from Jairus’ home came with the terrible news. His daughter was dead.

The next comment seems almost cold, “do not trouble the Teacher any more”. Stop trying to get Jesus. It’s too late. She’s dead.

But Jesus didn’t stop. Jairus stretched his faith in this Teacher in order to come to Him for help. He had finally put enough trust in Him to come when his daughter was sick. What would he do, now that she was dead? Wasn’t it too late? But Jesus simply replied, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” We do not know that Jairus even responded, but they kept on walking.

“It looked as though all hope was gone, but he was soon to realize that not only has Jesus power to deliver from sickness, but He is Himself the resurrection and the life.” – H.A. Ironside³

Once at the house, the funeral was already underway. Friends and neighbors would all come to the grieving family, stay with them, and comfort them with loud cries and wailing. The girl would be buried that same day. Musicians (“flute players”) would come, playing the funeral dirge. Wealthy families would even hire professional mourners (see also here).

And into that scene walked Jesus, saying, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” The mourners stopped their grieving, looked at Him, and began to laugh. Luke’s account says clearly enough, “And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.” There was no doubt about it. The girl was dead.

But Jesus sent away the mourners. Clearing the house, He left only the parents and three disciples (Peter, James, and John). He then came to the body, took her by the hand, and said gently, “Child arise.” The girl immediately revived and got up. Jesus directed them to give her food to eat, and then strictly told them not to tell about what happened.

Jairus had come a long way in his trust of Jesus Christ. He had turned from his religious background and came to Jesus, knowing that He could save his dying daughter. But Jesus had more for Jairus than that simple first step. He was more than a healer. He could restore the dead. Jesus was showing him that He was God himself!

 

The blind men who had faith in Him

Matthew 9:27-31
And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

Matthew includes the scene afterward, when two blind men follow Jesus. These men urgently want His attention, even to the point of following him into the house where he was staying!

This is the first time in the Gospels that Jesus is directly called, the “Son of David”.¹ This is a direct reference to the Messiah (see here) and shows that the blind men had a very clear understanding of who Jesus was. He was not simply some miracle worker to them — He was the coming king!

The other interesting thing about this miracle is that Jesus asked about their faith before healing them. He had shown in the past that faith is not always a requirement (e.g. the two demon-possessed men here). But for these men, it was an issue about how much they trusted Him. Would they trust Jesus to heal them? Will they trust Jesus enough to be quiet about it afterwards?

These men trusted Jesus and He healed them. But once again, they could not keep silent, spreading His fame through the entire region. See here for a discussion on why Jesus wanted them to keep silent.

 

The religious men who refused to trust in Jesus

Matthew 9:32-34
As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”

As soon as the two men had left the house, people brought in a mute man. Not all illnesses have supernatural origins, but this man was made mute by the demon who possessed him. Jesus had already shown His power over demons and when He cast out the demon, the man began to speak.

But this was too much for the religious leaders!ⁱ How could this man, who opposed to what they thought, be able to do such miracles? They had already determined to never believe him. So therefore, they needed an explanation for his mighty power.

Their conclusion, and one that they would repeat frequently, was that Jesus was doing this through the power of the devil.

“They regarded Jesus, as possessed by a demon, that is, as the constant vehicle of Satanic influence. And this demon was, according to them, none other than Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. All this, because the Kingdom which He came to open, and which He preached, was precisely the opposite of what they regarded as the Kingdom of God.” – Edersheim⁹

“The Pharisees could not deny the reality of the works, so they relied on a false explanation.” – Stanley Toussaint¹

 

Conclusion

Matthew 9:35-38
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Matthew reiterates that Jesus’ ministry was a work of teaching, preaching, and healing those who are afflicted. This is the same statement as at the beginning of His ministry (Matthew 4:23, see here). He has not changed.

All of these scenes show men, women, and a child who were lost without Jesus Christ. Their religion had ceased to be true to God and had turned on its people. Their customs and regulations had left them harassed and helpless, with nowhere to turn. Jesus responded, not with anger, but with compassion.

For Jairus, the synagogue ruler, He showed that his religion was worthless when it opposed Jesus Christ. Jairus needed to trust in Him, not only as a healer but as the giver of life itself!

For the sick woman, He freed her from the curse of her religion. She was no longer broken and shamed. Nor did she need to trust in a piece of cloth to save her when she could meet Jesus Christ Himself!

For the blind men, He showed that their faith in Him was most important!

And finally, for those who refused to believe, He gave them no alternative but to accuse Him of coming from the devil. They could never refute His words nor doubt His power.

Even in our current twenty-first century, we see people who are lost; those who are helpless and hurting. We see people who come up with great explanations from their religion or philosophy, but they mean nothing.

But Jesus looked at the lost and confused people, and saw them as sheep without a shepherd. He charged His disciples to earnestly pray that God would bring people to meet their needs.

The physical needs are great, for sure. But even more important than their physical needs, is the fact that they have no shepherd to guide them. Who will lead them to the Lord? Who will teach them about Jesus Christ? The command for the disciples, as to all of us, is that we might pray for God to send people to bring this message to them.

Their religion is irrelevant if it does not bring them to Jesus Christ!

And don’t forget, that as we pray that God might send people, maybe you and I are the answer to that prayer. Does God want to send us next door to the neighbor who needs Him? Does God want to send us across the country? Across the world?

 

Previous post: The New Kingdom Replaces the Old Law

 

---

References

[1] Stanley D. Toussaint, Behold The King, Kregel Publications, 1980, 9:18-38, pages 132-136

[2] H.A. Ironside, Ironside Expository Commentaries, Matthew 9, The King Continues to Manifest His Power and Grace

[3] H.A. Ironside, Ironside Expository Commentaries, Address 30, Christ Triumphs over Sickness and Death, Luke 8:41-56

[4] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, David C. Cook, 2007, Matthew 9:18-38, page 29-30

[5] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, David C. Cook, 2007, Mark 5:21-43, pages 103-105

[6] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, David C. Cook, 2007, Luke 8:40-56, pages 163-165

[7] Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Book III, CHAPTER XXVI: THE HEALING OF THE WOMAN, CHRIST’S PERSONAL APPEARANCE, THE RAISING OF JAIRUS’ DAUGHTER (St. Matthew 9:18-26; St. Mark 5:21-43; St. Luke 8:40-56.), https://www.ccel.org/ccel/edersheim/lifetimes.viii.xxvi.html

[8] Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Book III, CHAPTER XXII: THE MINISTRY OF LOVE, THE BLASPHEMY OF HATRED, AND THE MISTAKES OF EARTHLY AFFECTION, THE RETURN TO CAPERNAUM, HEALING OF THE DEMONISED DUMB, PHARISAIC CHARGE AGAINST CHRIST, THE VISIT OF CHRIST’S MOTHER AND BRETHREN (St. Luke 8:1-3; St. Matthew 9:32-35; St. Mark 3:22 &c.; St. Matthew 12:46-50 and parallels.), https://www.ccel.org/ccel/edersheim/lifetimes.viii.xxii.html

[9] Doug Bookman, Life of Christ, Audio Series, Lecture 8. https://www.christianity.com/jesus/life-of-jesus/harmony-of-the-gospels/15-the-unpardonable-sin-and-a-shift-to-parables.html

[10] Stephen Davey, Divine Delays, Mark 5:21-43, 1/3/1988

[11] Stephen Davey, A Lion on a Limb, Mark 5, 12/9/1990

[12] John MacArthur, Jesus’ Power over Death, Part 1, Matthew 9:18-22, Feb 8, 1981

[13] John MacArthur, Jesus’ Power over Death, Part 2, Matthew 9:23-26, Feb 22, 1981

[14] John MacArthur, Miracles of Sight and Sound, Matthew 9:27-33, Mar 1, 1981

[15] John MacArthur, Responding to Jesus’ Power, Matthew 9:33-35, Mar 8, 1981

[16] John MacArthur, The Harvest and the Laborers, Matthew 9:35-10:1, Mar 22, 1981

[17] John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, SP Publications, 1983, Matthew 9:18-38, pages 40-41

 

---

Notes

[a] Matthew’s account does not name the ruler of the synagogue, but both Mark and Luke identify him as Jairus.

[b] The actual timing of the events is difficult. Mark and Luke both put this scene (with Jairus’ daughter and the woman healed) immediately after Jesus’ return from Gadera, where He healed the two men from demons. But Matthew’s account places the earlier events of chapter 9 in between these events, including the paralyzed man and the Matthew’s call. We cannot be sure of the exact chronology of events, but I am expecting that Matthew’s chronology is correct. Both Mark and Luke start the scene on the next sentence after Jesus’ return. Although they both imply that this happened immediately after returning across the lake, there is no problem with an interlude of time between these two sentences. Matthew’s account, however, shows Jairus coming to Jesus while He is still speaking to John’s disciples about fasting (see Matthew 9:14-18).

[c] Matthew has only a short summary of the scene with Jairus and his daughter. Matthew’s account that she is “dead” summarizes both the father’s initial request (when she was dying) and later on when a messenger came with the news that she had died. Both Mark and Luke’s accounts split the interaction into two separate scenes.¹⁷

[d] In the Jewish culture, a girl was considered a woman at twelve years and one day. A boy was considered a man at thirteen years and one day.¹²

[e] The gospel accounts say that she touched a “fringe of his garment.” This fringe was a rectangular cloth worn over the shoulders of a Jewish man, with a tassel on each corner. These tassels were prescribed by Old Testament law (Numbers 15:37-41; Deuteronomy 22:12), although the Pharisees tended to enlarge their tassels as part of a great show of piety. The woman did not simply touch the garment, she literally grabbed hold of it — probably grabbing one of the tassels.^{4 11}

[f] The woman touched Jesus’ cloak and was immediately healed. Jesus then said, “Who touched me?” This scene presents many topics for discussion among Bible scholars. The most notable are the following:

• The woman touched Jesus and was healed without His awareness. This shows both that He had limited His knowledge while on earth (see here) and also that His healing is part of His very nature, not simply an action.
• Jesus recognized the power going out of Him. He did not notice the woman until He first noticed that He had healed someone. This shows that His healing may be part of His nature, but He is aware of any miracles that He has performed.
• Peter and the disciples responded with skepticism over the exchange. The disciples were not attuned to His healing.
• Jesus identified the woman through the crowd. This could have been a supernatural knowledge or simply that the woman was unable to escape after her immediate healing. Ultimately, she came forward and confessed.

“Jesus knew the difference between being touched accidentally and being touched intentionally.” – Stephen Davey¹¹

“For, assuredly, the Lord cannot be touched by disease and misery, without healing coming from Him, for He is the God-Man. And He is also the loving, pitying Saviour. Who disdains not, nor turns from our weakness in the manifestation of our faith, even as He turned not from hers who touched His garment for her healing.” – Edersheim⁷

 

[g] The contrast between Jairus and the woman:

• Jairus had a leading reputation
  • She lost her reputation
• Jairus was a synagogue leader
  • She was excluded from the synagogue
• Jairus had a family
  • She lost her family
• Jairus came pleading for his daughter
  • She came with a need of her own
• Jairus is viewed by all to be the epitome of morality and under God’s favor
  • She was viewed by all to be immoral and under God’s judgement
• Jairus had a healthy daughter for twelve years, then she died
  • She had been ill for twelve years, then was healed
• Jairus’ came publicly to Jesus
  • She came secretly to Jesus through the crowd
• Both Jairus and the woman trusted Christ, and He met their needs.

Sources

• Warren W. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, David C. Cook, 2007, Matthew 9:18-38, page 29-30⁴
• Stephen Davey, Desperation, Luke 8:40-56, 3/24/2013¹¹

 

[h] Why did Jesus expose the woman publicly?

• For her own sake. He wanted to be to her something more than a healer: He wanted to be her Savior and Friend as well.
• For the sake of Jairus. His daughter was close to death, and he needed all the encouragement he could get.
• So that she might have the opportunity to share her testimony and glorify the Lord.

Source: Warren W. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, David C. Cook, 2007, Mark 5:21-43, pages 103-105⁵

 

[i] The astonished response by the people after Jesus healed the mute man sounds promising, but it only shows their fascination with Him. It does not show any commitment to Him as their king.¹

[j] “The ruler of a synagogue was the elder in charge of the public services and the care of the facilities. He saw to it that people were appointed to pray, read the Scriptures, and give the sermon. He presided over the elders of the synagogue and was usu­ally a man of reputation and wealth.” – Wiersbe⁶

[k] Jesus directed that they give Jairus’ daughter food to eat. She had likely not eaten since before the beginning of her illness so this would have given her physical strength.⁶ But even more importantly, this gave evidence that the girl was physically alive. Jesus showed the same evidence Himself when He rose from the dead, visiting His disciples and eating with them (Luke 24:36-43, see here).