Taking her by the hand He called, saying, “Child, arise.” And her spirit returned, and she got up at once … And her parents were amazed, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened. Luke 8:54-56 ESV1
Read Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26; Mark 5:21-24, 35-43; & Luke 8:40-42, 49-56
Have you ever been part of an exciting, amazing, or traumatic event, one replete with commotion, lively activity, or frenzy, and one so memorable, you felt you would never forget a moment? Only to find, when it was all over, and as you and others, who were also there, discussed what happened and what was said, you realized you each perceived the happening very differently, so different, in fact, that you wondered if some of the others were even at the same event? I have a feeling that those who hung out with Jesus as He walked the Earth often felt that way. The miracle we will consider now is such an example.
There is so much about the raising of Jairus’ daughter which causes confusion. First, the timing of this event: Both Mark and Luke record this event as having happened immediately after Jesus got out of the boat on the beaches of Capernaum after freeing the man in Gerasenes of the legion of demons. They put the healing of the paralytic much earlier on their timelines. But Matthew records the healing of the paralytic as the first thing that happened when Jesus got back to Capernaum. Matthew makes it sound like the restoring of this girl happened a short time after the healing of the paralytic. What Matthew, Mark, and Luke all agree on is that the paralytic was healed before Jairus’ daughter was raised to life. They also all agree that Matthew was called as a disciple immediately after the paralytic was healed.
Since Matthew seems to be a central figure between the healing of the paralytic and the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and since Matthew claims that Jairus approached Jesus during a dinner party at his own home (see Matthew 9:18), I am going to go with Matthew’s timeline. But I am going to tell the story using a combination of Mark’s and Luke’s renditions because their stories give much more detail. I imagine that is because Matthew didn’t leave his own party to actually attend this event. Instead, he probably told the story using the information given to him when Jesus got back to his home.
“And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about Him” (Mark 5:21). “The crowd welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him” (Luke 8:40). “Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing Him, he fell at His feet and implored Him earnestly” (Mark 5:22-23a) “to come to his house” (Luke 8:41), “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” (Mark 5:22b-24a).
“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 [and ignoring] what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe’” (Mark 5:35-36), “’and she will be well.’ And when He came to the house” (Luke 8:50b-51a), “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” (Mark 5:37-38) “and mourning for her” (Luke 8:52b). “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” (Mark 5:39-40a), “knowing that she was dead” (Luke 8:53b). “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 [He] told them to give her something to eat” (Mark 5:40b-43).
Second, there is confusion about the condition of Jairus’ daughter. The Gospel reports seem conflicting. Had his “daughter…just died” (Matthew 9:18)? Was his “daughter is at the point of death” (Mark 5:23)? Or was “she…dying” (Luke 8:41)? Is it possible that all three are correct? “A great crowd gathered about Him” (Mark 5:21). With that great crowd, came much noise and chaos. There was a sense of urgency. We don’t know how long the father waited for Jesus, how long it took him to make it to Jesus, or how long it took for messages to get passed back and forth. Plus, there was a delay. On the way to Jairus’ home, Jesus was interrupted with another healing (see Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:24b-34 and Luke 8:42b-48). Maybe the daughter died during that interruption. Whatever the case, the daughter was dead by the time Jesus got to Jairus’ home, and everyone knew it. There was no doubt that Jesus brought this child back from the dead.
Third, there is confusion over the command Jesus gave to Jairus and his wife. “He strictly charged them that no one should know this” (Mark 5:43). Why? Especially since everyone knew their daughter had been dead: it would be plain that she was alive again when she started walking around. Contrarily, it is a fact that Jesus told the man He had freed from the legion of demons, “‘Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you’” Mark 5:19). Why would Jesus give two recipients of incredible miracles opposing commands? Does He want people to share what He has done for them or not?
Maybe, in these cases, the differing commands had to do with the magnitude of the miracle. Releasing a seriously troubled and dangerous man from as many as 6000 demons was a pretty big deal. But was it a bigger deal than bringing a girl back from the dead?
Maybe the difference in commands was due to the popularity of the one who received the miracle. The man from whom a legion of demons had been exorcised was certainly well known and greatly feared among the people of his town. But the family of the girl who had been raised from the dead was also very much in the public eye. Jairus was the ruler of the local synagogue, and there was “a commotion [of] people weeping and wailing” (Mark 5:38) at Jairus’ home when Jesus got there.
Maybe the difference in commands had to do with the potential witness of the miracle recipient. A man who had once run around naked, living in the cemetery, and breaking any kind of chain or bonds placed upon him, who now “was clothed and in his right mind” (Mark 5:15) would make quite a testimony to what Jesus could do. But wouldn’t a well-respected leader in a local place of worship also have a platform for influencing many to follow Jesus by sharing what had been done for his family?
At first glance, we may assume the command to not share about this resurrection was a special case. Common sense would tell us Jesus expects those who receive miracles to testify. But Scripture tells us something different. Like the girl above, Jesus performed several miracles in which He specifically told the recipients to tell no one (see Matthew 9:30, Matthew 8:4, and Mark 7:36). What is more, Jesus performed many, many miracles and made no request that those benefitting from His kindness tell anyone! Why didn’t Jesus insist that everyone He helped share “how much God had done for [them]” (Luke 8:39a)?
One would expect Jesus would desire all the publicity He could get. His brothers certainly thought so. “His brothers said to Him, … ‘No one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world’” (John 7:3-4). If this were Jesus’ goal, He would have used even the demons to His advantage. Instead, He often forbade them to speak (see Mark 1:34). Jesus must have had a bigger plan than His publicity–one which is harder for us to visualize. Why else would He tell some to speak and some to keep quiet? And tell some to go (see Matthew 28:19) and some not to go (see Mark 8:26)? And some to follow (see Matthew 4:18, Luke 9:59) and others not to follow (see Luke 8:38, 9:58)?
Jesus hasn’t stopped giving seemingly conflicting commands. Even today, Christians, who all spend time in Jesus’ presence, have different ideas about what is most important in the Christian walk. Some Christians focus on service. Others feel Jesus is most concerned about prayer. Still others are convinced evangelism is of utmost importance. Holiness, belief, or sacrifice top others’ agendas. The list goes on and on.
Keep in mind, Jesus has a vantage point humans don’t have; He can see the whole picture of how everything and everyone fits together. He knows what is right and when it is right. That is why He can tell separate people different things that seem conflicting. In the big picture, these don’t conflict; they make sense and actually complement one another. “As in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness” (Romans 12:4-8). The goal of each one of us should be to listen for what Jesus is specifically telling us and respond to that expectation in obedience.
Pray for ears to hear and eyes to see that which Jesus is telling you. Pray for the courage to obey Him and to stand up against the conflicting (though possibly well-meaning) demands of others. Pray against the temptation to desire to be part of the plan Jesus has for someone else. And pray that you don’t get distracted from or weary in obeying Jesus’ sometimes confusing command to you.
1 Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted. To aid in understanding, I have capitalized references to God.