Mark 5:23 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Mark 5:23

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He besought him greatly, and put many arguments. ‘She is dying right now; there is no possibility she will get better. You are the Saviour; you have such mercy, and you have shown it many times.’ He appealed to his power as the Lord of glory that she may be saved – the word Mark uses is the salvation word, which the KJV translates ‘healed’. He meant it as a synonym for healing but it is interesting that he uses the salvation word to illustrate this. All his natural prejudice was overcome by his need.This is about faith. Because of his need and because he recognises who Christ is, then faith is born within him. It's not big faith, not at first, but it's all there. Like a new born baby, he or she has all fingers, all toes, all limbs are complete, an entire human being, but small and undeveloped. That is the way faith is born in the heart of a person. It’s real faith, but it is small. He ‘besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.’ He trusts Christ enough to believe he can come and heal her, but he thinks that he must be present in order to do this. Nevertheless his faith secured the healing, indeed the raising of his daughter. So with us. A real sense of need leads to recognition of Christ. I see he is the Saviour who suffered and died for sinners who come to him, and faith is born. ‘Yes, but Pastor, I have doubts and problems and fears.’ Yes, but if you've got genuine faith, you can come to him. If you trust that he'll save your soul, and that he suffered and died for sinners, you can come. Sort out all the other things as you come, or afterwards, as long as it's real and you humble yourself before him. It is faith that saves. If there's even a spark of real need and faith, he responds to your prayer – ‘and Jesus went with him.’

Application

We must come to Christ. Jairus came because he had a burning need. His need was the dying state of his 12-year-old daughter, and it woke him up. The situation was so grave that he knew there was no hope for the girl except the hope that presented itself with Jesus Christ Jesus of Nazareth. The one who performed such mighty miracles, and who spoke so wonderfully: he is surely the promised Messiah. It was no use going to the priests, or engaging in some ritual, not even of the God-given worship of the Jews in olden time. That would not cure his daughter. Only this Messiah, this prophet of God could help him. We can’t get anything from Christ without having a need: new life, the burden of sin removed. Like him we have to humble ourselves. There is one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Son is equal with Father but incarnate. We have to come to him.

What brings us to God? Not an inner impulse; not an inner desire. We do not one day say, ‘Well, how do I account for this world? It must be created world, there must be a God. He must be a personal God, if he made personal human beings. He must in a larger and more magnificent way be personal and approachable, and capable of being communicated with, and I must have him and know him.’ We do not think of these things by ourselves. We do not reason it out in a sensible way, because we are opposed to God. We want to be our own rulers and masters. We are corrupted by our sin within, and we live for this world and material things. We quickly learn to scorn the living God, and we do not seek him until a great need comes upon us, and that shakes us. Sometimes it's a physical need, like a terrible illness or a great shock or time of grief. Sometimes the need goes directly to the soul, and by an illuminating awakening act of God, we become deeply concerned about our spiritual condition and state. It's a divine act to shake us and wakes us up.

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Mark 5:23 Commentary and Bible Study