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When someone is skilled at caring for the needs of the sick or dying, we say they have the “healing touch.” But no one has ever shown the power to heal like Jesus. In his Gospel, Mark records Jesus’ power over many areas of life. First, in Mark 4:35-41, Jesus demonstrated His power over nature when He calmed the “furious squall” that arose on the water (v. 37). Then, in Mark 5:1–20, Jesus restored a demon-possessed man to health, displaying His power over the darkness. In today’s passage, Jesus exhibits authority over sickness and death. The two stories within Mark 5:21–43 are meant to be compared and contrasted. At the same time, Jairus’s daughter was born, a woman began hemorrhaging and could find no answer to her pain. According to the custom, this woman would have been considered unclean. She was a social outcast, unable to worship at the temple courts (vv. 25–26). Jairus’s daughter, by contrast, grew up happy and healthy, seeing her father come and go regularly to the synagogue as one of the leaders (v. 22). Even though they came from different social standings, both Jairus and the woman showed a similar faith in Jesus. They both believed He had the healing touch. It probably took courage for both individuals to reach out to Jesus for help. No doubt, a bit of timidity was running through their veins. However, they realized that nothing and no one else would be able to help them in their desperate time of need. Through their courageous act of reaching out, their faith in Jesus healed them (vv. 34, 36). Mark makes it clear that these narratives prove that the only one who has authority over nature, the powers of darkness, sickness, and death itself is God Himself. >> Are you struggling with a discouraging health issue? Do you have a loved one in need of healing? Don’t be afraid to reach out to the One with the healing touch. He will always hear you and receive you.