Full Sermon Notes for Mark 5:21-43

Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz

Blog entries:
Exegetical Perspective of Mark 5:21-43
Here is an interesting periscope because we have one healing story in the middle of another
healing story. It reminds me of several TV shows today who have two or more stories running
parallel to each other. Perhaps this was done by the writer of Mark to give some anticipation to
the people listening to the story. As the second healing story develops you wonder what happened
to Jarius daughter. The two stories do complement each other.
The laying of hands was a part of Jewish practice for sacrifices (transfer of sin), blessings, and
ordination. This practice was adopted by the Christian community and is used today. The first
illness to the young child was a terminal situation. The second healing was because of a woman
with a menstrual problem. She touches the tzitzi on Jesus tallis which is considered to have the
power of God. The tzitzi represent the Torah.
The womans healing is a public healing while the young girls is a private healing. Jesus only
allows the parents and three disciples to witness the event. There is a shadowing of private
healings by Elijah (1 KI 17:17-24) and Elisha (2 KI 4:32-37).

Theological Perspective of Mark 5:21-43

These two intertwined stories demonstrate to us Jesus claim to the kingship of God in the realm
of life and law. He was able to heal a women stricken by an illness for many years and to bring
life back to a child. The stories tell us that Jesus power will come not only to the wealthy and
powerful like Jarius but also to the poor, the woman with the bleeding.
The woman was on the fringe of society because her bleeding made her unclean. She would not
have been allowed to participate in God worship. Normally the religious leaders of the day would
have ignored her. Jesus shows us that the disenfranchised are just as important to God as anyone
else. It was not her fault that she ran into illness. So Jesus heals her too.
Both persons also acknowledged the authority placed by God in Jesus hands without having to
ask questions or trying to trick him like the religious leadership did of the day. Jesus is God and
has authority over the people of the Earth. But free will exists in the universe and we do have the
power to say no to Gods love and grace.

Homiletical Perspective of Mark 5:21-43

How do we determine the worthiness of people and things that surround us and we come into
contact with every day? When you go to the mailbox and pull out 6 requests for money to different
charities which do you choice? Or do you toss the lot. There are plenty of hurting people in the
world but the average person cannot support them all. Which one(s) are you supporting? Also
remember your church tithe is first and the rest is alms giving.
Then the TV ads for charities that explicitly say if you dont give to them then you dont care or
you dont have compassion in your heart. If you gave the minimum to every one of these
Page 1 of 5

organization then what happens you will be needing help for yourself. I do not appreciate
commercials that try to pry money from people by telling us if we dont give we dont care. I care.
I just have found organizations that use the least amount of my gifts for their overhead and
administration costs. Sure every organization has paid employees and expenses but the question
is HOW MUCH of my gift is going to administration costs opposed to the people who really need
it.
That is why the United Methodist Churchs charities are so appealing. The administration costs
are paid for from other funds and not the charity donations people give. UMCOR is definitely a
way to given dollars.

Pastoral Perspective of Mark 5:21-43

The question of the day for this perspective has to do with the isolation and alienation that occurs
from illness. In Jesus day it was a simple procedure of putting the ill out of the community. The
people didnt understand how diseases were passed between people. They also didnt
understand what genetic diseases (or handicaps) were all about.
Today with our knowledge of medicine and genetics you would think that this never happens. But
it does and sometimes it is the ill who isolate themselves. Elder people have a tendency to isolate
themselves when they reach the point that they cant drive anymore and stay in their houses alone
instead of moving to a retirement community which would offer them companionship and
activities. But in these case the individual makes the choice.
Sometimes we have an illness, mental or physical, which does indeed separate us from society
but again in todays culture you have to want to separate yourself. The woman with the bleeding
wanted to be a part of the community she lived in. Not only did show want to be healed of this
bleeding condition but healed spiritually and allowed to join the community.
A task for Christians is to seek out members of the church who arent attending and try to discover
if it is possible to get them back. Sometimes people stop coming to church because of some sin
they committed. They suffer from the illness of guilt. They need to be told that it is Jesus who
cures all sins by forgiveness and salvation and that the church wants them to experience the
forgiveness from the savior.
John Wesley called the church the hospital for the sinners. We are all sinners looking for the
forgiveness and salvation from God. It is Jesus Christ who offers it through faith.

Something for the Refrigerator for the week starting June 28, 2015
56+Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz
21

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. 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came,
and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 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." 24 So Jesus
went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who
had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 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. 27 When
Page 2 of 5

she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because
she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and
she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At once Jesus realized that power
had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" 31
"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who
touched me?'" 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman,
knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the
whole truth. 34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed
from your suffering." 35 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?" 36 Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, "Don't be afraid; just believe." 37 He did
not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came
to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing
loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead
but asleep." 40 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. 41 He took her by
the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). 42
Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they
were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told
them to give her something to eat. (Mk. 5:21-6:1 NIV)
Contemplation Question: Is your faith in the healing power of Jesus as strong as the people
mentioned in this narrative?
Commentary:
This is a picture of a tallis. Except for the words on the tallis it
would be identical to one that Jesus might have worn. Notice
there are four long fringes each at a corner. The garment is
rectangular therefore it has four corners. 12 Make tassels on the
four corners of the cloak you wear. (Deut. 22:12 NIV). Each tassel
represents the first five books of the Bible (Torah). It is hard to
see but each tassel has five knots in it. Also there is a blue
chord that is weaved with the white tassels. Not all tallis have
the blue thread. It is considered a blessing to have the blue
thread because in antiquity the blue dye came from an animal
found in the sea. The blue dye was very rare and very
expensive. It showed a devotion to God by adding the thread.
Since blue dye is inexpensive today the practice isnt followed
as much.
The woman touched Jesus tzizit, the tassel of the tallis.

Page 3 of 5

Mark 5:21-43
1. Introduction

Two healing stories (one sandwiched inside another)

Laying of hands

Transfer of sin

Blessings

Ordination

Healing

2. Two types of healing

Public - woman with bleeding healed in public

Private - raising the child from the dead

3. Tallis

Garment worn because God said we are to wear the Word of God on the corners of
our garments

Tzitzi are the fringes on the corners

5 notes in each representing the 5 books of Moses

4. Question of supporting charities

Today we receive numerous called from charities via mail

Same on TV

Can't support all of them

What is your criteria?

UMCOR - 100% of your money goes to the charity work.

5. Unwrapping the human experience

Illness can isolate people from society - society caused

Illness can cause a person to separate from Society - persons choice

Sin is an illness which can separate people from Jesus' and church

Church must never do this: J. Wesley - "we are the hospital for the sinners"

We are obligated to help those who aren't attending to overcome the illness
keeping them away

Jesus loves the heathy and the ill and wants all in the Kingdom

Page 4 of 5

LINKS:
http://koplitz.one
Mikes website of biblical research
http://revdrmichaelkoplitz.wordpress.com
Mikes sermon preparation blog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrloEXQ4eZw&feature=youtu.be
Exegetical Perspective VLOG of Mark 5:21-43
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6xoalQbfwo&feature=youtu.be
Theological Perspective VLOG of Mark 5:21-43
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq_YU1jHUyI&feature=youtu.be
Homiletical Perspective VLOG of Mark 5:21-43

Page 5 of 5