Preet Anupam Beck csc –
Readings: Wis 1: 13-15; 2: 23-24; 2 Cor 8: 7.9.13-15; Mk 5: 21-43
Evangelist Mark has a great sense of presenting Jesus as a compassionate healer. People approached Jesus with their prayers and illnesses, and he was deeply moved by their situations and suffering. Filled with compassion, he healed them and rewarded their faith.
Today’s gospel passage employs a sandwich construction, where a separate story is inserted within a continuous narrative. In this passage, Jairus implores Jesus to heal his daughter, who was near death. On Jesus’ way to the house of Jairus, a woman gets healed only by touching his cloth without being noticed by anyone. Sensing power leaving him, Jesus asks about the person who touched him. Despite her fear, Jesus acknowledges and encourages her faith, sending her away with peace.
Despite receiving news of Jairus’ daughter’s death, Jesus proceeds to his house, where he resurrects the girl, presenting her to her family as if she were merely sleeping.
In both incidents of today’s gospel passage, we witness the compassionate heart of Jesus. His actions were driven by the desire for others to experience life. He bestowed dignity and respect upon the woman who received healing through him, and he restored life to Jairus’ daughter, bringing joy and happiness to her family. He invites me to cultivate a compassionate heart in my life.