Jairus' Daughter (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A): Revision Note
Exam code: 8062
21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered round him; and he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 23 and begged him repeatedly, “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.” 24 So he went with him.
And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him.
35 While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38 When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at him. Then 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. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum”, which means, “Little girl, get up!” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43 He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
The healing of Jairus’s daughter
Jairus was a Jewish synagogue official
He showed great faith in Jesus, coming to find him and begging him to heal his daughter, who was very ill
Jesus went with Jairus to his daughter
However, she had apparently died while Jesus was on his way to her
When Jesus saw the girl, he took her hand and said to her, “Talitha cum”, which means, “Little girl, get up!” (Mark 5:41)
The phrase “Talitha cum” is Aramaic, and translated, it means “little lamb”, which showed Jesus’s care for the little girl
The inclusion of this exact phrase is often interpreted as evidence that this text in the scripture is an eyewitness account, along with the fact that Jesus told the girl’s parents to get her something to eat
The little girl was immediately healed
Jesus told the people there not to tell anyone what had happened
Significance of this healing miracle
Like the healing of the paralysed man, this miracle happened in response to a person’s faith: Jairus had faith that Jesus could heal his daughter, which was repaid
Faith, therefore, needs to be “active” — Jairus had to believe that Jesus had the power to heal his daughter
This is another example of Jesus showing great power and authority in Mark’s eyes and the eyes of those who witnessed the event
Most scholars believe that this was a healing rather than a resurrection: The girl was probably in a coma, not dead
However, it is still a powerful demonstration of Jesus’s powers for believers
Jesus telling the witnesses not to mention the event is significant
It is one of several occasions when Jesus asks for people not to reveal his power or to claim openly that he was the Messiah
It would have been dangerous for this idea to spread, as it would have led to accusations of blasphemy
This idea is known as the Messianic Secret
Worked Example
Why did Jesus tell the witnesses of Jairus’s daughter’s healing not to tell anyone what had happened?
A. He wanted to test their memory.
B. He wanted to avoid accusations of blasphemy.
C. He did not want to upset the synagogue leaders.
D. He was unsure if the healing would last.
Answer:
Correct answer: B. He wanted to avoid accusations of blasphemy.
In St Mark’s Gospel, Jesus sometimes tells people not to reveal his identity or the miracles he has performed to avoid dangerous accusations before the right time (the Messianic Secret).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
These miracle stories repeatedly emphasise the importance of faith in order for the miracle to be performed. Make sure you can refer to one or more of these events if asked a question such as:
Explain two reasons why faith is shown to be important in the miracles performed by Jesus. [4 marks]
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