Scripture for Sunday, Sept. 22 – Mark 5:21-43
Jesus heals two people

21 Jesus crossed the lake again, and on the other side a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. 22 Jairus, one of the synagogue leaders, came forward. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded with him, ìMy daughter is about to die. Please, come and place your hands on her so that she can be healed and live.î 24 So Jesus went with him.

A swarm of people were following Jesus, crowding in on him. 25 A woman was there who had been bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a lot under the care of many doctors, and had spent everything she had without getting any better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 Because she had heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothes. 28 She was thinking, If I can just touch his clothes, Iíll be healed. 29 Her bleeding stopped immediately, and she sensed in her body that her illness had been healed.

30 At that very moment, Jesus recognized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, ìWho touched my clothes?î

31 His disciples said to him, ìDonít you see the crowd pressing against you? Yet you ask, ëWho touched me?íî 32 But Jesus looked around carefully to see who had done it.

33 The woman, full of fear and trembling, came forward. Knowing what had happened to her, she fell down in front of Jesus and told him the whole truth. 34 He responded, ìDaughter, your faith has healed you; go in peace, healed from your disease.î

35 While Jesus was still speaking with her, messengers came from the synagogue leaderís house, saying to Jairus, ìYour daughter has died. Why bother the teacher any longer?î

36 But Jesus overheard their report and said to the synagogue leader, ìDonít be afraid; just keep trusting.î 37 He didnít allow anyone to follow him except Peter, James, and John, Jamesí brother. 38 They came to the synagogue leaderís house, and he saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, ìWhatís all this commotion and crying about? The child isnít dead. Sheís only sleeping.î 40 They laughed at him, but he threw them all out. Then, taking the childís parents and his disciples with him, he went to the room where the child was. 41 Taking her hand, he said to her, ìTalitha koum,î which means, ìYoung woman, get up.î 42 Suddenly the young woman got up and began to walk around. She was 12 years old. They were shocked! 43 He gave them strict orders that no one should know what had happened. Then he told them to give her something to eat.