Home > Jesus is God in Mark's Gospel
The chapter concludes with Jesus standing at the bedside of a dead twelve-year-old girl.
Mark 5:35–43
While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But 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. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
“Talitha cumi” - Mark preserves the original Aramaic words. He does that more than the other Gospel writers put together. It is affectionate in calling her “little lamb”. Commentators note that this is not a magic incantation (which were common in the ancient world). It is a Direct Command. The little girls is commanded back to life by the One who commands reality itself.
“Sleeping” - There is a dismissal of death as Jesus describes death as "sleep." To the Creator, the transition from life to death is as simple to reverse as waking someone from a nap.
“and they laughed at him” - The mocking and ridiculing of miracles still continues to this day. These were likely professional mourners based on the other accounts. See 2 Chronicles 35:25.
Commanding vs Praying for healing - Unlike Peter (Acts 9) or Elijah (1 Kings 17), Jesus does not pray for the child’s life to return. He simply commands it. As the Logos, His word carries the same creative power as the "Let there be light" of Genesis.
If Jesus were merely a "divine man" or a "prophet," he would have been rendered ritually unclean by the woman's touch and the corpse's hand. Instead, He remains the "Holy One of God" who purifies the unclean and vivifies the dead without losing His own sanctity. Although her was aware of power having gone from HIm in the healing of the woman with the hemorrhage, it did not leave Him weak! He could raise the dead!