13th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Just Have Faith

“When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, [Jesus] caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, ‘Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.’ And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child's father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha koum,’ which means, ‘Little girl, I say to you, arise!’ The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat” (Mark 5:38-43).

This is a powerful account of humility and the power of faith over death. Jairus humbly pleaded for Jesus to save his daughter, who was at the point of death, and was propelled from a place of desperation to a place of faith. Jesus ignored the people outside of Jairus’ home, who said, “Your daughter has died, why trouble the teacher any longer? (Mark 5:35). What mattered to Jesus was the faith with which he was approached. He said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid; just have faith” (Mark 5:36).

This Gospel gives a clear picture of how we, individually and as a community, are called to minister. When we minister in Jesus’ name, we minister with compassion and single-minded attentiveness. We are also shown how to approach Jesus – with the needs of our hearts, with humility and sincerity of faith. It is only with humility and faith that we can truly minister with equality, compassion, and clarity.

Jairus’ faith saved his daughter. What impact can your faith have on those around you? How will you extend your compassion to those around you?

Adapted from PrayerTime: Faith-Sharing Reflections on the Sunday Gospels, available at the RENEW International store