Talítha Cumí!

Mark 5:21-29

"Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, (of the Sea of Galilee) a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, 'My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.' So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him." 

Woman sick for 12 years.

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.”

The Bible is multi-layered and can be studied in many ways. On the surface, known to the Jewish rabbis as the "P'shat," these two accounts are stories of two different healings.  But if you dig a little deeper, down to the "sod," the level where you the find prophetic significance, it becomes apparent that this is a story about two healings of an altogether different sort.

(For more on the different layers of Bible study, follow this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2016/06/eutychus-story-behind-words.html)

This story of Jairus' daughter is intertwined with the woman who was sick for 12 years.  Wherever their stories are told, they are in conjunction one with the other.  In each account, the Holy Spirit specifically makes mention of the number "12," which is a very significant connection. But He also chooses to include a bit of the original language Jesus used, namely the two Aramaic words, "Talithá Cumí."  When He does so, pay even closer attention. They paint a very clear picture of what Jesus actually did when He raised her from the dead.  There's an exciting story behind the words!

These two back-to-back accounts are documented THREE TIMES, once in each of the synoptic gospels:  Matthew 9:18-26, Luke 8: 41-56 and here in Mark 5:21-29.  When anything is recorded 3 times it means the Holy Spirit really, really, REALLY wants us to study them because He has something important He really, really, REALLY wants to tell us.  
The passage in Mark recounts the story in the greatest detail so it we'll study it and discover what is so important. 
 

The P'shat: Surface Story.

Here's what we know from the surface story.  The young girl was 12 years old and the woman with the issue of blood was sick for 12 years.  We can safely conclude that this young girl was born when the woman's suffering began or visa versa.
Could this be a coincidence? Not a chance.  The Holy Spirit does not include numbers in the text on a whim just to make the book thicker. Quite the contrary: They reveal deeper truths for anyone hungry enough to search out their meaning. 

(For more on this topic please follow the link below on Bible Numerics:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2015/11/bible-numerics.html)

Jewish rabbis have been well aware of this meaning of numbers phenomenon for centuries. They call it "gematria."  12 is the number of government, administration or, in the case of the young girl, it signifies an entire generation. This number is mentioned many times throughout the Bible. For instance: Jacob had 12 sons; there are 12 tribes; 12 apostles. The Book of Revelation has multiples of 12 like the number 12,000, the 144,000 Jewish evangelists of the Tribulation and so on.

This woman's healing is unlike any other healing that is documented in scripture.  Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE ELSE, that was healed by Jesus either heard Him preach, asked Him directly for their healing OR He was doing something for them.  For one He made clay.  Others He touched in some way.  Still others He commanded they get up and walk. The point is, EVERYONE ELSE ASKED for healing first and waited for Jesus to act. 

Not her.  She, like a leper, was shunned, separated from human contact because of her bleeding in accordance with the law recorded in Leviticus 15:25-27.  She could never go out in public and she could never hear Jesus preach.  She could ONLY HEAR "ABOUT" JESUS from other people.

You and I are in the same boat she was.  We also cannot physically see Jesus. We cannot touch Him in person or hear His sweet voice with our physical ears.  We can only HEAR "ABOUT" HIM because physically He is in heaven.  

This subject of "Hearing and receiving" is a running undercurrent throughout the Bible and one of the keys to understanding this story.  Well, something this woman heard caused her to receive.  (For more on "hearing and receiving," follow this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/06/shema-shema-listen-with-hearing-heart.html)

 

Whatever it was, the Church needs to hear today.  It definitely could not have been the law because that what disqualified her.  If she had obeyed the ordinance in Leviticus 15 she would never have gone out in public at all, especially if she believed she would defile everyone.  In the law she also would have found no faith to receive her healing.  But somehow she found the courage to venture out in public at the risk of being stoned to death to touch one person:  JESUS!

This poor woman had suffered terribly for all those years, gone to many doctors only to become even sicker.  As a result, she was now also totally broke.  Undoubtedly she was physically very weak and it's entirely possible that she was just as near death as the young girl.

So where did she get the strength, the courage and the determination to go out in public.....in the middle of a crowd, no less?  She heard about grace!  She heard about the things Jesus did and said!  She heard that, though she was sinful and unclean, she, too, could be healed! She heard and heard and heard and heard, again and again and again.  That's what caused her to be able to receive!

(Tallit with tassels on each corner, each with a blue thread woven into it)

She crept up from behind with a shaky hand and what little faith she had and touched the 
hem--the tassel--of His Tallit, the prayer shawl worn by every Jewish male.

Why did she do that?  How did she know to do that?  It was a revelation given to her by the Holy Spirit.  First of all, she would have had to believe He was The Messiah and secondly, she would have been familiar with this passage in Malachi 4: 

"But to you who fear my name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with HEALING IN HIS WINGS..."

"His wings" were the tassels, or kanaphim, of his tallit!  NO ONE ELSE is ever recorded to have touched His His WINGS.  She is only one.

(For more on the meaning of the blue tassel, follow this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-blue-tassel_29.html)

What does this mean for us today?  That we, even if we feel sinful, unclean, or unworthy, it's ok!  WE CAN RECEIVE OUR HEALING TOO!  Jesus has qualified us BY HIS SHED BLOOD.  Hear and hear and hear and hear how Jesus loves to heal again and again and again.  Hear and receive your healing!

Amazingly, out of that great press of people physically touching Jesus, she was the ONLY ONE WHO got healed.  The most unique thing about her healing was of the countless multitudes Jesus healed, hers was the only "active" healing.  By that I mean she received without Jesus knowing it first or being asked directly. In other words, without His initiative.  Her faith was imperfect in that she came from behind as though to steal her blessing.  Everyone else He healed waited for Him to say or do something, even Jaírus.

When Jesus perceived that power had gone out from Him, He said something that totally baffled his disciples; "Who touched me?"  
What did He mean, "Who touched me?"  He was in the middle of a whole crowd pressing in on Him! Lots of people were "touching" Him.  Nonetheless, He stopped, turned around and sought her out. Unlike in the Old Testament when no one could ever see His face, He lovingly turned to see who it was so He could show her His face. Then He said the most amazing thing to her. "DAUGHTER, your faith has made you well. Go in peace."  

Literally, He said, "Go into peace."  He wanted her to know that He freely, openly, gladly healed her!  No one else is in the entire Bible is documented as being called "DAUGHTER" except this woman.  It was a warm, affectionate, family term.  

Jesus wants you and I to feel the same way:  Warm and affectionate toward Him because we are family.  We are not orphans.

As for Jaírus' daughter, the young girl was near death.  Her father was a ruler of the synagogue, a very prominent man about town.  He came and begged Jesus to heal her. 

Jesus allowed ONLY Peter, James, John and the girl's parents inside their home.  He put out professional mourners who scorned and mocked Jaírus for bringing Jesus to his home because by this time the girl was already dead.  Why?  Because Jesus would have none of their nonsense.  No detractors, no nay sayers.  

He entered the room where the child lay, took her by the hand and said to her, “TALÍTHA, CUMÍ!"  IMMEDIATELY THE GIRL AROSE AND WALKED, FOR SHE WAS TWELVE YEARS OF AGE.

Everyone was amazed of course, especially the nay sayers.  They're a typology of the scoffing kind even today who don't believe in healing;  "But He commanded them (the parents) strictly that no one should know it, and said that SHE SHOULD BE GIVEN SOMETHING TO EAT."  Notice He said to give her something to "Eat," not "drink."

The Meaning Behind The Words.

Ok; let's connect the dots.  Why did Jesus bring only His inner circle?  Throughout the Gospels, He did that a lot.  Here's why:  Peter's name means "stone;" James means "replace or usurp;" John means "GRACE." It's a message:  

THE LAW HAS BEEN REPLACED BY GRACE! 

Why did the Holy Spirit leave in the text the original Aramaic?  Because it paints a clear picture of what He actually did.

"Talitha," is the feminine of tallit which, as you read earlier, is the Jewish prayer shawl. "Talitha cumí" literally means "little girl under the tallit, arise!"  It's a picture of Jesus removing His Tallit, placing it over the girl--literally covering her with His righteousness from head to toe--commanding her to arise:  "Talitha cumi!"

The tallit, being made of pure, white linen, is a picture of divine righteousness and purity.

Why is this so critical for us to understand today?  Miracles are signs and not just visible expressions of God's power, according to John 20:30 which says, "And many other SIGNS {miracles} truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples...."

The Holy Spirit has carefully selected 33 specific "signs" which are included in the Bible because He did so many miracles there's no way all could be recorded.  Each miracle is there to teach us something about our wonderful Jesus.  Like numbers in the text, these are also not arbitrary or haphazard just to make the book thicker.
 

(The Church brings the Light of Christ to the world.)

Women in the Bible depict either the Church or natural Israel.  In this case, the woman is a typology of the Church in the last days.  She was sick for these 12 years with a life-threatening bleeding condition.  As long as a woman is bleeding, she cannot, CANNOT have children and she cannot touch other people.
  
The Bleeding Church?

The Church is like this woman.  She has had a long season of a life-threatening bleeding condition.  Why She "bleeding?" Because of "sin in the camp?" Because we don't pray and seek God's face enough?  We don't have enough faith or patience? Because we're not doing everything we can to please Jesus or we because we don't trust or worship God often enough or well enough?

No. 

This verse in Isaiah 64 says "ALL OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS is as filthy rags." He is comparing the self-righteousness in the Church to sanitary napkins filled with blood. YUK!

This woman is the embodiment of that verse.  As the verse says, the Church is trusting in HER OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, which are nothing more than filthy rags/soiled sanitary napkins.

Self-righteousness means her focus is on her self and her performance, always self-evaluating because of the belief that she is still under law, which is based on your performance.

She MUST let go of this self effort, this "performance-mentality," touch the tassel of Jesus' talit, "His righteousness," and be healed of her bleeding. She needs to understand she is ALREADY CLEANSED AND RIGHTEOUS before God, being completely cleansed of all unrighteousness. 

The days are here when the Church at large is finally recognize this and be healed!

Many pastors today are preaching a mixed "gospel," if you can call it that, telling their people they must obey the law of Moses in order to be pleasing and acceptable to God.  As long as she is afflicted with this "condition," she is unable to reproduce "children" and affect the young generation. She can evangelize all she wants but there will be little, and many times, zero results.  Their congregation will eventually find real food to eat in another "pasture" before they starve to death on the milk of the law being preached.  It's the reason many churches have dried up and closed.

Didn't you ever wonder why people in droves are leaving the Church?  They are seeking God and looking for love in all the wrong places.  Everyone desperately wants to be loved and to belong.  Why else would groups like ISIS have such an attraction? 
Folks, there has been a spiritual vacuum that has to be filled with something. If not Jesus, it will be filled with whatever is out there. Sadly, what they don't realize is the JESUS IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN TRULY SATISFY THEIR SPIRITUAL HUNGER. 

All Is NOT LOST!

But wait!  There's hope in Jesus!  Her "bleeding" can, will and in fact IS drying up!  The end of her scourge of self-righteousness at large is close.  She'll at last be healed of her unfruitfulness when she comes to grips with her eternal right standing before God.  She is not going to be righteous some day, SHE ALREADY IS BECAUSE OF JESUS! 
 

When the whole Church begins to realize this truth, there will be physical healings in her ranks.  She will finally be able to touch the hearts of the young generation everyone thought was lost forever.  She will place Jesus "talit" over them, in other words, cover them with His righteousness and they will arise for THEY ARE NOT DEAD; ONLY SLEEPING!

 

Last but not least, these two stories have prophetic import for our times.

Jairus was a Jewish leader, a very prominent man.   His name in Hebrew means "enlightened one.  "He is a depiction of the "enlightened, born-again Jewish leaders" of the end times who will invite the Church to come in and minister to their youth; to teach them about Jesus!  YAY!!!

His daughter represents not only young unsaved Gentiles but Jewish youth as well!

Eat, Not Drink.

Remember when Jesus told the parents to give her something to eat not drink?  In Hebrews 5:13-14 it says 13"or everyone who partakes only of milk--(the law)--is UNSKILLED IN THE WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, for he is a babe. 14 But SOLID FOOD--(the REAL gospel)--belongs to those who are of full age, {weaned from milk, mature like the young girl} that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." 

Law-centric or legalistic people are "unskilled in righteousness." They think it's about "right doing." They do not understand that righteousness is a gift you receive by faith apart from works.  The Apostle Paul says they are still "babies," no matter how old or learned, be they theologian, pastor, professor or whatever. Education and chronology does not apply here.

Gospel people are fully mature.  They don't want or need the milk of the law.  They are weaned from milk.  They need the SOLID FOOD of the BREAD OF LIFE; JESUS. That's why Jesus told them to give her "something to eat," NOT drink.  She doesn't need milk, i.e. the law, which is for babies.  Again, chronology does not apply here.

The Meaning Of The Mourners.

As for the mourners, they're a picture of the law-centric preachers (the legalistic bunch) of our day who are howling and whining that "The church is not where she's supposed to be! The church is crying, the church is sighing!  Search our hearts, O God; see if there be any wicked way in us; create in us a clean heart, O God......blah, blah blah..........quoting, inappropriately mind you, all the Old Testament scriptures, as if "sin in the camp" is the problem.  It is not.

They don't realize...yet...that Jesus has already cleansed and made them whole. They are still looking to their performance, or the lack of it, instead of relying on Jesus' finished work.

Shepherds Who Will Feed.

Jesus will have none of this nonsense any more.  He is even now raising up Shepherds who will feed the flock real food, not beat them over the head with laws, laws and more laws.  These "mourners" be on the outside of the Church looking in, their candlestick, meaning their ministry or Church, will shut down, taken away and given to another.  
 

It's been a very long "12" years. Creation has been groaning and travailing for the sons of God to manifest at last!  
Well, buckle your seat belts people of Grace: THE REAL GOSPEL!  Unprecedented breakthroughs, healings and revival ARE COMING.  The young generation are not dead; they are only sleeping!  
 

Let's preach the real gospel to them and to the Church at large, laying the mantle of the righteousness of Christ over them.  Let's reach the world with The Truth!  
 

Arise, Church.  Talitha cumí!