Mk 5:41 “…Get up!”
Summary Notes
What did Jesus say?
He told a 12 year old girl who had just been pronounced dead to “Get up!”
Why would He say this?
Jesus intended to perform a miracle because the father of the girl demonstrated his faith in Jesus’ ability by asking Him to heal her. Upon arrival He found that the girl’s funeral had already begun. The scene was a commotion of activity with people crying and wailing. After ordering the crowd out of the house, the parents, Peter, James, John and Jesus entered the room where the stricken girl lay. Then Jesus gently told the girl to get up, which she did. I doubt there is any way to describe the joy and astonishment of all when she got up. Jesus then told the parents to do something very normal and that was to give the girl something to eat.
I think that Jesus cleared the room because it was too difficult for the parents to focus their belief and attention on the healing of their daughter while her noisy funeral was in process.
Click here to go directly to my personal application and your comments or continue with my full notes.
COMMAND 193: “Get up!”
REFERENCE:
Mk 5:41b; See also Lk 8:54b;
Mt 8:23-25 includes this event but does not record the command.
RECIPIENT:
The 12 year old daughter of Jairus, an official from the Capernaum synagogue
CONTEXT:
Jesus and His disciples had just returned to Capernaum by boats from the country of the Gerasenes where He saved two men by sending their demons into a herd of swine. The leaders of the people there implored Jesus to depart from their region, which He did.
Mark:
Mk 5:22-24a; 35-36a One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, fell at His feet 23and implored Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.” 24And He went off with him;
35While He was still speaking, they came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?” 36But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.” 37And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38They came to the house of the synagogue official; and He saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing. 39And entering in, He said to them, “Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep.” 40They began laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where the child was. 41Taking the child by the hand, He said to her…
Matthew
Mt 9:18-19; 23-24 While He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.” 19Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples.
23When Jesus came into the official’s house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder, 24He said, “Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him.
Luke
Lk 8:41-42a; 49-50a And there came a man named Jairus, and he was an official of the synagogue; and he fell at Jesus’ feet, and began to implore Him to come to his house; 42for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying.
49While He was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.” 50But when Jesus heard this, He answered him “Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well.” 51When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him, except Peter and John and James, and the girl’s father and mother. 52Now they were all weeping and lamenting for her; but He said, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.” 53And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. 54He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying…
COMMAND FULL TEXT AND IMMEDIATE RESULT:
Mk 5:41b “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!“).
Lk 8:54b “Child, arise!”
RESULT:
Mk 5:42-43 Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded. 43And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that something should be given her to eat.
Mk 9:25-26 But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26This news spread throughout all that land.
Lk 8:55-56 And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat. 56Her parents were amazed; but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.
MY COMMENTS AND NOTES:
What Happened
This is a straightforward narrative about Jesus entering Jairus’ house. He found that the girl’s funeral had already begun. There was a commotion of activity with people crying and wailing. He informed the crowd that the girl was not dead but they laughed at Him with derision. Jesus ordered everyone except the parents to leave the house. Then six people, Jairus , his wife, Peter, James, John and Jesus entered the room where the stricken girl lay. Then Jesus gently told the girl to get up, which she did. I doubt there is any way to describe the joy and astonishment of all when she got up. Jesus then told the parents to do something very normal and that was to give the girl something to eat.
Jairus believed that his daughter could be healed by Jesus; this was the first step in achieving his miracle. Jesus understood that everyone present needed to focus their attention and concentration in order to move to the next step of doing. Therefore He put every nonessential person out of the room. Finally, only the essential people went into the room and the miracle was performed. This seems like a basic plan to succeed for even ordinary projects!
Was she dead?
Was she dead? The people at the house thought so because her funeral had already begun. Jesus said that she was not dead but asleep. All three accounts of the story record that Jesus denied that she was dead. Therefore, I believe she was not yet dead. Luke’s account says that her “spirit” returned, but this word’s literal meaning suggests that her normal breathing returned. It makes no difference to the story. Jesus restored her life because ancient Jewish customs prescribed very quick burial after death, often the same day. If she was not yet dead when Jesus arrived she soon would be upon burial.
Two Lessons for Me
First, the crowd believed the girl was dying and when she slipped into a coma, they easily, but mistakenly, assumed she had died. Then out of love and grief they acted upon their belief. They were not doing anything morally wrong. Jesus informed them that the girl was not dead but they laughed at Him. They assumed the facts rather than reexamining the girl. I think that a good lesson for me is to check the validity of my assumptions by verifying key facts, especially when the situation is critical and the truth is absolutely essential to the outcome. Just because almost everybody believes a thing to be true doesn’t make it true.
Secondly, Jesus removed the tumult and those who laughed at Him from the house. With all the commotion neither the parents or Jesus’ disciples could focus their attention to believe in the miracle about to happen. Therefore Jesus put the crowd out and then went in to perform a miracle. I think a lesson for me is that when I have clear conviction or direction about what is important and I must focus to achieve it, eliminating useless activity and the various forms of cacophony from my life is essential.
DEFINITIONS: Key Greek Words – Removes ambiguity of the Bible text
talitha: G5008 ταλιθά tal-ee-thah’ — fresh, a young girl or maiden
cumi: G2891 κοῦμι koo’-mee — command to rise
little girl: G2877 κοράσιον kor-as’-ee-on — damsel, maid.
say: G3004 λέγω leg’ -ō — literally to lay forth, figuratively to relate with words
get up: G1453 ἐγείρω eg-i’-rō — to waken or rouse (from sleep, sitting or lying or from disease)
child: G3816 παῖς paheece — a young boy or girl
arise: G1453 ἐγείρω eg-i’-rō — same as “get up”
MY PERSONAL APPLICATIONS: Please share your own application in the comments
The first application is to be willing to question my assumptions when making important decisions. If possible I should check the validity of my assumptions by verifying key facts, especially when the situation is critical and the truth is absolutely essential to the outcome.
The second application is about achieving goals. Realizing that believing a goal is possible is the first step to achieving. Focusing and then doing are the next steps. Focus takes concentration and effort. When possible, I should remove the excess activity, noise and distractions that drain my attention and emotional energy in order to focus on what is truly important and then do the work.
© 2021 Christopher Carlson
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB
Please share a comment, question or perhaps another application for this command of Jesus.
