The Most Vulnerable Kind of Hope
Then one of the leaders of the synagogue, named Jairus, came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and pleaded with him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” So he went with him.
While he was still speaking, some people came from the synagogue leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the synagogue leader, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the synagogue leader’s house, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Then 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 koum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” And immediately the girl stood up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this and told them to give her something to eat.
Mark 5:21-24, 35-43
When hearing the accounts of this miracle, we often focus on Jairus’ faith, his daughter’s rebirth to new life, those who mocked, and above all, Christ standing over the swirling mass of confusion, saying, “Do not be afraid.”
Buried like a gem in the story is a figure we tend not to notice: Jairus’s wife. While Jairus went in search of Jesus, she presumably stayed behind, keeping a grief-filled vigil, begging time to pass more slowly, to allow her daughter to be healed.
Imagine her witnessing her daughter’s last breath, knowing that Christ was only a few hundred yards away. Did she overhear the commotion when the woman with the flow of blood was healed? Did she resent the interruption? Did she stop herself from rebuking him: “Lord, if only you had been here in time, my daughter would have been healed…”
All we know is that she was one of the faithful, and was privileged to witness her daughter awakening again to life. While those who scorned were put out of the room, she stood side-by-side with her husband and three disciples, in the most vulnerable kind of hope. And so, she witnessed the miracle.
In this icon of the Women of the New Testament, Jairus’ wife stands beside her daughter in the joy of the resurrection. We do not know either of their names, but they walk beside us as Orthodox women who have faced great loss or discouragement. Their lives remind us that we must stay so close to Christ that we hear his whispered words: Do not be afraid. I make all things new.
This icon by Heather MacKean of the 58 Women of the New Testament has resonated deeply with our community. It is a visible witness to the many women in whose footsteps we walk, and who themselves followed Christ.
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