A Meditation on Mark 5:38-43

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. – Mark 5:38-43

Whenever I prepare for a sermon, I always try to find out what some of the earliest Christian theological writers thought about the passage. Sometimes I don’t find much. Occasionally what I find makes me roll my eyes. But more often than not, I find treasures that I, and most other modern Christians, would overlook! In preparation for Mark 5:21-43 last Sunday, I found one of those treasures from Bishop Chromatius of Aquileia (345-407). I couldn’t figure out how to work it into the sermon, so I decided to share it with you via our Compass.

The last half verse of Mark 5:43, concluding Jesus’ stunning resurrection of the 12-year-old daughter, seemingly anticlimactically tells us, “And he told them to give her something to eat.” Why did the Holy Spirit breathe this seemingly unimportant detail into the text? Many commentators mention possibilities such as Jesus caring for practical needs and the body in addition to the soul. That’s certainly true and right. However, I love the way Chromatius searches for even more meaning in this simple half verse – without going way off the tracks:

“For when each believer among us is freed in baptism from perpetual death and comes back to life upon acceptance of the gift of the Holy Spirit, it is necessary that the person also be directed to eat that heavenly bread about which the Lord says, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you (John 6:53).”

I doubt Mark had this theological connection in mind when we wrote that last half-verse. However, Chromatius’ theological connection between the daughter’s resurrection, and ours in baptism, with the simple need for her to eat, with ours to partake in the Eucharist, is really quite beautiful. The Holy Spirit gifts us with wise and creative teachers who bless us with memorable and artful theological insights such as this. We believe in the communion of saints! Thanks be to God!

Deacon John Laffoon
Minister to Youth and Families