5:25-34
27-Dying or Dead? (Continued)
Now in the incident under consideration, if we were in possession of the whole of the events of that day the particulars recorded would fall into their due chronological order, and the apparent discordance would disappear. However, without claiming that the following hypothesis has a historical basis, an examination of the various accounts will reveal phrases which afford strong probability to the explanation advanced. And this explanation, it is believed, will be sufficient to meet the demands of even this case, which has been described as “the most perplexing difficulty in the whole of the Gospel history.”
(1) In the accounts of Mark and Luke we read that Jairus came to the Lord after He had landed and while He was still near the lake: “And he was by the sea. And there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, etc."; “And as Jesus returned, the multitudes welcomed him; for they were all waiting for him. And behold, there came a man named Jairus,” etc. (Mark 5:21, 2221And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea. 22And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, (Mark 5:21‑22); Luke 8:4141And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house: (Luke 8:41)). In the absence of direct proof to the contrary, it seems clear that before the Lord went to the feast of Levi He received the petition of the ruler who besought Him “much” to come and lay His hand upon his little daughter who was at the point of death.
(2) Matthew describes the Lord as seated in Levi's house and instructing the disciples of John the Baptist on the question of fasting when Jairus presented his request: “While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a ruler and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead; but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And Jesus arose and followed him” (Matt. 9:18, 1918While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. 19And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. (Matthew 9:18‑19)). It has already been noted that this interrupted interview with the Baptist's disciples took place in the house of Levi, it would seem therefore that Matthew, in his account, is not referring to the occurrence chronicled by the other two Evangelists, but relates how the anxious ruler sought the Lord's presence a second time. If this was so, we must suppose that the Lord did not respond at once to the first prayer of Jairus, even as in His perfect wisdom He did not immediately respond to the urgent message of the sisters of Bethany concerning Lazarus. Therefore while Jesus was at the feast, Jairus renewed his petition in somewhat altered terms. He had become impatient at the seeming delay of the Master. She who at his first application was at her last gasp had by this time died. This he may have judged from her condition when he left her. At any rate he seems on the second occasion to have worded his request from this point of view."My daughter is even now dead,” was his plea this time. Yet even in this extremity there remained in his heart hope and trust in the Great Physician, for he added, “Come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.” The Lord tarried no longer, but “arose” (an expression not found in the parallel passages) and followed him.
The fact of the damsel's death was subsequently confirmed by the messenger. The child was dead, and the mourners were already in the house; why should the Master be troubled further? Thus ran the message.
Viewed in this light, the terms of the petition of Jairus as stated by Matthew are in perfect accord with those recorded by Mark and Luke, and no further remarks are necessary. But it may be added that some have questioned whether the precise meaning of the original phrase in Matthew is conveyed by the usual rendering, “My daughter is even now dead.” It is to be remarked that the verb used here is ἐτελεύτησεν and not the same as that employed by the messenger (ἀπέθανε); moreover, the adverb is not νῦν, but ἄρτι, which may be translated, “just about to happen” (Rev. 12:1010And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. (Revelation 12:10)). There is not the precision in the coincidence of time indicated by ἄρτι as by νῦν. Such a distinction between these adverbs may be observed in John 2. Speaking at Cana of the waterpots, the Lord said to the servants at the marriage feast, “Draw out now (νῦν),” i.e., draw out at this very moment. Later, the ruler of the feast, having tasted the wine, said to the bridegroom, “Thou hast kept the good wine until now (ἄρτι),” i.e., until the conclusion, as opposed to the commencement of the feast. There is less exactitude of time implied in the latter than in the former instance. But it is doubtful whether this distinction in usage is invariably observed in the New Testament, and it is only named here for the consideration of students.
Many translators have attributed this greater latitude of meaning to this adverb in the phrase in question, as if Jairus had said, My daughter by this time has come to her end. This is in agreement with Mr. Darby's rendering, “My daughter has by this died.” In a footnote to the Translation he adds, “ἄρτι is what comes up to νῦν, says Suidas, quoted by Wetstein in loco; as αὐτίκα, what in the future joins now. Mark has 'is at extremity'; Luke ‘was dying.' Nor has ‘now died' any other sense, only it is less clear. It is, however, quite possible that Matthew may give the result of the servant's message and all.
It may be translated, ‘has just now died,' or, ‘has even now died.' Chrysostom and others give it as in text” [that is, “has by this died"]. In another place Mr. Darby wrote: “ἄρτι ὲτελ, now at her end, 'dead by this.' We know that the father received the news that she was actually dead on the way. ἄρτι is the point up to which time reached, νῦν the thing exists already.”
THE FATHER'S PETITION
It is noticeable that the prominent person in this episode was not one of the common people, as was the case in the events narrated in the former part of this Gospel history. Jairus, the petitioner, was a man of social and religious eminence, and moreover of that class from which the active opposition to Jesus sprang. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were honorable exceptions, but of the rest, it was once scornfully asked, “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?” (John 7:4848Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? (John 7:48)). Here then the Lord's mercy to the ruler shows that He is rich towards all who call upon Him, and that the testimony of good works which Capernaum was so obdurate in refusing (Matt. 11:2323And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. (Matthew 11:23)) ranged throughout all grades from the chiefs of the synagogue downwards.
Jairus, coming to Jesus in his distress, did him reverence by falling at His feet, a mark of respect the more striking, coming, as it did, from a person of local distinction such as a ruler of the synagogue was. The trouble of Jairus concerned his affections as a parent. He had one only daughter about twelve years of age, and she lay a-dying. He therefore kept beseeching the Lord that He would come to his house and lay His hand upon her and heal her. Did the ruler recollect that in that very town not so long before, Jesus had entered the house of Simon where his wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and taking her by the hand, lifted her up and healed her? At any rate such was the request he made. But Jesus did not immediately go to the sick child; for He was never swayed by secondary considerations. Personal friendship did not hurry Him to the sick man at Bethany, and his sorrowing sisters (John 11:3, 363Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. (John 11:3)
36Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! (John 11:36)). His movements then, as ever, were regulated as to time and place only by the glory of God which would accrue. In this case He who would pause in His progress at the cry of a blind beggar by the roadside was not to be induced to alter His plans because a chief of the synagogue knelt at His feet. The ruler might have supposed that the party of tax-gatherers at Levi's house might very well wait until his own case was dealt with. But Jehovah's perfect Servant was above all such motives of worldly policy. He Himself was learning obedience by the things He was suffering; here was an opportunity for Jairus also to learn a lesson of patience and submission to the will of God. And thus his sorrow and anxiety over his daughter would be turned to account in his spiritual development. He would become possessor of that inward peace which is the result of patient submission to the divine Will. For this priceless boon we shall all do well to pray:-
“Drop Thy still dews of quietness
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace.”
Jesus then arose from the table of Levi, and accompanied the sorrow-stricken ruler. The disciples of the Lord went with Him, and a crowd of people also followed him and thronged Him as He passed through the narrow winding thoroughfares of Capernaum.
[W. J. H. ]