In this illuminating episode we see how Jairus’ faith in Jesus not only held firm but deepened when put to what was its ultimate test.  His faith, however, was in Jesus as a prophet and a worker of miracles.

Such too, to begin with, was the Apostles’ faith in Jesus, but during the next 12 months their vision widened and with it their faith.  First St Peter was inspired to perceive and to declare that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God.  Then came the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, those pivotal events which revealed the whole glorious truth.  Miracle-worker, prophet, Messiah, and now supremely their Divine Saviour and Lord, and not theirs only but the Saviour of the world.

Their faith in Jesus now was not just in the Healer of people’s bodies and minds, but in the Saviour of their souls; and the Crucifixion was not the murder of the Healer but the spotless offering and sacrifice of the Son of God for the redemption of the world.  Redemption from what?  Jesus answered that question for us at the Last Supper when he took the cup and said, “…this is my blood of the (new) covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (NRSV, Matthew 26:28, our emphasis).

Our Lord made it unequivocally clear that sin – that is, moral evil – is the greatest of all evils, if only because its consequences are the most profound and the most far-reaching.  “…what shall it profit a man”, said Our Lord, “if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”  (King James’ Bible, Mark 8:36,37, our emphasis) (See note below).