Mark 5:38

the commotion … weeping and wailing loudly: These things the messengers' report and emphasized the hopelessness of the situation. Such displays of grief were common at funerals in the time of Jesus, where people often hired professionals to sadly cry (see Matthew 9:23).

Since Jairus had left home, his daughter had died. Jesus reassured Jairus that, despite the death of his daughter and the seeming hopelessness of the situation, Jairus should not be afraid but have faith in Jesus.

Two healing miracles are connected by the need for faith (5:34, 36). The story of Jairus’s daughter begins, then the account of the woman with constant bleeding comes in the middle (5:25–34), and then the story of Jairus’s daughter continues. This pattern places the two stories together and connects them (see Mark Book Introduction, “Literary Features”). During the delay caused by the woman’s healing, Jairus’s daughter died (5:35–43).

The three miracle stories in this section are connected by:

• a shared location (the Sea of Galilee),

• the presence of the disciples,

• the use of a boat, and

• a common theme, "Who is this" (4:41).