The narrative starts with a heart-touching tale of Jairus pleading for his sick daughter's healing. But that's just the set up for the real story. We encounter the tale of a woman struggling with a bleeding disorder for over a decade. Through the interaction of these stories, Mark uncovers the remarkable power of Christ, his deep compassion, and his outreach to the marginalized and ostracized.

In the final story of Mark's opening healing sequence, a group of men want their friend made whole, and so does Jesus, but that starts with the stigma that sets him apart from everyone else. Healing is more than the fixing of bones, it is the repair of all that pulls us apart and makes us think we are separate. A woman is healed so she can join the party. The demonized are calmed so they can be seen as neighbors again. A man excluded by leprosy is reintegrated into society. Now, the stigma of sin rooted in a misunderstanding of what health means is wiped clean for those watching. And if that social location of kingdom can slowly take root in our hearts, if we can repent and believe that good news for ourselves and for those near us, then perhaps, as Jesus says, we actually can do greater things than these.