In last Sunday’s gospel Jesus has manifested the power of God over the demonic forces of the Sea, in these two miracles he manifests God’s power over death – both social death in the cultural taboos that cut the woman off from her community, and physical death. Notice the importance of faith in both stories. The woman’s desperation and faith in Jesus brings her into the crowd and gives her courage to reach out and touch this man. Jairus also is told not to believe the words of others but to have faith in Jesus’ words. By the time of the Gospel, Mark’s community no longer has the presence of Jesus of Nazareth in the same way as the disciples. They, like us, are called to have faith in what appears to be Jesus’ absence. The Gospel affirms that in spite of appearances the word of Jesus is powerful, and is a word of life