8:40-42
NIV has “a crowd welcomed Him”, ESV (and the Greek) has “the crowd welcomed Him”. The significance is that the crowd is probably the crowd of v1-21.. Jesus had gone away and they were all waiting for Him to come back. Jairus was especially keen to see Jesus for his only daughter was very seriously ill. Jairus was a “ruler of the synagogue”, he was probably in charge of organising the services. He fell at Jesus feet, remember the healed demoniac was sat at Jesus feet. Jairus came to Jesus in humility. So we have a relatively important man in desperate need calling upon Jesus’ help. Jesus was surrounded by a crowd and they were all pressing in on Him.
8:43
At the same time a woman came to Jesus. She had been suffering from a discharge of blood for some twelve years. She had spent a lot of money, but no one had been able to heal her. There is also a noteworthy aspect related to the synagogue. The blood would render ceremonially unclean, so she would be excluded from many synagogue activities. So there is an interesting juxtaposition with Jairus. One is a respected and important member of the synagogue, the other is something of an outcast. It is perhaps significant that Mark adds that not only had the physicians been unable to heal her, she had actually got worse! Luke, himself a physician, does not mention this latter fact ...
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