Illustrating Miracles: Reaching Out to Jesus

Mathis Gerung, The Woman Cured of the Hemorrhage and the
Raising of the Daughter of Jairus
From the Ottheinrich Bible
German (Regensburg), c. 1530
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
MS Cgm 8010(2), fol. 52r

In this illumination we see both stories, interwoven just as they are 

in Scripture.  In the top half of the picture we see Jairus 

speaking to Jesus.  Jairus is dressed in his religious regalia, 

which identifies him as a synagogue official. Jesus, dressed in 

violet, is flanked by Saints James and Peter, while James' brother, 

John, stands beside Peter.  In front of Peter kneels the woman 

with the hemorrhage, dressed in white (quite impractical for someone 

in her situation, but definitely attention getting from the 

artist's perspective).  She reaches out her right hand to touch Jesus 

tunic.  In the bottom half of the picture we see mourners at the 

door of Jairus' house, and inside it we see her parents, Jesus and 

the three disciples he brought in with him, while the girl begins to 

respond to Jesus' command to "Arise!"

“When Jesus had crossed again in the boat  to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.

One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,
"My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live."
He went off with him,
and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors
and had spent all that she had.
Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd
and touched his cloak.
She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured."
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him,
turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?"
But his disciples said to Jesus,
"You see how the crowd is pressing upon you,
and yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'"
And he looked around to see who had done it.
The woman, realizing what had happened to her,
approached in fear and trembling.
She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you.
Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."

While he was still speaking,
people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said,
"Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?"
Disregarding the message that was reported,
Jesus said to the synagogue official,
"Do not be afraid; just have faith."
He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside
except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official,
he caught sight of a commotion,
people weeping and wailing loudly.
So he went in and said to them,
"Why this commotion and weeping?
The child is not dead but asleep."
And they ridiculed him.
Then he put them all out.
He took along the child's father and mother
and those who were with him
and entered the room where the child was.
He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum,"
which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"
The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.
At that they were utterly astounded.
He gave strict orders that no one should know this
and said that she should be given something to eat.”

(Mark 5:21-43

Gospel for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

 

The Gospel reading for this Sunday presents us with two miracles of Jesus and with the two people who were brave enough to overcome society’s pressures on them and reach out to him with hope and faith.  One is a woman, the other is a man.

The woman is someone who has suffered from bleeding for twelve years.  The Gospel writer doesn’t tell us the specific cause of this bleeding, but it is usually assumed to be vaginal bleeding, a particularly nasty thing to suffer from for such a long time.  We are told that she has suffered at the hands of many doctors and spent all her money trying to find a cure.  In a pre-scientific age, I have no doubt that would be the case and that the “cures” would have been savage and expensive as well as ineffectual.  It would be centuries before the exact mechanism that causes a woman’s monthly confrontation with blood was understood and even longer to find the (usually) radical measures that can eliminate it. 

The Woman with the Hemorrhage Touches Jesus
From a Picture Bible
French, 1197
Amiens, Bibliotheque municipale Metropole
MS 108, fol. 172v

This ailment would have been extremely difficult to deal with in any ancient society, but in first century Judea it would have been made worse by the laws and customs by which Jews lived.  In many ancient societies, and until relatively recently even in modern ones, menstruating women have been considered “unclean” at worst and distasteful at best.  They were often required to separate themselves from others while the blood flowed and to perform purification rituals at the end.  As every woman knows, even today there are some problems related to ones’ period that can be hard to live with, even with modern sanitation, medication and sanitary products.  In a pre-industrial, pre-plumbing world it must have been a nightmare.  Most women only had to deal with the difficulties and social stigma for a short time, say five days or so, and then could perform the rituals that would enable them to resume their ordinary position in their household. 

However, a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years was in an altogether worse position.  Instead of being “unclean” for a few days, she was perpetually unclean.  Unclean people such as lepers and those with her condition were not allowed to take part in normal community activities, not even to go to their local synagogue.  They were isolated in their living arrangements and shunned by their neighbors and, most likely, their own families.  And perpetual bleeding would probably have left them extremely anemic, hence weak and prey to opportunistic infections.  

Thus, this particular woman, on that particular day, took a brave step in even approaching the crowd around Jesus.  She could not be certain that she could even reach him without someone driving her away.  When he was stopped by the man in this story, whom we will discuss below, she took the desperate step of reaching out her hand and grabbing the hem of Jesus clothing, thinking "maybe if I can just touch him, it will help".  And, immediately, we are told, the bleeding stopped!  What joy she must have felt, and what terror.  Because he had noticed and was searching the faces of the crowd to determine who had touched him.  She confessed “in fear and trembling” and received the best gift of all, his confirmation that her faith in him had healed her. 

The second person of courageous faith included in this week’s Gospel is Jairus.  Jairus is described as a “synagogue official”.  Leaders of the synagogues were not necessarily fans of Jesus, whom they thought was undermining their own authority.  Thus, Jairus really stuck his neck out to approach Jesus at all.  But his need was great.  His daughter, whom it is obvious that he really loved, was dying.  So, he threw himself at the feet of Jesus and begged him to come and save her, disregarding any other consideration except his love for his dying child.  And Jesus came to his house with him.  But when they arrived, Jairus was met with the news that his little girl was dead.  Mourning had already begun.  Jesus, however, ignored the mourners and summoned the girl from the sleep of death and she returned to the land of the living. Then, characteristically, Jesus suggests that she be given something to eat.  This proves her to be alive, since ghosts and apparitions do not eat food.  The faith of her father, Jairus, overcome with love for his child, and willing to risk the censure of his colleagues to approach Jesus, has saved her.

Jean Colombe, Jairus at the Feet of Christ
From a Vita Jesu Christi by Ludolf of Saxony
French (Bourges), c. 1480-1485
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 177, fol. 189v

Both these people serve as models for all Christians.  No matter how hopeless the situation may be, reaching out to Jesus with faith can overcome it.  And, further, it is worth the risk to our own persons to reach out to him in spite of scorn, derision and outright hatred.  These two people are, in a way, the model for all the Christian martyrs that have come after them.  They did not lose their lives, but they had reasons to fear that their action would make life hard for them, and still, they fell at his feet and silently begged for his help. 

The Iconographic Tradition

These stories are very dramatic ones, important ones, as examples for those trying to live a Christian life. 

However, they do not seem to have inspired artists to depict them.  Whereas the healing of lepers, blind men and paralytics seem to have inspired numerous works of art, these two linked stories have not.  Further, although the stories are linked, for it appears that the woman had the opportunity to touch Jesus’ robes while he was stopped by Jairus at his feet, they are usually depicted separately, as though they were not from the same Gospel passage.

 

Dual Images

A few such dual images do occur, although they are few and far between.

Among the earliest are two images from an ivory casket, known as the Brescia Lipsanotheca, which dates from the second half of the fourth century.  

The Woman with the Hemorrhage
From the Brescia Lipsanotheca (Front View)
Early Christian, Late 4th Century
Brescia, Museo di Santa Giulia

While they are part of the same work of art, the two images are shown separately, on different sides of the container.

The Raising of the Daughter of Jairus
From the Brescia Lipsanotheca (Left Side)
Early Christian, Late 4th Century
Brescia, Museo di Santa Giulia

Illustrations for Mark 5:21-43
From the Orations by Gregory Nazianzenus
Byzantine (Constantinople), c. 879-882
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Grec 510, fol. 143v

In this very damaged Byzantine picture one can still make out the phases of this Gospel story.  At the far left stands Jesus, clad in deep purple, speaking to him is Jairus, in a white garment reminiscent of a priestly chasuble.  Then there is a slight gap.  The next scene, in the center of the page is of the afflicted woman,  wearing a light violet skirt and a gold colored shawl, kneeling at the feet of Jesus, who is shown addressing her.  Behind her are two other male figures, wearing rose.  These are the brothers James and John.  Saint Peter is shown in white, to the right of Jesus.  On the right side we see the house of Jairus, who is standing in the doorway, making a gesture of welcome to Jesus.  Inside the house Jairus' daughter lies in bed, surrounded by mourning women.

 

Mathis Gerung, The Woman Cured of the Hemorrhage and the
Raising of the Daughter of Jairus
From the Ottheinrich Bible
German (Regensburg), c. 1530
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
MS Cgm 8010(2), fol. 52r
This is discussed in detail at the top of the page.

 

 

Boetius Adamszoon Bolswert, Two Miracles of Christ
From Vitae passionis et mortis Jesu Christi Somini nostri mysteria by Jean Bourgois
(Published in Antwerp, 1622), Plate 19
Dutch, 1622
Amsterdam, Rijskmuseum

Bolswert's illustration for this life of Christ shows the story of these two interwoven miracles, beginning from the top right.  There we see the Sea of Galilee and a ship at anchor on it.  Below that we see Jesus and his disciples standing on the shore, with Jairus and two attendants at his feet.  Below that again we see the crowd following Jesus and the woman on her knees reaching out to touch the hem of his tunic.  Finally, at the bottom we see the scene inside the house of Jairus as Jesus touches the girl and bids her to "Arise!"

 Separate Images

But, mostly the images fall into two separate works, one the healing of the woman and the other the raising of the girl.  And this differentiation goes back to the very beginning of Christian art.

 

The Bleeding Woman

Images of the bleeding woman touching Jesus' robe go all the way back to the catacombs of Rome and are, thus, among some of the earliest Christian works of art we know.

Jesus Healing the Woman with the Hemorrhage
Early Christian Roman, 3rd Century
Rome, Catacomb of Peter and Marcellinus

The Sarcophagus of Agape and Crescentianus
Early Christian Roman, c. 325-350
Vatican City, Musei Vaticani, Museo Pio-Cristiano

Since it is one of several biblical images on the front of this early sarcophagus, I have placed a blue arrow just below the figure of the woman, so you can find it more easily.

The Healing of the Woman with the Hemorrhage
Detail of an Ivory Plaque
Roman, c. 400-415
Paris, Musée du Louvre, Département des Objets d'art du Moyen Age, de la Renaissance et des temps modernes

Jesus Heals the Woman with the Hermorrhage
Early Byzantine, 6th Century
Ravenna, Church of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo

Jesus Heals the Woman with the Hermorrhage
Byzantine, c. 1180s
Monreale, Cathedral

Jesus Heals the Woman with the Hemorrhage
From the Munich Golden Psalter
English (Oxford), c. 1190-1210
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
MS Clm 835, fol. 70r

The figure of Jesus holds a scroll with his words to her ""Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

Jesus Heals the Woman with the Hemorrhage
From a Weltchronik by Heinrich of Munich
German (Regensburg), c. 1355-1365
New York, Pierpoint Morgan Library
MS M 769, fol. 283v

Jesus and the Woman with the Hemorrhage
From a Vie de Jesus Christ
French, c. 1470-1480
Paris, Bibliotheque Mazarine
MS 976

Paolo Veronese, Jesus and the Woman with the Hemorrhage
Italian, c. 1565-1570
Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Gemäldegalerie

David Vinckboons, Forest Landscape with the Miracle of the Woman with the Hemorrhage
Dutch, c. 1600-1610
New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Isaac Moillon, Miracle of the Woman with the Hemorrhage
French, c. 1646
Beaune, Hotel Dieu

Germain Paget, Jesus and the Woman with the Hemmorhage
French, 1859
Morez, Musée de la Lunette

James Tissot, The Woman with the Hemorrhage Touches Jesus
Also known as L'hémoroïsse
French, c. 1886-1896
New York, The Brooklyn Museum

The Raising of the Daughter of Jairus

This image also has a long history in Christian art.  The earliest image I found were part of the story of the entire Gospel reading and are shown above.  This appears as a separate story somewhat later than does the healing of the hemorrhaging woman.

It also seems to have been a slightly more popular subject, perhaps due to its less potentially embarrassing nature.  The scene is also treated more simply and directly than was the depiction of the miracle for the hemorrhaging woman.  It is almost always set in the home of Jairus, with few figures involved, so it is very concentrated and effective.

The Raising of the Daughter of Jairus
German, c. 980
Oberzell, Church of Saint George

The Raising of the Daughter of Jairus
From the Gospels of Otto III
German (Reichenau), c. 1000
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
MS Clm 4453, fol. 44r

The Raising of the Daughter of Jairus
From the Pericopes of Saint Erentrud
Austrian (Salzburg), c. 1150
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
MS Clm 15903, fol. 76v

The Raising of the Daughter of Jairus
Byzantine, c. 1180s
Monreale, Cathedral

The Raising of the Daughter of Jairus
From the Munich Golden Psalter
English (Oxford), c. 1190-1210
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
MS Clm 835, fol. 69r

Here Jesus holds a scroll with the Gospel text that reads "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"

The Raising of the Daughter of Jairus
From a Picture Bible
French, 1197
Amiens, Bibliotheque municipale
MS 108, fol. 172r

This picture tells the story in two scenes.  In the upper one Jairus kneels in an imploring attitude at the feet of Jesus.  In the bottom we see Jesus reaching over the girl's bed to take her by the hand.

Jean Bondol and Others, The Raising of the Daughter of Jairus
From a Grande Bible Historiale Completée by Guiard des Moulins
French (Paris), c. 1371-1372
The Hague, Meermano Museum
MS RMMW 10 B 23. fol.  499r

Claes Brouwer, The Raising of the Daughter of Jairus
From a History Bible
Dutch (Utrecht), c.1430
The  Hague, KB
MS KB 78 D 38 II, fol. 158v

Paolo Veronese, The Raising of the Daughter of Jairus
Italian,  Second Half of the16th Century
Paris, Musée du Louvre, Département des Peintures

The Raising of the Daughter of Jairus
Flemish (Leuven), c. 1520-1525
New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Santi di Tito, The Raising of the Daughter of Jairus
Italian, c. 1570
Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Gemäldegalerie

Agnolo Bronzino, The Raising of the Daughter of Jairus
Italian, c. 1571-1572
Florence, Church of Santa Maria Novella, Gaddi Chapel

The subject seems to have been very popular in the nineteenth century, especially in France.  Perhaps the inherent drama in the father's plea and the raising of the child appealed to the Romantic sensibilities of the time. 

Jesus Raising the Daughter of Jairus
French, 19th Century
Saint-James, Parish Church of Saint James

Felix Auvray, Jesus Raises the Daughter of Jairus
French, First Half of 19th Century
Valenciennes, Musee des Beaux-Arts

Friedrich Overbeck, Jesus Raises the Daughter of Jairus
German, 1815
Berlin, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

Benito Saez Garcia, Jesus Raises the Daughter of Jairus
Spanish, c. 1838
Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado

Eduard Julius Bendemann, Jesus Raises the Daughter of Jairus
German, 1873
New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Drawings and Prints

Alfred Dehodencq, Jesus Raising the Daughter of Jairus
French, c. 1876
Dijon, Musée national Magnin

James Tissot, Jesus Raises the Daughter of Jairus
French, c. 1886-1896
New York, The Brooklyn Museum

Charles Lorin, Jesus Raising the Daughter of Jairus
French, 1895
Tourouvre (Normandy), Parish Church of Saint Aubin

In 1902 the subject was used as the set piece in the annual competition for the Prix de Rome at the Ecole normale superiere des Beaux-Arts.  Every young art student who wished to try for the Prix de Rome had to create a painting of the set subject in order to participate in the competition.   There must have been many paintings of this subject, which was very popular in the nineteenth century.  However, I was only able to find two of them.

Emmanuel Michel Benner, Jesus Raising the Daughter of Jairus
French, 1902
Paris, Musée national Jean-Jacques Henner

Victor Oscar Guetin, Jesus Raises the Daughter of Jairus
French, 1902
Paris, Musée de l'Ecole nationale supérieure des beaux-arts

 © M. Duffy, 2024

 

Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.