Arise

Arise
By Jenny Komenda


“Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi”; which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and walked (she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.”
Mark 5:41-42

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The raising the daughter of Jairus from the dead memorably occurred by Jesus taking her by the hand and encouraging her to arise. This tender act of Christ taking someone in need of healing by the hand occurs frequently in the Gospels, and has profound spiritual significance. When He took the hand and helped up the daughter of Jairus, Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:31), the blind man at Bethsaida (Mark 8:23), or the young boy tormented by evil spirits (Mark 9:27), Jesus demonstrated not just power, but tenderness—a God who reaches out physically and spiritually to bring restoration, in whichever form we need.

These moments remind us of God’s promise reflected in Isaiah 41:13, “For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” Christ’s hand stretched forth is not just an invitation but a manifestation of His divine capability to lift us from the depths. When Jesus took Peter’s sinking hand on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:31), it was not only to save him from drowning but to lift him up spiritually from doubt. Our trials, though overwhelming at times, are often the moments where His hand is nearest.

The Gospel writers record the exact Aramaic words Jesus spoke when healing the daughter of Jairus: “Talitha, cumi.” While translated in our Bibles as “Little girl, arise,” Hebrew scholars have pointed out that the literal translation of the word “talitha” is “little lamb,” which both echoes Christ’s role as the Good Shepherd and mirrors the language in the Messianic promise of Isaiah 40, “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms.”

As the Good Shepherd, Jesus’s touch, both literal and figurative, transforms. Whether healing the sick or raising the dead, He compels us to rise not only in body but in spirit. His whispered “Arise” is an invitation to leave behind despair and embrace new life. Jeffrey R. Holland beautifully reminds us, “Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead.” As we stumble through life’s storms, desperate for divine healing, may we reach for the Savior’s extended hand and trust in His unmatched ability to lift us beyond our mortal frailties, turning every fall into a rising triumph.

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