Talitha Koum: Little Lamb, Arise

Among the precious Aramaic words preserved in the Gospels, Talitha Koum may be the most tender of them all.

It is one of the rare moments where the Gospel writers invite us to hear not simply what Jesus said, but how He said it.

The scene is one of profound sorrow.

A twelve-year-old girl has died.

Her family is overwhelmed with grief.

The house is filled with weeping.

Everyone believes that the story has come to its end.

Yet Jesus quietly enters the room.

He sends the crowd outside.

He remains only with the girl's parents and a few close disciples.

Then, taking her gently by the hand, He speaks.

Talitha Koum.

Most English Bibles translate these words:

"Little girl, I say to you, arise."

Yet the Aramaic carries a tenderness that is difficult to capture in translation.

Talitha was an affectionate way of addressing a young girl. Many scholars also recognise within the word the gentle imagery of a little lamb—a cherished child, held in love and innocence.

Imagine the sound of Christ's voice.

Not commanding.

Not dramatic.

Not shouting into the darkness.

Simply calling a beloved child by a name of affection.

"Little lamb..."

Then,

"Arise."

What if this is how Christ has always spoken?

Not first to our failures.

Not to our fears.

Not even to our wounds.

But to the beloved self that has never been lost.

The self that still waits quietly beneath disappointment, grief, shame and exhaustion.

Perhaps every one of us carries places within that have fallen asleep.

Dreams that have grown silent.

Joy that has forgotten how to sing.

Hope that has quietly lain down.

To those hidden places, Christ still speaks.

Talitha Koum.

Little lamb...

Arise.