The reading
Mark 5:21-43
21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. 22 Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 23 and begged him repeatedly, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live." 24 So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she said, "If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well." 29 Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?" 31 And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, "Who touched me?' " 32 He looked all around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." 35 While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader's house to say, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?" 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." 37 He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38 When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 When he had entered, he said to them, "Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping." 40 And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha cum," which means, "Little girl, get up!" 42 And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43 He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
The message
Today’s reading starts right after Jesus was chased out of Geresene. In that gentile, non jewish town, Jesus had cast out a legion of demons from a suffering man who lived by and disrupted daily life from the cemetery outside of the town. It was not your basic casting out of demons, in this particular, extreme case, Jesus allowed the demons to enter a herd of pigs, Immediately after, in a show of how bad evil is and how destructive unconfronted evil can be, the pigs run over the cliff to their deaths. In thanksgiving and excited to share the good news, the healed man requests to join Jesus in his work, Jesus refuses, instead Jesus sends him as the first missionary to the gentiles, to share his story and announce the kingdom of God has come near to the Decapolis, a group of Greek and Roman cities. Jesus does what a whole town couldn’t, power over forces that the entire community together, with their chains and practices could not effect. This scares the people to the point where they beg Jesus to leave. Jesus, realizing things were too crazy to get much done and trusting this new co-worker to share the good news there, leaves.
From Gerense, Jesus walks into another chaotic scene. As we look at this reading, we remember these are not parables, there are real events with real people who have real feelings, hopes, doubts and concerns. We have Jarius, an insider, a leader of the synagogue and faith community. Then we have an outsider, an unnamed woman whose bleeding makes her ritually unclean and whose medical bankruptcy leaves her little help. Today’s reading, the uncomfortable mixing together of 2 anxious and pitiful stories show the different limits people place on Jesus and how wrong they are. Jarius and his friends do not believe Jesus can restore life to the dead, or heal from a distance (as the centurion later on will trust Jesus to do), the healed woman does not think Jesus will treat a thief who takes healing power and delays him with love and compassion, The crowd mourning the deceased girl, have no idea Jesus can restore life, they laugh at Jesus statement she is just sleeping. In all these examples, Jesus is limited by people’s tradition and experience. Jesus can help the lame walk but cannot raise the dead, Jesus can cure those he has contact with but he cannot help from far away. Jesus can welcome tax collectors and prostitutes but not an unclean woman who sneaks up and touches him.
As Jesus enters this scene, things are winding down, Jarius daughter is at the edge of death and the unnamed woman is out of options. Jesus is greeted by a great crowd of the curious, faithful and in need. There is an urgent request for help from an unexpected person. Jarius, a leader of the synagogue, has a very sick daughter. The religious authorities do not have a good relationship with Jesus, the conflict between Jesus and the powers that be is already strained and filled with growing jealousy and conflict, Since Jarius daughter is on the verge of death and he has tried everything else the world has offered as care or cure already he reaches out to Jesus. For Jarius, his friends and family, this is a race. The sooner Jesus gets there, the more hope there is for Jaruis’ daughter to live.
That’s the first limit on what God could or would do, on Jesus power, on just how radical the kingdom of God is. People admitted Jesus could do what they already saw him do or heard from trustworthy witnesses. Jesus could heal the sick, Jesus could heal the very sick, Jesus would cure anyone in need, sure, but raise the dead, no way. Jesus is the only one who knows that is wrong. Jesus is not limited by that timeline or that check on his power. Once Jarius forgot about what people would say and think, once Jarius fell at Jesus feet and begged him repeatedly, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live, Jairus’s daughter will be made well Once Jesus agreed to help, Jairus’s daughter will be made well, once the promise was made, Jairus’s daughter will be made well.
On the way, things are slow, I imagine Jesus, Jarius and the others are plodding through the crowds, all the while Jarius’ anxiously yelling “move out of the way people, move out of the way, Jesus can heal your hurt toe, answer your question about the prophets or bless your child later, this is a matter of life and death”. Jesus needs to get to my dying daughter. Now, to make a bad situation worse, Jesus completely stops, that slow, frustrating progress comes to a halt. Jesus asks what sounds like a ridiculous question, “who touched me”. Jarius’ must be thinking “come on, are you serious, like a 1000 people have touched you (and slowed us down), even the disciples tell Jesus, you cant be serious, the whole city is pressing in on us. People thought :ooh somebody is in trouble, no one realized Jesus is asking is “who amongst this crowd of curious, miracle seeking people have the faith I just witnessed, this must be lifted up”.
The woman shyly comes forward with fear and trembling, as far as anyone knew she was just caught stealing power from God and was unsure of the consequences. The kingdom of God not limited to who Jesus talks with or touches personally. Instead of condemning, Jesus said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." She was not made well because she touched the right part of Jesus clothing at the right time, she was made well because of her faith, she was not made well because Jesus happened to be oozing healing power at that specific moment, she was made well because of her faith,
As Jesus says this, news comes that breaks Jarius’ heart. They were too slow, his daughter died, that limit on Jesus power has been passed. Jarius, frustrated and fed up, was thinking, this lady been sick for 12 years, she could have waited a little longer, I have been faithful for so long and this is what I get. Perhaps the unnamed woman also feels a sense of guilt along with joy, sure she has her life back but a little girl has died. Now Jesus dismisses the crowd and goes on with just a handful of followers (im sure Jarius is thinking, oh, you can get all these people out of the way, why didn’t you do that an hour ago). A little while later, after a few simple words, immediately the girl got up and began to walk about, Jesus strictly ordered the few people there to keep quiet, that no one should know this (this would not be the first time people disobeyed these instructions), Jesus also told them to give her something to eat. That is to show she no ghost, no spirit or illusion, she is really alive. As we will see on Easter even death is not a limit on the kingdom of God
No comments:
Post a Comment