Your faith has made you well

Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live." So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that a power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?" But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?" As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid, only believe." And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

- Mark 5:21-43

On Saturday we read about Jesus' healing and exorcism of the Gadarene demoniac in Gentile territory. This man was called "Legion" by the unclean spirits who held him, "for we are many," they said. It is a powerful story of healing and redemption, and the man's worship of Jesus. In the end, Jesus sends the healed man home to his friends, so that he may "tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." He is, in some sense, the first evangelist. See My name is Legion; for we are many.

Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. In the midst of Mark's Gospel, Jesus has recently called to Himself the Twelve and appointed them apostles. But first, they live with Him and learn; He has not yet sent the out on their first mission. Rather, they are traveling together to many places while Jesus preaches and heals. In yesterday's reading, they were in Gentile territory, for the healing of the demoniac called "Legion." Today they go again across the Sea of Galilee, where yet again there is a great multitude listening to Him by the sea. He is a popular figure, always surrounded by those who wish to hear Him, be healed by Him, and touch Him.

And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live." So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him. Jesus' renown is by now so powerful that the ruler of the synagogue seeks Him out. He wishes for Jesus to touch his daughter so that she may be healed. Jesus begins to walk through the great crowd with Jairus. Yet again, we are reminded of the hustle and bustle, the shuffling crowd all around Him; He is "thronged" by the crowd who all want to see anything that happens, to watch the Healer.

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. Midst the great crowd and its jostling, there is this woman. Her ailment makes her "unclean" by law; it would be something quite shameful for her, in addition to all of the pain and hardship she suffers. We are told that she has only grown worse in twelve years of treatment, that she has spent all of her money. We can imagine the state that she is in, and no doubt many today can relate to her predicament. But she has one hope, despite it all.

When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. Her hope is in Christ, whom she has heard great things about, no doubt. Among the crowd, perhaps she feels, in her shame because of the way the law would view her illness, that she can remain hidden. Yet she is bold enough to just touch His clothes. And here is the first hint of a kind of knowing or feeling that is here in this reading - "she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction."

And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that a power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?" But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction." Jesus knows also that something powerful has happened. We have a kind of exchange of grace - a potent and powerful force. My study bible says that "Healing takes energy. Jesus is aware that divine energy had gone out of Him when He was touched. This power (Gr. dynamis) is a manifestation of the one, uncreated power of God, 'the power of God to salvation' (Rom. 1:16). . . . God's power or energy is available to people as grace from Him. Jesus says, Daughter, your faith has made you well, showing that while divine power healed her, the woman's faith participated in the healing." Power or energy in the word "dynamis" is very important to our understanding of grace. It conveys our sense of power and strength, as well as the outpouring of God's reaching and touching to us, God's energy. But in that energy and power is capacity, characteristics, qualities, abilities; what does it promise or hold for us?

St. John Chrysostom comments on this reading that this woman is ashamed, and afraid of the public eye, but she knows that Jesus has healed other women. Jesus, on the other hand, draws her out into the public eye. So a great, important part of this restoration and salvation is Jesus' drawing her out and teaching her that there is nothing for her to be ashamed of, making her a public example,and calling her "daughter." Chrysostom writes, "He does not suffer her to be hidden, but brings her into their midst; and He makes her manifest for many purposes . . . Do you see the superiority of the woman to the ruler of the synagogue? She did not detain Him; she took no hold of Him, but only touched Him, and even though she came later, she was the first to go away healed . . . " We and the crowd are also healed in our own perspective on her ailment and her shame and our understanding of how her faith connected with His capacity for healing; power or dynamis at work through Creator and creation, linked by faith and trust.

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?" As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid, only believe." And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. Jesus, as many commentators point out, is never in a hurry! All that He has to accomplish will be accomplished. Here, it appears that He is too late for Jairus' daughter. But there is, once again, as with the woman who was just healed, a lot of trust involved. Jairus is to trust as Jesus teaches him, "Do not be afraid, only believe." In Greek, this verb form of a word translated as "believe" is also the word for faith. But it also conveys trust -- to be persuaded of something, to invest in something. (Πιστεύω, "I believe," is also the first word of the Nicene Creed.) And Jesus only takes with Him those very closest to Him, Peter, and the brothers James and John Zebedee. There is a deep sense of a powerful faith and trust that must be at work. We are given signs here of how Jesus' power or dynamis is at work; there is a powerful connection made with it among believers, those who can receive it.

When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. The wailing and lamenting reminds us of the howling winds and raging winds of the storm on the sea in a recent reading, which Jesus told to be "silent" and "muzzled." It's also reminiscent of the many demons who "occupied" the body of the healed believer in Saturday's reading, causing him to howl and hurt himself among the tombs. This wailing and lamenting of death, and the fear and terror that accompanies it, is a feature of many of these healing stories in recent readings. And once again, also, the element that comes into play against that fear and chaos is faith. Jesus goes so far as to separate Himself and those with Him from the ones who are wailing and lamenting, making a commotion, and can only ridicule in response. He takes only those for whom a capacity for faith is at work. This capacity is also a "dynamis" which makes a connection to Creator and Source.

Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. Chrysostom's commentary points out that Jesus has taught, in this episode of healing, that death is but a sleep, just as He did with Lazarus, and it is a kind of triumph over death for all of us, teaching us that we are not to fear death and its sleep. "Talitha, cumi" are the actual words of Jesus, rather than a translation. My study bible says, "Jesus speaks Aramaic here, the spoken language of Jesus in His time. Jesus commands demons and they obey, the stormy seas and they obey, and here, the dead and she 'obeys.' "

And they were overcome with great amazement. But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat. Everyone is astonished, amazed, so startling is the transition from death to life. The little girl, as was the woman with the blood flow, is "restored" to her place, upright - and as is fitting, something should be given her to eat. She joins the community and is once again established in it. But mystery is also at work here in this realm of faith; Jesus commands them all strictly that no one should know it! The Messianic secret remains a mystery to be unlocked and understood properly, also by faith of those who will come.

Two women, one afflicted for twelve years, and the other a mere twelve years of age -- and yet a story is built that comprises the two of them, for which both are essential. The faith of the woman alone, hopeless, at the end of her finances, her health, and perhaps her life, reaching out just short of despair for one touch of His clothes -- and the faith of a father, the ruler of a synagogue, who prevails upon the Healer to come to His daughter. Jesus has time for both, as He has time always for each of us. Reach out in prayer, and ask. Healing comes in so many forms. We are reminded, also, that both of these individuals - as would Lazarus and all the rest of the people who populate our readings - will all eventually die natural deaths to await the resurrection as do the rest of us. Jesus' healings are powerful signs of the power of God, God's grace at work in our midst, and the connection of that power to our faith which knows, and feels and unlocks the mysteries of the presence of this kingdom within us and among us. What can you do to strengthen your faith? How can this power unlock a mystery in you through that faith, restoring you, establishing you, bringing you into community and out of shame? Mysteries, we know, are hidden things, even "things kept secret from the foundation of the world." But, we pray to our Father who is in the secret place and there our faith may unlock the mysteries we are given to know, just as the immediate disciples Peter, James and John, in whom He placed His greatest trust. God invests in us as we invest in God: faith, belief, grace, power, dynamis - the capacity for so many great things the Lord can do for us. A little further on in Mark's Gospel, Jesus will ask blind Bartimaeus, "What do you want me to do for you?" To ask to be healed may come in many forms, but to make the connection with this power in faith is to find its capacity for each of us. It is to bind, to connect with our Lord who is in the secret place. How has this faith worked in you and your life?