Posts
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 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 she said to her, "Tabitha, 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 of Jesus' arrival across the sea of Galilee, in Gentile territory. They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me." For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!" Then He asked him, "What is your name?" And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion, for we are many." Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them." And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region. And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.
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. Here we are again, back on the "home" side of the sea of Galilee, once again in Jewish territory. My study bible says, "Not all Jewish leaders were opposed to Jesus." It's important that the Gospels tell us so, and this includes prominent members of the Sanhedrin who would become key followers of Jesus and play a significant role in the story of His life. Here, once again we're back in the place where Jesus is known and His fame is spread so that the multitudes simply throng Him, as opposed to the desolate place He went and found the Gadarene demoniac in Saturday's reading. The leader of the synagogue is motivated by a great love for his young daughter, who is twelve years old, just on the verge of becoming a young woman. He puts his trust in Christ to help her.
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. Here the Gospel gives us a woman in contrast to the young girl. As opposed to the young girl full of the promise of a future life, daughter of the synagogue ruler, this one has spent all of her savings, "all that she had" and was no better, but rather worse! She has "suffered many things from many physicians." Her suffering and illness has lasted as long as the young girl's life. We can imagine her struggle simply for hope. The blood flow itself would take her out of community, making her unclean; we can surmise it is a source of shame and grief, something that isolates her from others in an unjust way.
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 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. Here's an interesting parallel: she feels in her body that she is healed of the affliction, just as Christ "knows in Himself" that power has gone out of Him. My study bible points out 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)."
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." My study bible says here: "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." We note the word "affliction" used by Jesus, and again return to the metaphor running through Mark's Gospel of the oppressive rule that afflicts human beings, from which Jesus comes to liberate us. Here the root of affliction is to scourge or whip in a most painful way; the severe pain of disease or plague is indicated by this term as well. He restores her to peace as she is healed of her 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." Here, my study bible says, "No situation is hopeless when Christ is present. As the woman needed faith to be healed, so these parents need to persist in faith, even now that their daughter's condition seems past hope." In today's lectionary reading, we also find a passage from Galatians 1 in which St. Paul writes, "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." He is referring to the Gospel message that he felt was being distorted into a gospel of man. In today's reading we see illustrated a similar concept for us: the popular understanding is that Jairus' daughter is dead, there is no hope. But the revelation of Jesus tells us something else and asks of us (and Jairus) faith.
And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. My study bible notes, "Peter, James and John: the inner circle of the disciples, on whose faith and understanding Jesus could rely."
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. Here we have another example of what the crowds believe, as contrasted with the message of Christ. They ridicule 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 she said to her, "Tabitha, 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. We note again the emphasis on faith and what it does and what should be done for it. Jesus takes only His inner circle with Him. He puts "them all outside" -- all of those who ridicule His message, His revelation of what is happening here. Taking the child by the hand is an action that for me is very symbolic, it shows His action, His initiation of the healing, just as He took Peter's mother-in-law by the hand in an earlier reading. My study bible points out, "Jesus speaks Aramaic here, the spoken language of Jews in His time. Jesus commands demons and they obey, the stormy seas and they obey, and here, the dead and she 'obeys.'." It also notes that Jesus once again commanded silence to avoid misunderstanding. Sometimes, silence and mystery are necessary in order to preserve in truth the gospel message for the true time of its public revelation. Again, a paradox, something contrary to the beliefs of the crowds.
Today's reading teaches us all about faith, and how it connects us to a divine power, the energy of Christ. What we see in today's manifestations of faith are the private messages, the secret, hidden communication that goes on between Christ and those who come to Him in faith. First there is Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue who puts all his trust in Christ as he fears what will come to his daughter. And then there is the woman who trusts despite her seemingly hopeless condition that there is one thing that she can try, if she can only just touch the hem of His garment in that crowd. My study bible has a note that "Jesus never seems to be in a hurry, or ever interrupted from His mission. Here He attends to both needs. The woman goes away healed, Jairus is amazed and happy, and Jesus is not detained! Only God in the flesh brings such things to pass." But what we notice is the private faith that becomes (eventually) public doctrine. It all begins with that spark that makes a connection with Him and with His divine energy or power. In private, He heals the girl so as to avoid the crowds that ridicule and diminish the spark of faith in these people who hold on to hope despite what they hear. In private, she (the woman with the bloodflow) reaches out to touch Him, and He reveals her as His "daughter" to the crowds. We read in the Gospel the revelation of these things, the doctrine of Christ, the power and the spark of faith "even as a mustard seed" that grows into a gospel proclaimed to the world. So, how is faith revealed in you and to you? Does it start as a spark, despite the lack of hope a "worldly" view would point out to you? Do you nurture it in your heart? What private moments have turned to public joy? Let us consider faith and revelation, and remember that healing grace doesn't have to be proclaimed from the rooftops to prove its power, just nurtured as we are guided to do so.
