For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind

 

 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight.  And they asked them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind?  How then does he now see?"  His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know.  He is of age; ask him.  He will speak for himself."  His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.  Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."  So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give God the glory!  We know that this Man is a sinner."  He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know.  One thing I know:  that though I was blind, now I see."

 

Then they said to him again, "What did He do to you?  How did He open your eyes?"  He answered them, "I told you  already, and you did not listen.  Why do you want to hear it again?  Do you also want to become His disciples?"  Then they reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are Moses' disciples.  We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from."  The man answered and said to them, "Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes!  Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.  Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind.  If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing."   They answered and said to him, "You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?"  And they cast him out.  

Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?"  He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?"  And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you."  Then he said, "Lord, I believe!"  And he worshiped Him.  And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind."  Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?"  Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.'  Therefore your sin remains."

 

- John 9:18-41 

 

 In our present readings, we are in chapter 9 of John's Gospel.  John 7:1-10:21 covers the events at the Feast of Tabernacles, which takes place during the final year of Jesus' earthly life.  Yesterday we read that, as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"  Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.  I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.  And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent).  So he went and washed, and came back seeing.  Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?"  Some said, "This is he."  Others said, "He is like him."  He said, "I am he."  Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?"  He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.'  So I went and washed, and I received sight."  Then they said to him, "Where is He?"  He said, "I do not know." They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees.  Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus  made the clay and opened his eyes.  Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight.  He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."  Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath."  Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?"  And there was a division among them.  They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?"  he said, "He is a prophet."

 

 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight.  And they asked them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind?  How then does he now see?"  His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know.  He is of age; ask him.  He will speak for himself."  His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.  Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."  So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give God the glory!  We know that this Man is a sinner."  My study Bible comments on the behavior of the Pharisees here. It notes that with Jesus not present, they still call Him a sinner.  But earlier when He asked them face-to-face, "Which of you convicts Me of sin?" (John 8:46), they evaded that question.  Give God the glory! is an oath formula which was used before giving testimony.  My study Bible points out that he does indeed give God glory (verse 38).  The more he is pressed, the more fervent his faith becomes, while the Pharisees lapse into deeper darkness.  

 

He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know.  One thing I know:  that though I was blind, now I see."   Here the healed man becomes a model of Christian witness.  My study Bible comments that many people do not bear witness to Christ because they fear they will be asked questions they cannot answer.  This man's response to people who are much more educated than he is provides our solution:  he admits what he does not know, but follows with what he does know.  This formula, "That I don't know, but what I do know is this," is foundational to witnessing one's faith to others.  

Then they said to him again, "What did He do to you?  How did He open your eyes?"  He answered them, "I told you  already, and you did not listen.  Why do you want to hear it again?  Do you also want to become His disciples?"  Then they reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are Moses' disciples.  We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from."  The man answered and said to them, "Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes!  Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.  Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind.  If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing."   They answered and said to him, "You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?"  And they cast him out.   Here the Gospel gives witness to the transformation of faith taking place in this healed man.  My study Bible points out that he moves from knowing nearly nothing about Christ, through to the conclusion that Jesus cannot possibly be a sinner, to finally confessing that Jesus must be from God.  As the Pharisees once again cannot refute the man's logic, nor the truth of what he reveals, they once again resort to personal insult (see John 8:48).  Additionally, my study Bible comments on this passage that the unprecedented nature of opening the eyes of one who was born blind is a confirmation of Christ's divinity.  This was one of the prophesied signs of the coming Messiah (Isaiah 35:5; 42:7) and a prerogative belonging solely to God (Psalm 146:8). 

Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?"  He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?"  And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you."  Then he said, "Lord, I believe!"  And he worshiped Him.  Here the man healed of physical blindness is also healed of spiritual blindness:  he comes to see Jesus for who He is:  the divine Son of God whom it is appropriate to worship. 

 

 And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind."  Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?"  Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.'  Therefore your sin remains."  My study Bible comments here that our Lord's coming brought judgment to the world, not because He came to judge (John 12:47-48), but because of our accountability to Him.  Those who see and hear Christ but do not believe are judged by their own faithlessness.  

It's quite a marvel to observe this man blind from birth who first has sight given to him by Jesus, and then -- even tested by the religious leaders and their questions (which his parents refuse to answer themselves) -- he gradually is "illumined" with faith in Christ.  Clearly we can see the parallels to holy illumination, the light now permeating and taken in by his eyes also parallel to the spiritual light with which he sees as well.  As my study Bible explained in an earlier note at the beginning of this chapter (see yesterday's reading and commentary), baptism is also called "holy illumination," and the focus on light in this chapter teaches us about this process of coming to "see."  But today's reading is also a story about judgment, as Jesus' final notes in this chapter signal.  He has come for judgment.  And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind."  As is not unusual in the stories of the Gospels, God the Father has revealed something not to the wise and prudent, but to babes (see Matthew 11:25; Luke 10:21).  For if it is God the Father who revealed Jesus' identity as Christ, the Son of the living God, to St. Peter and the disciples (see Saturday's reading), then why should we not assume that the Father has also revealed to this "babe," the one whose sight has just been given to him through grace, Jesus' divine identity?  So let us rejoice at the judgment we witness, that the wise and prudent remain stubbornly, deliberately blind, while the mouth of a babe who has just received his sight confesses that Jesus is the Christ.  Who's to say who has sight?  Who sees and knows, who doesn't see, and doesn't know?  These experts in the Scripture (the Pharisees) are the authorities passing judgment on Christ, and will soon successfully bring Him to trial.  But it is the healed who see, even the "babes" with fresh sight.  It is by grace that we have our eyes opened.  St. Paul writes, "Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:3).

 

Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets

 

 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:  Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:  

"Blessed are you poor, 

For yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger now,

For you shall be filled.

Blessed are you who weep now,

For you shall laugh. 

Blessed are you when men hate you,

And when they exclude you,

And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,

For the Son of Man's sake.

 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!

For indeed your reward is great in heaven,

For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

 

But woe to you who are rich,

For you have received your consolation.

 Woe to you who are full,

For you shall hunger.  

Woe to you who laugh now,

For you shall mourn and weep.

Woe to you when all men speak well of you,

For so did their fathers to the false prophets."

 

- Luke 6:12–26 

 

Yesterday we read that it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields.  And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands.  And some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why are you doing what it is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?"  But Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?"  And He said to them, "The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught.  And a man was there whose right hand was withered.  So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.  But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Arise and stand here."  And he arose and stood.  Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one thing:  Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?"  And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.  

 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: . . .   Jesus, as the Son of God, does not pray as if to obtain grace or revelation from the Father, my study Bible says.  It cites St. Ambrose of Milan, who says that as the Son of Man, Jesus prays as the Advocate for humanity  (see 1 John 2:1).  Jesus spent all night in prayer before choosing the twelve apostles.   Citing Theophylact, my study Bible says that this teaches us that before choosing a candidate for any spiritual ministry, we should pray that God will reveal to us the one suited for the task.  Disciples and apostles are frequently used interchangeably for these twelve.  The Greek word translated as disciple means literally "learner."  Apostle means "one sent out." 

Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.    The names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists, as many people had more than one name.  Here these names are given in pairs, suggesting possibly who traveled together on the first missionary journey.  Mark reports that they were sent out two by two (Mark 6:7).  

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.  The sermon that follows these verses is called the Sermon on the Plain, we're told that Jesus stood on a level place.  .  It's similar in content to the Sermon on the Mount (found at Matthew 5 - 7), but not as extensive.  My study Bible comments that Jesus repeated many of His teachings over the period of three years in His public ministry.  It adds that, in the Old Testament, only a select few were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  But God Incarnate speaks to His disciples and a great multitude face to face.  The power that went out of Him affirms His holiness. 

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:  "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."   Blessed in the context of this sermon (and the Sermon on the Mount) indicates a heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than our conventional sense of earthly happiness or prosperity.  In Hebrew, my study Bible explains, "poor" means both the materially poor, and also the faithful among God's people.   In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus addresses this to the "poor in spirit," meaning all those who have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and a total dependence upon God. 

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled."  Again, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses those who "hunger and thirst for righteousness."  My study Bible says that these see  God and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life.  They have a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's desire for food (see Matthew 6:33). 

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."   Those who weep do so over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  Laughter comes from the comfort of the power of God both in this world and in the age to come.  My study Bible notes that holy sorrow is part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action, and is the firstfruit of infinite joy.  This type of sorrow is distinguished from ungodly sorrow; which would be a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).  

"Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake.  Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!  For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets."    My study Bible comments that children of God uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and give themselves to no other (Luke 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Those who are treated in the ways described here do so as was done to the prophets, and Christ as well.  Those who suffer persecution in this sense walk the same road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  See Acts 5:40-41.

"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.  Woe to you who are full for you shall hunger.   Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.  Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."  Luke gives us four "woes" that are not found in the Sermon on the Mount.  My study Bible says that woe is an indication not simply of sorrow, but of unspeakable destruction (Isaiah 5:18-24; Amos 5:18-19; Revelation 12:12).  It remarks that those who prize the vices listed here are liable to the "utmost misery," according to St. Cyril of Alexandria.  But they find hope when they sacrifice earthly blessings in showing mercy to others.  

We might be puzzled by the "woes" that are included here in the Sermon on the Plain.  In a modern context, it's not often that we think of Jesus as one who assigns "woes" to people.  This is especially true because the things named as part of these woes are overwhelmingly seen as things that are highly desirable and good, notable signs of success which perhaps all would like to pursue.  Wealth, fullness, laughter, and particularly perhaps those who are spoken of in a positive light, with renown or great publicity all seem to define success.  These are the people we tend to define as stars, upheld to others for their admiration, and constantly courting public opinion.  But clearly Jesus frowns on these as goals worth dedicating our whole lives to as if they are the fullness of life and its sole purpose.  In fact, if that's all we do, forgetful of Christ's words and the important things we should be pursuing, then our laughter is hollow and temporary, our consolation only of this world and not for life beyond, we'll be starving for things of more real substance, and mourning what we could have pursued, and missed doing.  For again, as in yesterday's reading and commentary, we go back to what righteousness is, right-relatedness.  If all we do is pursue these goals, if these are our highest good, then where are we in terms of our capacity to love others and do good for community?  Where is God in such a set of goals?  As "every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17), then how we pursue those gifts, how we use them or think of them, is certainly the purview of the Author of the gift.  If all things come from above, then what is our role in placing gratitude to God first before all else, and seeking God's way to live in the world?  Jesus adds, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."  In the developed world, our capacity for the pursuit of all the things Jesus names becomes magnified and enhanced through every facet of what we call progress, every new development of technology and consumer goods.  But perhaps nothing is as magnified over and above the past as our capacity for the seeking of publicity, the hope that "all men speak well" of us, flatter us.  Giant social media networks like Facebook are driven by this desire, and those who have designed and engineered that know this very well, a system that goes by Likes, and Subscribes, and online Friends.  This great desire for a favorable image or outcome from the opinions of others drives its power to deceive through the failure to accept that it's God's opinion that matters most, takes priority in our choices and decisions.  We are so fixed in the idea of image as merely that which is reflected in the sight of others, rather than in the eye of God, that we run a risk of emptiness that never gets filled.  Indeed, studies have shown a depression correlated with social media use, the envy of what one sees crafted through photos and other posting coming to seem like the grass that is always greener somewhere else.  But needing to please God has to take on a different sort of priority, regardless of the rewards one might seek in a social context.  John's Gospel gives us a picture of the members of the ruling Council:  "many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43).   The heretofore unprecedented levels of interactions available to us through modern technology make each of us hyper-aware of that "audience" available through the screen.  It leads us to focus a certain way, to think of ourselves within a particular sort of community that hasn't existed previous to recent times.  But God still calls to us, and perhaps that applause or approval we seek today is more fleeting than ever.  And yet there are also gatekeepers; we stand in constant awareness of the possibility that we will be censured, cancelled, shunned, and literally censored as well depending on how we serve that desired image and what it demands from us today.  Let us be attentive to the woes that Christ names, for it is an empty and merciless life defined only by  this kind of mutual praise, without the substance and grace that comes from the only God. 

He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

 And again He began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that

'Seeing they may see and not perceive,
And hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn,
And their sins be forgiven them.'"

And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it become unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

- Mark 4:1-20

On Saturday we read that Jesus and the disciples went into a house, likely the family home of Peter and Andrew in Capernaum.  Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.  But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."  And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."  So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables:  "How can Satan cast out Satan?   If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.  No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.  And then he will plunder his house.  Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" -- because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."  Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.  And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You."  But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"  And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."

 And again He began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  In our readings in Mark's Gospel, Jesus has just recently appointed the twelve who will be sent out as apostles.  His fame has reached all around the territories of Israel and including the Jewish diaspora in nearby Gentile territories.  And most recently, He has begun to face open hostility from the authorities, who now seek to destroy Him (see Saturday's reading, above).  His own family tries to distance themselves from Him, most likely they are fearful at the danger He's courting in open opposition to the religious authorities, who now plot with Herod's supporters against Him.   But the multitudes, who've heard all about Him and what He has done, flock to Him.  It is at this point that Jesus begins preaching in parables.  Parables are word-pictures, which reveal spiritual truth.  But now that it is these great crowds He preaches to, and not merely those who have committed to being His disciples, and that even among His hearers are no doubt those who are hostile to Him, He preaches in a way that is not overt, but has hidden meanings for those with "ears to hear."  Jesus' parables illustrate the things of God, aspects of the Kingdom and of our faith, for those who desire to hear and to learn.  My study bible points out that even among those who have spiritual ears to hear, not all have the same degree of understanding.  This first parable introduces us to parables, and to the Sower, the One who sows the seeds.  It is the first parable told in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that 'Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.'"  Jesus quotes from Isaiah to explain to the disciples His preaching in parables.  (See Isaiah 6:9-10.)  My study bible explains that as the mission of Isaiah in the Old Testament was to open the eyes of Israel to see the acts of God, so the parables of Jesus are intended to open the eyes of His hearers to the truth and to lead them to produce the fruit of righteousness.  But the preaching of parables demonstrates that people are responsible for their own insensitivity to the things of God, and their own lack of receptivity; those with hardened hearts are unable to accept the message of the parables.  Nothing is held back from those who desire to learn; faith is open to all.  But, as my study bible says, God permits our self-chosen blindness.

And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it become unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."   In this parable Christ reveals Himself as the promised Messiah.  He is the sower foretold by Isaiah (Isaiah 55:10-13). 

How do we bear fruit in God's word?  How do we understand the parables?  One thing is certain, that on the journey of faith, Jesus' teachings will give us messages that depend upon right where "we are at" at the moment.  In the parable of the Sower, Jesus gives the pitfalls and dangers to our faith.  There is the work of Satan that comes and snatches away the word from the heart.  There is the heart of "stony ground" which receives His word with gladness, but the shallowness of their receptivity means it endures only for a short time, but perishes under any challenge and difficulty because of the faith.  Then there are the other things Jesus warns us about our lives:  the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things -- which choke out our faith.  It's as if He's warning us that we always need to make time and space for our faith and especially for His word, the things of God we're taught.  The rest of our lives, and all the other things that we may chase after in life, are liable to crowd out the things of true worth, distract us from where we need to be and what we need to focus on.  It seems to me that these are the pitfalls of the journey of faith, that all of us may be, at one time or another (or even many times in our lives) susceptible to the problems that Jesus notes can come in our receptivity to the word in our hearts.  But there is always repentance, or change of mind.  We may recognize our mistakes and turn back on the road toward Him.  It is Christ's word, if we think about it, that makes all the difference in our lives.  The things that choke out the word will always be there, will always be a part of the world, will always be waiting to take our attention away, to lead us down an empty path, to make us stumble.  But it is Christ's word that stands in the center of life, in the place in our hearts that we really and truly need to pay attention to if our lives are going to be in the right place.  It is in that place that we find a kind of peace and reconciliation that really doesn't exist anywhere else, certainly not while we're chasing all the rest of it.  Isaiah came to call people's attention to the acts of God in their midst, and the word of the Sower still lives in our midst, if we just pay it the proper attention.  Let us give it the place it needs in us, so that our soul may take its rest and refreshment therein, so that we may return and be healed of the brokenness the world will offer.  At some point we must choose, and come to the understanding that it is up to us to care, and to place our right priorities first.  Christ's decision to speak in parables tells us that this is, indeed, up to us.

Do not be afraid, only believe

 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 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 that Jesus and the disciples came to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, 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 the 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 the 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.  My study bible points out here that as Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, has come to Jesus, we can conclude that the Gospel tells us that not all of the religious leadership were opposed to Jesus.  We also see evident the great faith of Jairus.  Let us remember that He is now back in Jewish territory, the "home" side of the Sea of Galilee.

 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.  My study bible tells us here that "Jesus never seems to be in a hurry, or ever interrupted from His mission."  Here, He attends both to the needs of the woman with the blood flow and also Jairus' daughter.  As we observe, Jesus isn't detained.  My study bible says that "only God in the flesh brings such things to pass."  We notice the condition of this woman:  she has suffered many things from many physicians.  In some sense, like Jairus, she is at the end of her rope.  She also has tremendous faith in Jesus.  The root word for suffer here is "pathos" in the Greek:  the word from which we derive the English word "passion" --  and the word we give to what Jesus will experience Himself in Holy Week.

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."  My study bible says that "healing takes energy.  Jesus is aware that divine energy had gone out of Him when He was touched.  The 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."  When we read in English that Jesus tells the woman her faith has made her well, in the Greek it literally reads that her faith has delivered or saved her.

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.  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."   Peter, James and John form Jesus' inner circle of disciples, "on whose faith and understanding Jesus could rely," my study bible tells us.  These are the same three who will be present at His Transfiguration.  As with the incident of the storm on the sea (see Friday's reading), Jesus contrasts faith and fear.

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."  Jesus speaks Aramaic here, the spoken language of the Jews in His time.  My study bible says, "Jesus commands demons and they obey, the stormy seas and they obey, and here, the dead and she 'obeys.'"  What we note also is the ridicule of the mourners.  Their ridicule interferes with the faith of those concerned here; those who are struggling to "not be afraid," but to have faith.  They must be put outside.

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.  My study bible tells us, "The daughter of Jairus returns to life to the great amazement of those present.  But like all of us, she will die again to await the resurrection of the dead at Christ's return."  We note also His command of silence about the healing; He's back in Jewish territory, and messianic expectations get in the way of His ministry and its message.

Once again we note the contrast between fear and faith.  It's not that we are supposed to be perfectly fearless, but Jesus seems to indicate here that we are at least to work on this!  He complained in Friday's reading to His disciples, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And He tells the parents in today's reading, "Do not be afraid, only believe."  In the two passages, Jesus uses a word with His disciples on the sea in the storm that means to be timid or cowardly; the word He uses with the parents in today's reading relates more to our word "fear."  But in both cases, the Greek for "faith" and "believe" is the same.  It is a word that is more akin to trust than anything else, and it indicates relationship.  It is Christ in whom they must trust.  We may believe that the sun will rise tomorrow, but to have faith, or more closely, to trust indicates relationship, an active relationship with a kind of effort or leap of the heart, and to trust is something that also involves a depth of ourselves.  It links us -- something of our depth of substance -- with the object of trust.  And this is what we have to think about when we talk about faith.  We may place our faith in Christ regarding one matter or another, but the outcome isn't necessarily something in our power.  This is also an element of trust.  Jesus' power will work in a way that is of itself, not of us.  So, trusting in Christ is also trusting God's power, trusting our lives, in a certain sense, although we don't necessarily know nor even understand the path He puts us on, His way.  When we pray, I think it's important to remember this element of trust, because we are confiding in Someone, we are giving our hearts, and like children, we trust the One who leads us and into whose hands we place ourselves.  By placing our trust in Him, we do particular things, we don't just assent to a set of beliefs.  It's not a mere intellectual exercise or an assertion of facts.  We are actively choosing to place ourselves in Someone's care.  We are trusting with our hearts, and that trust also implies a trust that must last through the difficult times, our times of fear or timidity or cowardice, our times of doubt.  Like children, we may feel all kinds of things, but we make an effort to place our trust in something, and in return, God's power or energy (as my study bible has put it today) helps us in that faith and helps us to strength in that faith.  Mark's Gospel has given us the contrast of fear, of timidity, of cowardice, the fearing and trembling of the woman in today's reading, the ridicule of the mourners.  And this is where we begin to today, in this third week of Lent, with the struggle between the doubts we have and all the forms they take, and the trust we place in Christ to take us through the world, to teach us to live in that trust, and to be the disciples we can be.  His call is the call to place our trust in Him, to follow as He leads.  How do you make an effort to affirm that trust to Him?  How does your heart turn to Him? 

Your faith has made you well

 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.  Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.  And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"  So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests."  And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.  And he was a Samaritan.  So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed?  But where are the nine?  Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?"  And He said to him, "Arise, go your way.  Your faith has made you well."

- Luke 17:11-19

In yesterday's reading, Jesus said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come but woe to him through whom they do come!  It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.  Take heed to yourselves.  If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."  And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"  So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted on the sea,' and it would obey you.  And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'?  But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'?  Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?  I think not.  So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what was our duty to do.'"

  Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.   It's important to remember that in all the recent readings, Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem, and to His "exodus."  (See the commentary on the Transfiguration, where Jesus discussed His "exodus" with Moses and Elijah.) 

Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.  My study bible says that "the lepers stood afar off because they were not permitted to approach people or enter into the villages."  They are, by virtue of their affliction, a group of "outsiders."

And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"   On the way to Jerusalem, we get stories throughout the Gospels of those who shout to Jesus, "Have mercy on me!"  His reputation precedes Him.  They call Him "Master"  - He is known as a holy teacher, and obviously a healer.  We recall how He will be welcomed into Jerusalem as Messiah on the day we celebrate as  Palm Sunday.

So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests."  And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.  And he was a Samaritan.   My study bible tells us, "Only a Samaritan, despised by Jews, sets the example of gratitude for his healing.  God's blessings are all too easily taken for granted or forgotten."

So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed?  But where are the nine?  Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?"  And He said to him, "Arise, go your way.  Your faith has made you well."  It's interesting to take a look at this word in the Greek for "made you well."  Really, literally, it reads "your faith has saved you."  "Saved" of course is the same word from which we derive the name for Jesus, Savior, and also the word "salvation."  Literally, it comes from the action of being rescued from danger, and taken into safety.  All of these meanings are bound up with healing.

We could think of all these men as "foreigners," really.  That is, they are ostracized, outside of the society, because of their affliction.  In understanding disease -- especially leprosy -- as affliction, we also get a picture (seen throughout especially Luke's Gospel) of what Jesus is about:  He rescues from affliction, from the one who oppresses, the prince of this world, the evil one.  All throughout the Gospels, and especially in Luke, we get this image of Jesus as healer:  He's the one who lifts our burdens and afflictions, breaks the bonds of the "strong man" with which we are bound, rescues us -- even as we are "ransomed" by Him.  Here, He assures the one who is the foreigner among foreigners, if you will, "Go your way, your faith has saved you."  All of them have been healed, but there's one who is really saved, and that is this foreigner of the foreigners, who's not just been returned to society but also to Christ, to God, in a direct way.  To save -- to heal, in this case -- is also to be returned to safety, to the place in which we are loved.  There we get to the real root of healing and salvation, and that's to know we are home among those who will truly love and care for us.  This is the true profound message of this Gospel.  God's work is love, and to bring us into that love through release of anything that afflicts us or binds us or keeps us from it is His job, His mission in the world.  Thereby we understand ourselves, as disciples, even as we follow in the shoes of the apostles.  Our mission is love.  There are those who will not accept it, even when they benefit from it; those who will not appreciate it, nor understand it.  They will not be addressed this way; saved and yet not saved because not accepting of this love.  To show gratitude is to understand, to acknowledge, and to develop a kinship in the truest sense.  A relationship is just that, a dialogue.  Jesus has recently given us the parable of the Prodigal Son; nothing mattered so much as return and communion, dialogue.  This is what love is all about -- even Jacob wrestling with an angel for a blessing was a form of dialogue and communion.  The others, taking this healing from leprosy for granted, as their "due" in some sense, did not bother to come back to thank Jesus, to acknowledge and speak with Him.  Let us remember His teachings from yesterday's reading as well, about how we are to dialogue with one another in the Church, openness and honesty and responsible understanding as the core.  Let us remember this Samaritan leper who is truly "saved."  Let us talk with God, be grateful for God's gifts, and remember what communion really means.  In this way we are saved -- in all the ways we may learn what that really means as we continue in this road of faith.

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?