Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid

 

 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. 

 

 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.

 

- Mark 6:47–56 

 

Yesterday we read that the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught on their first apostolic journey.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something  to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.  Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go  before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.  

 

  Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  This is the second time that Christ permits the disciples to be caught in a storm (see this reading).  The first time He was with them, but asleep in the stern of the boat.  Here, He's sent them across the sea, while He went to the mountain to pray (see yesterday's reading, above).  Leaving them alone this time, my study Bible says, is a way of strengthening their faith that He will always be with them in the midst of the storms of life.  We note that it was only recently that they have returned from their first apostolic mission (again, see above), and so it is easy to understand that Christ is preparing them for their future.  "It is I" is literally translated "I Am," which is the divine Name of God (see John 8:58; Exodus 3:14).  According to my study Bible, He is reminding the fearful disciples that He has absolute and divine authority over their lives.  

 

 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. According to my study Bible, knowing Christ is a matter of the heart, not simply the intellect.  It says that when our hearts are illumined by faith in God, they are open to receive God's presence and grace.  In the ascetic writings of the Church, the heart is known as "the seat of knowledge."

 

  When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.  My study Bible comments that Christ permits miracles through touch to show that His very body is life-giving (see also the story of the woman with the blood flow, Mark 5:25-29).  Consider also that in yesterday's reading, we read of the feeding of the five thousand, prefiguring the Eucharist to come, the gift of Christ's Body and Blood.

 

 Jesus repeatedly teaches in the Gospels that His is the path we need.  He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).  Elsewhere He teaches, "Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going" (John 12:35).  In John 10:9, Jesus declares, "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture."   In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14).   Each of these sayings points in the direction of a close following of Christ, a path that is narrow and well-defined by faith in Him.  This is, essentially, discipleship, a close following of Christ, step by step as we advance into a deeper, fuller faith, and more reliance upon Him.  And this is what the disciples experience as they continue with Him.  We've already seen the Twelve chosen to become the first apostles, and them sent out on their first apostolic mission (see Saturday's reading).  In every careful step of the way for these disciples, Jesus has taught them what He wants.  They have learned from Him by living with Him, hearing Him preach, experiencing His ministry, receiving His instructions.  As my study Bible says above, today's reading is not the first time these disciples have been frightened by a storm on the Sea of Galilee, following His instructions to cross over.  Even these experienced fishermen felt frightened for their lives the first time this happened, although He was with them, but sleeping.  But this time, they are on their own, and they're struggling, straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  The text tells us that about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  The "fourth watch of the night" is three o'clock in the morning, and we can just imagine what a frightening time this was under these circumstances!  Walking to them on the water, they imagine Christ to be a ghost!  But all of this is in preparation for something.  For the particular path that Christ "walks" them on is one that is given in order to help them to become something essential to the Kingdom and to the Church to come -- for they will carry the newfound Church on their shoulders into the world, a very hostile world through martyrdom and exile in the future.  We might consider such a dangerous and enormously significant mission to be something fearful or burdensome.  But it is a mission of the highest significance, the greatest bravery, the deepest sacrifice, and we know of no other powerful mission with such an established and far-reaching outcome.  For all of us are on this mission of securing the Kingdom and the Church in the world, but Christ prepares a particular path for each of us on this "road" (or "way") that He has for us.  In the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, Christ expresses the understanding of this contribution.  Each worker, without regard for how long or how short the duration of their labor, receives the same reward.  This makes sense if every unique contribution is necessary to the project.  Each of us has a narrow way, a particular mission to follow, depending on how we're meant to serve that Kingdom and our Lord.  When we go through challenges and difficulties, when we're asked to make sacrifices, we don't always know why -- just as these disciples turned apostles in today's reading don't really know at this stage why He's sent them alone across the Sea of Galilee, and into such a frightening storm.  But there He is, our answer to all things:  "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."   Perhaps none of us knows what we're being prepared for, especially in the fullness of time and of the eternity beyond, and the fullness of the knowledge of Christ and who we are in His eyes.  If our hearts are hardened to Christ's activity and work, we might never understand.  But we're all becoming, and He is the One who shows us the way, in His plan of salvation for the entire cosmos, for the life of the world.

 

 

 

 

Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace

 

 So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.  And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue.  And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying.  But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. 

Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment.  And immediately her flow of blood stopped.  And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?"  When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me."  Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.  And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well.  Go in peace."  

 

While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead.  Do not trouble the Teacher."  But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well."  When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.  Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.  But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise."  Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately.  And He commanded that she be given something to eat.  And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.

 

- Luke 8:40–56 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?"  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.  Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them.  And He permitted them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.  And He got into the boat and returned.  Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

 

 So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.  And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue.  And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying.  But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.   Here Jesus returns to Capernaum, where He is well-known, and so they were all waiting for Him, including Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue.   

Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment.  And immediately her flow of blood stopped.   My study Bible explains that, for the Jews, contact with blood caused defilement and led to religious and social isolation (Leviticus 15:19-27).  This woman, therefore, displays bold faith by approaching both Christ and Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue in this crowd.  This potentially defiles all of them and would subject her to ridicule.  

And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?"  When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me."   My study Bible says that Christ's question, "Who touched Me?" does not simply mean a physical touch, but instead, "Who touched me in faith?"  It explains that, just as "the temple sanctifies the gold" (Matthew 23:17), so also matter is sanctified by Christ's Incarnation, and the power of Christ works through even His garment.   To touch Christ's garment in faith is to touch Him.  In the Church, it says, we touch Christ through icons, oil, water, bread, wine, etc.  When this is done in faith, the power of Christ is received.  

Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.  And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well.  Go in peace."   Here Christ calls the woman forward, to take away her fear and trembling, but also, my study Bible says, to strengthen Jairus for the forthcoming news about his daughter.

While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead.  Do not trouble the Teacher."  But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well."  When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.  Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.  But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise."  Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately.  And He commanded that she be given something to eat.  And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.   My study Bible tells us that this is one of three resurrections which were performed by Christ as recorded in the Gospels.  See also this recent reading, and John 11:1-44.  Each confirms the promise given to the prophet Ezekiel that God will one day open the graves, and raise all the dead (Ezekiel 37:1-14).  Many people have exercised authority over the living, but only the Son of God has power over the living and the dead.  In the story of the raising of the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-17), Jesus touched his coffin; the raising of Lazarus from the dead happened through His word alone (John 11:43).   But here, Jesus raises the little girl as He took her by the hand, and gave her a command ("Little girl, arise").    These incidents in which He touches others show that His very body is life-giving.  Again, like the story of the widow of Nain and her son, this event of the healing of Jairus' daughter prefigures Christ's own Resurrection.  But in this case, it's a father, Jairus, rather than Christ's mother Mary, whose sadness is turned to joy.  Her parents are astonished.  

It's quite remarkable to think that this stupendous achievement of the healing of Jairus' daughter, who had died according to all in the household, is something about which Christ charged the parents to tell no one what had happened.   How is it possible, one wonders, for this news to be kept quiet?  But nonetheless her parents are told not to speak of it to anyone.  Note how this resurrection is done in secret.  Jesus put outside all of the scoffers, the ones who ridicule.  Moreover, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.   We note also that the rest of the disciples are not taken in, but only those closest to Jesus -- and the strongest in faith, Peter, James, and John.  We also contrast the hugely public event of the healing of the woman's flow of blood with Christ's emphatic instructions meant to keep the raising of Jairus' daughter as private as possible.  Not only did the woman touch Him in the middle of a thronging crowd, but Jesus also brought her forward, demanding to know, "Who touched Me?"  and added, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me."   After Jesus had deliberately drawn her out with these questions, we're told that the woman fell down before Him, and declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.  Then He praises her before all the crowd, and declares, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well.  Go in peace."    These are bold public expressions designed to focus great attention on what is happening, even in the midst of a crowd that could have been defiled (according to the Law) by her flow of blood.  So, why, we have to ask, is there such a great contrast -- in terms of public notice and declaration -- between one and the other?  There's an interesting further contrast in the status of the two subjects of these healings.  Both are female.  But one is a girl of twelve, under her father's protection, too young to be called a woman.  The other has, on the other hand, had a flow of blood for twelve years.  One presumes her affliction not only leaves her alone, but we're also told that she had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any.  So, in contrast to the young daughter of a ruler of the synagogue, she is likely destitute and desperate for help, and she puts her faith in Christ.  On the one hand, the girls' parents need their faith shored up very badly:  Jesus puts out the ones who ridicule, and makes certain the healing is a private affair with only His most faithful disciples present.  Moreover, He tells Jairus, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well."   While the young girl's faith is not a part of the story, that of her parents and household most certainly is.  Perhaps the key to all of these differences, after all, is faith.  If the parents do not go into the world and tell all the story, there is no opportunity for the world to clamor that it is not so, cannot be so, she wasn't really passed, and all manner of doubt and the shaking of faith in Christ.  On the other hand, the woman's faith itself is exemplary.  Indeed,  Jesus Himself declares that it is, in fact, her faith that has made her well.  We can look closely at the dynamics of this story and note that Jesus asked, "Who touched Me?"  He makes it very clear how this happened, and what He experienced, because He said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me."   This would seem to teach us -- and quite publicly -- that Christ's power works by responding to faith.  He didn't feel her touch, but knew that someone had touched Him -- and needed to know who did so -- because He perceived power going out from Himself.  And so my study Bible comments that we may do the same, receive the power of Christ through the things by which we "touch" Him in Church.  Both stories are different, but both speak to us loudly of faith.  On the one hand was this desperate woman's exemplary faith in touching even the hem of Christ's garment.  On the other are Christ's rather extraordinary measures Himself to shore up the faith of the girl's parents.  Let us note that this teaches us, also, to take whatever measures we need to find support and strength for our faith -- for it is this in which Christ Himself engages and makes all effort.  Sometimes we may need to tell others of our faith.  Other times, we may need to keep things to ourselves.  In either case, we do what is needed for our faith in Him.

 

Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water

 

 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.  And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.  Now when evening came, He was alone there.  But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.  Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!"  And they cried out for fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."  So He said, "Come."  And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"  And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"  And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.  And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

 

- Matthew 14:22–36 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus heard that King Herod feared Him, He departed from by boat to a deserted place by Himself.  But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.  And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.  When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late.  Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food."  But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish."  He said, "Bring them here to Me."  Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass.  And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.  So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.  Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

 

  Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.  And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.  We recall that Jesus' plan was to seek to withdraw from the scrutiny of Herod Antipas, for as Herod began to hear of Jesus, he feared that Jesus was John the Baptist returned from the dead, and that this was the explanation for Christ's miraculous works.  Here, after feeding the multitude, He once again withdraws for solitude to pray.

Now when evening came, He was alone there.  But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.  Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!"  And they cried out for fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  My study Bible comments that only God has dominion over nature; therefore, this miracle is a confirmation of the divinity of Christ.  It is now the second time that Jesus has permitted His disciples to be caught in a storm (see also Matthew 8:23-27).  The first time, He was with them.  But here he had left them alone.  In this way, my study Bible explains, Christ strengthens their faith that He will always be with them in the midst of the storms of life.   It is I is literally translated "I Am," which is the divine Name of God (see Exodus 3:14; John 8:58).  My study Bible adds that Christ reminds the fearful disciples of His absolute and divine authority over their lives.  

And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."  So He said, "Come."  And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"   My study Bible says that Peter's faith allows him to walk on the water.  It asks us to note that Peter does not ask to walk on water per se, but rather to come to Jesus.  Peter's desire is not to perform miracles but to be with Christ.  Peter is able to participate in this divine miracle as long as he keeps his focus on Christ.  When he becomes distracted, he begins to sink.

 

 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"  My study Bible explains that the Greek term for doubt used here means "wavering" or "hesitation."  Peter's sinking was due not to the storm but rather his doubt; so Christ does not rebuke the wind -- but rebukes Peter.

And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."  This response bears some resemblance to the words of the centurion who stood at the Cross and witnessed Christ's Passion (Matthew 27:54; Mark 15:39).  My study Bible comments that this is the first time the disciples confess that Jesus is the Son of God.  As they know that only God can be worshiped, they confess His divinity by worshiping Him.  Here, the boat is symbolic of the Church.  

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.  And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.  Again, the miracles of healing are prominent in Christ's ministry.  My study Bible comments that Christ permits miracles through touch to show that His very body is life, and that contact with His flesh is life-creating (see Matthew 9:20-22).  

Stories of the miraculous give us a particular feel in Scripture, a sense of something extraordinarily present that grips our imagination and asks it to go beyond our everyday boundaries and expectations.  There are many who read Scripture and automatically discount the miracles they encounter there.  But Scripture is a kind of literature that asks us to read what it contains with a perspective that everything in it is necessary for us to grasp something, to receive what there is to give.  I also cannot immediately dismiss all possibility of the miraculous, if only because what might be considered miraculous seems to happen and surprise people all the time.  This is particularly true of things that seem to be coincidental, or dreams that give us a hint of things that are happening elsewhere, a sense that pervades prayer, an intuition that supplies an answer we'd been grasping for but couldn't find in some normal "rational" sense.  But let us consider for a moment the miracles of Christ, for they are all, importantly and essentially for us, connected to faith.  My study Bible points out that St. Peter is able to walk on the water toward Christ so long as he keeps his focus on Christ, a key to understanding the miraculous sense here.  The people who bring their sick to be healed have the sort of faith that resembles that of the woman with the twelve year blood flow: we're told that they begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.  This connection of faith is clearly the thread -- or perhaps we should say rope -- by which we make contact with potentials that are far beyond the daily grasp of the worldly.  It's also quite essential that we know Peter requested Jesus to command him to walk toward Him, so Peter knows he's responding to a command from Christ.  Moreover, it's the fourth watch of the night, which begins at three o'clock in the morning, and so there is only whatever light might be found on the sea from the stars and moon.  Just as Peter begins to sink once he takes his eyes of the Jesus, so when we lose that thread (or rather, that sturdy rope to hang onto) we also risk sinking into the daily grind of limited expectations and colorless perspective.  Faith, on the other hand, can inspire from depths we didn't know we had.  Indeed, faith can open up depths within us to explore -- to be healed of painful trauma we conceal from ourselves, and to open to creative energies we hadn't understood were there.  Faith gives us confidence just as it gave St. Peter, but we have to remember that it is that we look to Christ that is the key.  It's one thing to place one's faith in something inanimate, or something worldly and material, and another to place one's faith in Christ, the One came to the world in order to bring us life, and to bring life more abundantly (John 10:10).  That becomes a faith -- a key to union -- with something that offers us much more than we can give it.  That faith opens up to the work of the apostles, with whom Christ was able to share His power and authority.  That kind of faith opens up the fruit of the Spirit we read about in Galatians 5:22-23, allowing us to participate in those virtues we otherwise do not have the resources to muster.  These examples are just the bare minimum of gifts and inspiration that we can attribute to faith.  Faith confers the capacity to keep going when otherwise things simply look hopeless when we take God out of the picture.  Faith confers the ability to keep trying when recovery from illness seems impossible.  Faith teaches us that where there is life there is hope, and so on -- we could continue this list far beyond the limits of a blog post.  But what is of true importance, once again, is Whom it is that we put our faith into, for Christ has a gospel message, a Kingdom characterized by certain realities He teaches, and the power of love and life.  His is not the gospel of rage or vengeance or material power.  He offers us that special thing we see on display in today's reading, and if we can look around, we'll find it all around us in the world of the faithful of today, yesterday, and those to come.  In that light, I'd like to share an inspirational blog post regarding a young man called "Superman," written by his Dad (found at this Substack link, which can be read free of charge).  Through faith, a boy with serious struggles became Superman, and continues to inspire.  Let us consider the power of our faith today, in such a world of devastating spectacle, but so much potential that is hidden without that faith.  Let us consider the miraculous, and how it may appear to us when we are least expecting it, without the eyes of faith to see it.

 

 

 

 

And as many as touched Him were made well

 

 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.  

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well. 

 

- Mark 6:47-56 

 

Yesterday we read that the apostles, having returned from their first apostolic mission, gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.  Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.

 

  Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. My study Bible notes that this is the second time Christ permits His disciples to be caught in a storm (see also this reading from chapter 4, for the storm that occurred on their way to the country of the Gadarenes).  That first time, He was with them, asleep in the stern of the boat.  This time, Jesus has remained behind, and was praying on the mountain (see yesterday's reading, above), while He sent the disciples back across the Sea of Galilee, alone.  My study Bible comments that in this way, Christ strengthens their faith that He will always be with them in the midst of the storms of life.  It is I is literally translated "I Am," which is the divine Name of God (see John 8:58, Exodus 3:14).  In this statement, my study Bible asserts, Christ is reminding His fearful disciples of His absolute and divine authority over their lives.  The fourth watch of the night is approximately three o'clock in the morning.

And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.  My study Bible comments that knowing Christ is a matter of the heart, not simply of the intellect.  When our hearts are illumined by faith in God, they are open to receive His presence and grace.  Let us think carefully about the word "faith."  In the Greek of the New Testament, it is a word that means "trust."  We therefore trust in Christ with our hearts, and this is akin to love, a loving relationship with one who has our best interest in heart.  In the ascetic writings of the Church, my study Bible reminds us, the heart is known as "the seat of knowledge."

 

 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well. My study Bible comments here that Christ permits miracles through touch to show that His very body is life-giving.  See also the woman with the years-long flow of blood, who touched His garment in faith in Mark 5:25-29.

If we take a look at this term, the land of Gennesaret, the name significantly tells us something which can relate to the text.  In Christ's time, this was an exceptionally fertile plain, producing a great variety of crops for consumption and also wild trees and flowers.  According to the Encyclopedia of the Bible, rabbinical tradition spoke of this plain as "the garden of God: and a "paradise."  Moreover, the first syllable of Gennesaret likely comes from a word that means "gardens," with a name attached.  Some suggest its Hebrew roots may mean "princely gardens."  Whatever the correct etymology of this word, it seems likely that this tremendous flowering of Christ's ministry that happens here gives us a picture of the "garden" of Christ, our Lord.  Because of the great power of His work to heal that is on display, especially because of the faith of those who run to Him, we view the fullness of what His salvation is and means.  Earlier, Jesus spoke of Himself to the Pharisees as a Physician (see this reading from chapter 2).  When confronted by them as to why He sat at table with sinners and tax collectors, He simply replied, ""Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."   Therefore we are to understand that Christ's identity and Physician, and this work of healing -- on all levels -- is central to the understanding of salvation, of the very meaning and purpose of the Incarnation.  If all of this healing takes place in this "princely garden" of God, a sort of paradise on earth, then we are to think of our faith and the work of Christ -- indeed the work of grace through the Holy Spirit -- as that which is healing.  Repentance also is central to this work, because repentance is necessary for change and forward movement in the direction of God.  The New Testament Greek word translated as "repentance" literally means "change of mind," and this change of mind that happens through the help of grace and the work of God, and needs our assent and faith, is a healing work.  It is a healing that affects the soul and all the part of who we are in turn, on all levels.  We read the quotation Jesus gives from Isaiah, when He explains to the disciples why He speaks in parables, and it tells us, "Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed" (Isaiah 6:10, referenced in Matthew 13:14-16).  Our growth in faith, our deepening reconciliation to God through this work of transformation and grace, is indeed the work of healing.  Ultimately it is our souls and spirits which are healed, but this in turn affects body, mind, emotions, and the fullness of life.  For if we are healed in faith, we rest in a kind of love and security that feeds everything else, and we receive the kind of internal healing that knits us together where we are broken, surpassing what a normal physician can do for us.  There is no doubt, in terms of scientific and medical literature, what the effects of stresses are in our lives, and faith goes directly to this level of the heart, the center of our being.  For, as my study Bible points out and the ancient tradition of the Church tells us, the heart is a matter of much more than simply an intellectual decision.  It is a place of noetic discernment and understanding, a deep center within us that links us to the grace of God.  Let us consider the importance of trust and of all of its implications.  When we read about this place of "paradise" and "princely gardens" we should remember in whose garden we wish to be, the great Physician who has what we need for our deepest ailments.   In yesterday's reading, foretelling of the Eucharist, Jesus fed five thousand men -- and more women and children -- in a deserted place, multiplying meager resources.  Let us consider that He us in ways He deems necessary for ongoing healing and growth, nurturing all that we are -- especially the way we experience and see ourselves in this world.  In times which document growing rates of anxiety and depression, the way we find healing is most important, and can have the greatest impact on our lives.

Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid

 

 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up to the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.

 

- Mark 6:47-56 

 

Yesterday we read that the returning apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught on their first mission as those sent out by Him.   And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.  Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.

 

  Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up to the boat to them, and the wind ceased. This is the second time that Jesus permits His disciples to be caught in a storm (see also this reading).   The first time He was with them, asleep in the stern of the boat.  Here, He is on the mountain praying (see yesterday's reading, above), and so has left them alone.  My study Bible comments that in this way, Christ strengthens their faith that He will always be with them in the midst of the storms of life.  It is I is literally translated "I Am," which is the divine Name of God (see John 8:58).  Christ reminds the fearful disciples of His absolute and divine authority over their lives.  

And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.  My study Bible comments here that knowing Christ is a matter of the heart, not simply the intellect.  When our hearts are illumined by faith in God, they are open to receive His presence and grace.  In the ascetic writings of the Church, the heart is called "the seat of knowledge."

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.  Christ permits miracles through touch, my study Bible says, to show that His very body is life-giving (see also the healing of the woman with the flow of blood, Mark 5:25-29, part of this reading).

There are times when we feel abandoned by God, even though we believe and have experiences that tell us that God has acted in our lives in the past.  In today's reading, the disciples themselves, we're told, have hearts that are hardened; that is, they fail to understand the miraculous feeding of the five thousand (see yesterday's reading, above).  Even with the memory of our faith, there are times when we still feel abandoned by God to circumstances, even circumstances that seem too overwhelming for us to bear or to overcome.  But today's passage reassures us now that twice the disciples have been seemingly (literally) "lost at sea," but nevertheless in the midst of their time of fear and abandonment, Christ is there.  Although Jesus stayed behind on purpose, going up to the mountain alone to pray, He is still somehow aware of their distress, and He responds as well.  It is a reminder that God knows about us and cares about us, although God is seemingly an impossible distance away, impossibly far away for God to be aware of ourselves and our own tiny problems compared to a universe of cares and "a sea of troubles," to borrow one expression from Shakespeare's Hamlet Soliloquy.  Indeed, Hamlet, in the midst of his indecision regarding his troubles might be a good example for us, of one who acts on emotion, suspicion, overthinking, impulsive at the wrong time -- he is anything but dependent upon faith.   But today's passage suggests patience amidst the storm; it seems to tell us to hold on, despite our horrible feelings of doom and fear, not to act impulsively or impatiently, not to panic.  Making this particular story more complex, and also one more relatable to us in the modern world, the event of the disciples straining at rowing on the sea takes place about the fourth watch of the night, which corresponds to approximately three o'clock in the morning.  (A "watch" was a three-hour period; the first watch began at 6:00 PM or sunset, the second at 9:00 PM, the third at midnight, and the fourth at 3:00 AM.)  So to add another dimension to our story, it is like a troublesome, burdensome problem that keeps us awake with strain or fear in the middle of the night.  Christ's ghostly appearance is another sign of such times, when things are heightened and magnified as prospects of gloom, which take on a different character in the light of day after we've slept.  But to be able at last to encounter our Lord is to encounter the reassuring presence of love.  For even when we cannot access the confidence we find in our faith, experience teaches us that there will be a time when Christ unexpectedly brings His confidence to us, a reassuring presence, and one that invites us to abide with Him, even when we're in the middle of troubles.  Indeed, Jesus' first word to the disciples is translated here as "Be of good cheer," but in the Greek it more literally means "Take courage."  And this is, so often, what we really need.  We must remember that Christ calls us to endurance; that means, often, that what we will need is patience (Matthew 24:13, Luke 21:19).  Sometimes we'll find peace in a church service, or when we can get alone to pray following His example, or when we finally enable ourselves to take a deep breath or a walk in nature somewhere.  A talk with a faithful friend or loved one can also pull us out of ourselves and remind us that we're not alone in our faith or our prayers.  But even when things are admittedly difficult, and we struggle, we can still be reminded in the midst of those times, "Be of good cheer!  [Take courage!]  It is I; do not be afraid."  There is a way to go through whatever it is that faces us, and in the long haul, that is found in the one thing necessary to see us through, our faith and the presence of Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

Who touched Me?

 

 So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.  And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was ruler of the synagogue.  And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying.  But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.  

 

Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment.  And immediately her flow of blood stopped.  And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?"  When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me."  Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.  And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well.  Go in peace."  

 

While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead.  Do not trouble the Teacher."  But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well."  When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.  Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.  But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise."  Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately.  And He commanded that she be given something to eat.  And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.

 

- Luke 8:40–56 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was drive by the demon into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?"  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.  Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them.  And He permitted them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.  And He got into the boat and returned.  Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

 

 So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.  And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was ruler of the synagogue.  And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying.  But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.  Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment.  And immediately her flow of blood stopped.  My study bible explains that for the Jews, contact with blood caused defilement and led to religious and social isolation (Leviticus 25).  This woman displays a bold faith, as she approaches both Christ and a ruler of the synagogue in a crowd, which means she's potentially defiling all them and also subjecting herself to ridicule.

And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?"  When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me."   My study bible remarks that Jesus' question, "Who touched Me?" doesn't mean simply a physical touch, but rather He's asking, "Who touched me in faith?"  Just as "the temple sanctifies the gold" (Matthew 23:17), so also matter is sanctified by Christ's Incarnation.  The power of Christ works even through His garment.  To touch Christ's garment in faith, my study bible adds, is to touch Him.  In the Church, the faithful touch Christ through all the elements of worship:  through icons, oil, water, bread, wine, etc.  When this is done in faith, it explains, the power of Christ is received.  

Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.  And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well.  Go in peace."  While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead.  Do not trouble the Teacher."  Jesus calls the woman forward, in order to take away her fear and trembling, and additionally to strengthen Jairus for the imminent news of his daughter's death.

But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well."  When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.  Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.  But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise."  Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately.  And He commanded that she be given something to eat.  And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.   Let us observe the importance of faith here.  Jesus responds to ridicule by putting them all outside.   Note how He is careful not only to assure Jairus, "Do not be afraid, only believe," and also to put away those who would deride that faith.  This is one of three resurrections performed by Christ as recorded in the Gospels (the son of the widow of Nain in Luke 8:41-56; and the resurrection of Lazarus in John 11:1-44).

I'm quite inspired by the note in my study bible that tells us about the power of touch -- or rather, the power of touch in faith, as it is put in the note.  Just as in Matthew 23:17, Jesus taught that it was the temple that sanctified the gold, so also, my study bible says, matter is sanctified by Christ's Incarnation.  Hence, the power of Christ works through even His garment.  Therefore, to touch Christ's garment in faith is to touch Him.  We can see this understanding of the power of faith connecting with Christ's power through matter in the historical veneration of relics, oil from relics, icons, and various other types of material imbued with the holy power of faith.  It is faith that makes the connection to the divine power of holiness.  This is not just an abstract concept, but in the long history of the Church, and as understood through our Gospel story, made real through the intersection of faith, divine power, and earthly matter.  The Incarnation itself, of course, serves as the ultimate sign of this concentration of holy power, faith, and matter.  It's interesting to compare the effects of the old covenant and the new in this aspect of touch.  On the one hand, her blood flow subjects the woman to a fear of contact with anyone, as any contact with blood would cause defilement.  Religious and social isolation would normally be not her lot as one who was hemorrhaging. The fear of being found out, causing defilement to another (especially in the crowd), must have been extremely great.  And so we contrast the touch of blood under the old covenant, with the touch of Christ in the new -- where by merely coming into contact, through faith, with the hem of His garment released a sanctifying, purifying, cleansing and healing power.  It is similar to the story of healing the leper (Luke 5:12-15).  Under the law of the old covenant, leprosy also caused mandatory isolation from community, and touch was defiling.  But when the leper says to Jesus, "Lord, if you are willing, You can make me clean," Jesus replies, "I am willing; be cleansed," as He put out His hand and touched the leper.  In both the story of this woman with the hemorrhage and the healed leper we have the contrast of the old and new covenants as related to touch.  In the old, touch was contaminating, defiling.  In the new, touch with Christ in faith has an entirely different effect, one which releases a healing holy power between Christ and those who seek His touch in faith.  The most obvious difference between old and new is that one touch brings condemnation, but the other grace.  One brings defilement and the other cleansing.  One brings restriction, and the other brings freedom.  We would be hard-pressed to find greater differences in comparing virtually anything.  But there is an even greater difference which is the key to the two:  one is about following the law, a set of legal precepts or commands.  But the other is pure grace, a holy power at work in the world, and "touched off," if you will, through the faith of human beings.  This second power of grace or holiness requires active and willing participation, a connection of the heart and soul, an earnest desire.  It doesn't require proofs nor adequate payment.  It is, as Jesus described the act of mercy itself in the Sermon on the Mount, when He taught, "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you" (Luke 5:38).   Good measure, pressed down, shake together, and running over is an abundance of gracious dealing.  It is the very overflowing of an extravagant love that doesn't pinch and scrimp, doesn't judge, but gives effusively, like Jesus' description of the Spirit as "rivers of living water" (John 7:38).  These are Christ's descriptions of the life of the Kingdom, a blessedness that is part and parcel of holiness, the very workings of God's grace and the way in which it works.  And He is inviting us to live like this always as well, by living as part of that Kingdom, where we might become like the woman with the overflowing alabaster jar of perfume, extravagantly given of love for Christ (Luke 7:36-50).  This is the way that love works in this Kingdom, the example of giving set by the divine life come into the world as Incarnate Christ who will abundantly give us His very life, the winebibber and glutton, the Bridegroom who invites us -- in faith -- to His feast.

But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well"

 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.  And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.  For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."  But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."  And the woman was made well from that hour.  When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  And the report of this went out into all that land. 

- Matthew 9:18-26

Yesterday we read that as Jesus passed on from healing the paralytic, He saw a man named Matthew siting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he arose and followed Him.  Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"  When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  But go and learn what this means:  'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'  For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?"  And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.  No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.  Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.  But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.  And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.  For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."  But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."  And the woman was made well from that hour.  When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  And the report of this went out into all that land.   My study bible comments here that authority over life and death is in the hand of God alone (Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6).  As Jesus is of one essence with the Father, He has this authority (John 5:21).  The healing of the woman with the flow of blood shows once again Christ's power as Physician (see yesterday's reading, above) in which He cleanses and heals (8:1-4).   This is yet another example of what was considered unclean, for in the Old Testament hemorrhage constituted ceremonial defilement, which imposed religious and social restrictions -- as contact with blood was strictly prohibited (Leviticus 15:25).  My study bible comments that as this woman accounts herself unclean, she nevertheless approaches Jesus secretly and with great faith.  Jesus brings her good cheer because of her faith.  But He also corrects her thinking, because she couldn't hide her touch from Him and neither is she excluded from Him by her illness.  Finally, Jesus exhibits and praises her faith to all, so that they might imitate her.

Let's consider what a "flow of blood" might symbolize.  As blood is frequently symbolic for life, and the color red often associated in icons with divinity (or the origin of life), we might see this woman as losing life.  Her illness is a constant reminder of weakness and frailty, and she is being drained of life and substance in some symbolic sense.  This woman's hemorrhage has lasted twelve years, a number suggesting the fullness of the people of God.  Luke tells us that she has exhausted all of her means on physicians but was not healed (Luke 8:43).  So, parallel to the blood flow is the outflowing loss of material substance, all her money having been spent.  But keeping that in mind, what the story tells us about faith is its capacity for compensating no matter what our weaknesses or liabilities are.  She's steadily losing life, most likely suffering from anemia at the very least from such an ailment.  Her condition not only steadily weakened her but she also has no social support, as she's excluded due to being considered unclean.  In her state she is likely unable to cook for or associate with her family; she will also be excluded from religious community.  So not only is she physically weakened, and unable to be helped by doctors, but she is further deprived of emotional and spiritual strength through community.   Her isolation puts her in great contrast with the paralytic in Thursday's reading, who was able to be helped by his friends.  She has no parents nor family as the young girl who would be willing to request Jesus to come to her.  All of this must be taken into account when we observe Jesus separating her from the crowd and praising her for her faith in front of all, for indeed it is her faith that has overcome all of those handicaps and weaknesses robbing her of life.   In such a context, we remind ourselves that St. Paul regarding having prayed for healing himself:  "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.'  Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Her faith connects her with the power of Christ which flows to her to heal.  It is through faith that God's strength is made perfect in our weakness.  Therefore when we read of Jesus' praise for her faith, let us consider how many strikes she has against her, how deprived she truly is of strength.  As Jesus signals to us, it is her faith that has made her well.  She approaches in a hidden way, in secret, but her healing is made public by Christ.  Let us consider how powerful faith must be that it can override so many strikes against this woman, and overcome such great isolation and weakness.  Let us remember the power we access when we seek help in our secret and hidden prayer.

Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well

 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.

And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.  For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."  But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."  And the woman was made well from that hour.

When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  And the report of this went into all that land.

- Matthew 9:18-26

Yesterday, we read that as Jesus passed on from healing a paralytic (He is in Capernaum), He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he arose and followed Him.  Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"  When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  But go and learn what this means:  'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'  For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?"  And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.  No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.  Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.  But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

  While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.  In other Gospels, this ruler is identified as Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue at Capernaum.  We see his faith in the "Teacher."  My study bible says that authority over life and death is in the hand of God alone (Deuteronomy 32:39).  Jesus shares this authority as Son (John 5:21).  As Matthew tells it, we see Jesus' immediate positive response.  There's a sort of interesting parallel here to yesterday's reading.  There, Jesus commanded Matthew the tax collector, "Follow Me."  Here, Jesus follows the ruler of the synagogue to His home, and His disciples follow as well.  It seems to tell us something about Jesus' own obedience to the institutions of faith, although this ruler worships Him.

 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.  For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."  But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."  And the woman was made well from that hour.   As He's on His way to the ruler's daughter, another expression of His power takes place -- and this time it comes literally from behind Him.  This is another example of His power to cleanse and to heal.  And it's also another example of His actions which seem to directly violate the Law.  In the Old Testament, hemorrhage would cause ceremonial defilement, imposing religious and social restrictions, because contact with blood was strictly prohibited (Leviticus 15:25).  But this woman, while thinking of herself as unclean (and she would have been prohibited from community contact as well), approaches Jesus secretly and with great faith.  Her faith makes contact with His power.  Nothing can really be hidden from Him, but it is faith that makes the connection.  She's not excluded from Him because of her illness, and far from putting her away, He shows her to the whole crowd as an example of faith for everyone.

When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  And the report of this went into all that land.   Jesus goes through ridicule from the noisy crowd to heal the girl.  It won't be the last time.  It's another emphasis on faith that everyone is put outside, with the exception of a handful of disciples and the girl's parents (Mark 5:36-43).

Jesus once again exemplifies faith as our highest good.  The unclean woman, officially or legally (according to the Law of Moses) is not supposed to be in community, let alone touching a man -- and particularly this Man, Christ, the Teacher.  But faith makes her bold, even to just touch the hem of His clothing.  Jesus draws her out and praises her, in complete contradiction to her expectations, and most likely those of the crowd.  This is something astonishing.  And all of it is couched, justified, made possible through faith.  He shows her off to the crowds, saying, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."  So again, as we have observed so far throughout Matthew's Gospel, it is faith that makes all the difference.  In this case in today's reading, it seems that her faith has somehow "unlocked" His power.  He was prepared to go with the synagogue ruler to his house in order to heal his daughter.  Would we think, possibly, that Christ's power was somehow ready for use?  The story might give us some sort of impression like that.  But in His authority as Son, Christ's power is always present and ready for us.  In Orthodox theology, God's grace and mercy are always active as God's energies.  And again, we note that in this Gospel (and in others) grace and mercy are synonymous with healing.  Just as in yesterday's reading, when we noted that Jesus sits with tax collectors who have become His disciples, and He calls Himself "Physician," while teaching the Pharisees, "Go and learn what this means:  'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' "  The point of the Law was to heal, and He is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.  Let us understand, then, healing not just as some sort of example of miraculous power and a sign to the world, for it is more than that.  Healing is the whole Way of Christ.  It is the path, the journey.  Our repentance and transformation in God's love, our correction in that faith process, is healing.  It is setting aright.  It is bringing us into right-relatedness with the whole of the creation.  This is the gospel message.  Let us find ways in which it manifests in all of our lives and in all kinds of ways and expressions, and treasure those moments.  And we note what we might need to do to shore up faith.  Jesus puts the noisy crowd outside.  Let us remember to do that when we need to, as well.