Monday, June 28, 2021

Sermon - Pentecost 5 - Mark 5:21-43


Mark 5:21–43

One of the aspects of interpreting Holy Scripture that has always interested me is that of juxtaposition.  What events and stories, what topics and discussions does Scripture place side-by-side.  It’s really a particular subset of the question of context, which is widely known as an important consideration when seeking to understand what the Bible teaches us.

Here in Mark 5, today, we have a very interesting juxtaposition.  We have the story of Jesus going to heal and raise a little girl – the daughter of Jairus, and along the way his healing of the woman with a flow of blood.  Matthew and Luke also contain parallel accounts – and these also contain both the little girl and the woman.

And it is an interesting study in comparison and contrast.  Take a look:

Jairus’s daughter a young girl of 12.  The woman is older, and her problem has been ongoing for 12 years – as long as this girl has been alive.

Jairus is named, a ruler of the synagogue, kind of a big deal we might say - and his daughter would surely also have been well known.  The Jairus family is of some social and religious standing, probably also wealthy.  But this woman is anonymous and of no apparent fame or standing.  And she has spent all her money looking for a cure.

And one last comparison or contrast:  Jairus comes with a formal request, and Jesus agrees to help.  The woman comes and sneaks a touch of Jesus’ garment, and finds her help in him nonetheless.

How interesting to see the similarities and the contrast between the two that Jesus helped that day, and yet the common factor that unites them is this:  They needed help.  And they both found that help in Jesus himself. 

Let’s take Jairus for starters, and his sick daughter.  Nothing tugs at the heart strings for any of us like the suffering of a child.  His little daughter, he says, is at the point of death.  None of us really knows for sure when death will come, but sometimes the signs are pointing that way.  Jairus was desperate.  He falls at Jesus’ feet.  This ruler of the synagogue shows reverent humility to Jesus, a true sign of respect, and maybe even faith.  He has heard of Jesus.  He knows Jesus can heal.  And so he begs, earnestly, Mark tells us, for Jesus to come and lay his hands on the girl – to heal her – to save her from death.  Jesus, of course, who always has compassion, agrees.

A great crowd follows.  What were they looking for?  The answers probably varied.  Each would have had his own issues, but many of them would be similar – yearning for help of some form or another – some needing to be healed, some with cares of this life – maybe even food for the day.  Some also wanting to hear more of this great teacher’s teaching – and maybe even hoping that he was the promised Messiah! 

I could look from this pulpit to the crowd out there this morning and see all manner of people with all sorts of needs.  Some of your struggles I know, because you share them, and I pray for you.  Some of you are facing family problems.  You have children who have left the church, and possibly the Christian faith.  You have health issues acute and chronic.  You are missing loved ones now departed.  You have marriages that could use some work.  You have guilt over sins – maybe from years ago.  You may be struggling just to keep your head above water – emotionally, physically, financially – or all of the above.  The crowd still gathers around Jesus.  The crowd still follows him.  And they should.

Even along the way to his destination, Jesus brings help – though in a strange way.  Let’s zero in on one person in the crowd, the woman Mark describes.  This woman with the flow of blood comes up and sneaks a touch of his garment. 

She was at the end of her rope.  And that’s always a good time to come to Jesus for help.  She had exhausted all other options – seen all the doctors – spent all her savings.  And this wasn’t just some minor medical problem, mind you, a flow of blood like this would have made her ceremonially unclean, along with anyone she touched.  This condition would have put her outside of the regular religious and social life of her people.  It made her an outcast of sorts, almost like a leper.  Nonetheless she bumped and pushed her way through the crowd to get to Jesus.  Her one last hope.

And isn’t it interesting that she reasoned she could get her help without even asking, without even bothering the great teacher.  A sign of humility, perhaps, that she wasn’t even worthy of his time and attention.  I’ll just touch his garment and be healed.  How great did she think his power to help and save must have been!  And she was not disappointed.

Now, Jesus notices that “power has gone out from him”.  And this really is strange.  Who knows exactly what that means.  Jesus certainly knew things that we don’t.  He had power that we don’t.  But he also took on the humiliation of our human nature, and so other things he didn’t know.  Was his question, “who touched my robe?” because he honestly didn’t know?  Or was it like God’s question in the garden, “Adam, where are you?  Did you eat of the tree?”  Was this an invitation for the woman to come to him out in the open?

The woman comes in fear and trembling.  Perhaps Jesus will holler at her for her audacity.  Maybe he will revoke the healing.  Maybe he will condemn her.  But merciful Jesus, he doesn’t shame or excoriate her.  He commends her great faith.  He even calls her “daughter”.

Let this remind us that Jesus helps and saves us in numerous and sundry ways, quite apart from whether we approach him perfectly or not.  For when is anyone’s confession of sins ever perfect?  And yet he forgives freely and fully.  When is our repentance not tinged with hesitancy, second-thoughts, or fear?  And yet he is merciful.  Sure it would have been good if that woman had come with a formal request for aid like Jairus did.  But Jesus is here to save, not make sure you’ve filled out all the paperwork properly.

Finally, the crowd comes close to Jairus’s home, and the bad news reaches the poor father, and also Jesus.  The girl is dead.  Don’t trouble Jesus anymore.  Just like the woman didn’t want to trouble Jesus, but was helped by Jesus nonetheless.  So now Jesus goes to the trouble, doesn’t let their despair stop him, and takes his 3 disciples into the house, and to the girl.  He says, “Do not fear.  Only believe.”

With Jesus, that’s always good advice.  Do not fear.  Only believe.  With Jesus there’s really nothing to fear.  With Jesus there’s every reason to believe.  He may not heal you of a chronic disease, like he did that woman along the way.  He may not even save you from death, like he raised the little girl.  But he will save you.  And when he saves you, there is no disease that can finally harm you.  Not even death gets to keep you forever.  The same Jesus who called to the little girl, “Talitha Cumi”, will call you forth from death on the last day – to a glorious resurrection.  And how do we know this?

Because of Jesus’ own blood, shed on the cross.  Blood which flowed freely for you and all in need of his help. Because he died for the sins of all people, and thus destroyed the death that comes in sin’s wake.  The blood of Jesus that was shed at the cross is the same blood of Jesus given to us today as a guarantee and pledge of the same.  “My blood of the New Testament, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins”

And the Jesus who raised the little girl, and the widow’s son, and his friend Lazarus, is the same Jesus who himself laid down his life and took it up again.  With even greater ease than me laying my jacket on the back of a chair and taking it up again when it’s time to go…. So Jesus is Lord and Master of his own life, and of yours.  He says to the little girl, “arise” and she does.  He will say the same to you, and you will, too.

And in a way he already has.  For in the waters of baptism you’ve already been raised to new life in him.  And that life- that eternal life – that is already yours – will make your death nothing more than a peaceful rest in Christ.  Until you waken in the resurrection to glory. 

So whether you are a little girl or an old woman.  Male or female, slave or free, rich or poor, Jew or Greek, Yankee or Texan.  Come to Jesus for saving.  Whatever your burden, cast it on him, for he cares for you.  And he will help.  Do not doubt it.  Only believe.

In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

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