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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