Midweek Musings for Sunday, June 28, 2015

 

 This week's reflection comes from Bishop John S. Macholz
Reflecting and Dwelling in the Word

GOSPEL                                                                    Mark 5:21-43

 Jairus, a respected leader, begs Jesus to heal his daughter. A woman with a hemorrhage is ritually unclean, treated as an outcast in Jewish society. Both Jairus and the unnamed woman come to Jesus in faith, believing in his power to heal and bring life out of death.


21When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. 
22Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 
23and begged him repeatedly, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live." 
24So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 
25Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 
26She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 
27She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 
28for she said, "If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well." 
29Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 
30Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?" 
31And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, 'Who touched me?'" 
32He looked all around to see who had done it. 
33But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 
34He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."
35While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader's house to say, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?" 
36But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." 
37He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
38When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 
39When he had entered, he said to them, "Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping." 
40And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. 
41He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha cum," which means, "Little girl, get up!" 
42And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 
43He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

 

Reflection

You can see the reputation of Jesus growing through these early chapters of Mark's Gospel. Jesus calls his first disciples, drives out a demon, heals many at Simon's house, does a preaching tour of Galilee and cures a leper, and that's just the first chapter.

 

In the ensuing chapters he continues preaching, healing and appointing and then begins with the parables and their purpose. Last Sunday we heard of his stilling of the sea and calming of the wind which simply amazed those in the boat with him. This Sunday he cures a woman who has been bleeding for twelve years as his power goes out to her and then raises a twelve year old from death to life. And again, those around him are overcome with amazement.

 

It seems at one level that they, and by extension, we put limits on what Jesus is capable of doing. Any truth to that in your life? We witness miracles like those he performed in the Gospel, or do we? Do we simply miss them taking place in our midst or attribute them to something else? Do we fail to recognize the full power and majesty of our God and what God is capable of doing, thereby limiting our understanding of capacity and almightiness?   I know that I sometimes do.

 

What the unfolding story in this Gospel declares is that God is God of heaven and earth and that nothing is beyond God's ability. When we truly believe that we know that nothing is impossible for God, even for God to love us despite our failings and shortcoming and sinfulness.  And, when we place our trust and confidence in God, anything can happen.


God gives life and hope and renewal not only to people who are chronically ill or young girls who become gravely ill but to you and to me as well. We, like those disciples in the boat, the woman who touched the hem of his garment and the folks gathered at the house of the young girl, need only believe and then stand back and watch. God has done and will continue to do amazing things, sometimes even leaving us speechless!
 

 

Let Us Pray

 

For those who mourn the deaths of loved ones in Charlestown, South Carolina

For a path to an end of racism beginning with ourselves

For the church that we might see beyond what is and lean into what God holds out for us

For those for whom love is a stranger

For our enemies


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