MARK 5:21-43
THE BRITISH HUMANIST
ASSOCIATION PAID FOR ADDS ON BUSES IN THE CITY OF LONDON. THEY
READ, “THERE PROBABLY ISN'T A GOD, SO RELAX AND ENJOY LIFE.” IN
MARK'S STORY TODAY, WE READ ABOUT TWO MIRACLES – THE HEALING OF A
WOMAN WHO HAD BEEN BLEEDING FOR TWELVE YEARS, AND THE RAISING OF A
LITTLE GIRL WHO HAD BEEN ALIVE FOR TWELVE YEARS. AND I WONDER WHAT
HAPPENED AFTERWARDS? THE WOMAN PROBABLY HAD BEEN DIVORCED, BECAUSE
SHE WAS UNCLEAN; SHE HAD BEEN ISOLATED FROM PARTICIPATING IN WORSHIP;
SHE WAS PROBABLY VERY ANEMIC, AND WEAK AS A RESULT; AND SHE HAD NO
MONEY, HAVING SPENT EVERY PENNY ON DOCTORS. NOW HER PROBLEM HAS BEEN
FIXED. WILL THERE BE A HAPPILY EVER AFTER? NOT REALLY. PEOPLE
WON'T CHANGE THEIR ATTITUDES OVERNIGHT. SHE WON'T BE ABLE TO EASILY
MAKE A LIVING, AND WILL PROBABY CONTINUE TO LIVE HAND TO MOUTH.
SHE'LL PROBABLY NOT ATTRACT A HUSBAND, OR HAVE CHILDREN, HER ONLY
HOPE OF SECURITY IN THAT WORLD. BUT AT LEAST SHE HAS HER HEALTH,
RIGHT? EVENTUALLY MAYBE THE ANEMIA WILL GET BETTER, BUT ON THE KIND
OF DIETS THEY HAD THEN, WHO KNOWS?
AND THE LITTLE GIRL. NOW
THAT SHE'S BEEN RAISED FROM THE DEAD, DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS
HER PARENTS WILL TRY TO FIND A NICE GUY FOR HER TO SETTLE DOWN WITH.
THEY WILL GO THROUGH THE TOWN'S ELIGIBLE MEN AND AFTER A LOT OF
NEGOTIATIONS, WILL PICK ONE – MAYBE SOMEONE WHO HAS A LITTLE
PROPERTY, OR MAKES A LIVING FARMING OR BUILDING THINGS OR PERHAPS
THEY'LL FIND A SCRIBE OR AN GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL. ROMANCE WILL HAVE
NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THEY'LL NEGOTIATE A PRICE AND SET A DATE AND
THE LITTLE GIRL, MAYBE FOURTEEN BY THIS TIME, WILL ENTER INTO A
MARRIAGE WITH SOMEONE PROBABLY AT LEAST TEN YEARS OLDER, AND JUST
HOPE THAT HE IS KIND AND GENTLE. SHE WILL HAVE ONE CHILD AND THEN
ANOTHER; SHE WILL WORK FROM DAWN TO DUSK, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE
HAD TO DO, EVEN IF THEY CAME FROM MODERATELY WELL-OFF FAMILIES. AND
IF THINGS DIDN'T GO WELL WITH HER MARRIAGE, EVERYONE WOULD BLAME HER,
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE DID IN THOSE DAYS – REMEMBER THE WOMAN
CAUGHT IN ADULTERY? BUT AT LEAST SHE'S ALIVE, RIGHT?
THERE IS A GOD, JESUS
SHOWS US, SO RELAXING AND ENJOYING LIFE, WHILE GOOD, ISN'T THE WHOLE
STORY. JESUS CHANGED THE FUTURE FOR THESE TWO WOMEN, BUT ONLY HE
KNOWS WHY. AND AFTER THEIR MIRACLES THEY SLIPPED BACK INTO OBSCURITY
AND THE DAY WOULD COME WHEN BOTH WOULD EVENTUALLY DIE, AS WE ALL
MUST.
BUT THIS IS REALLY A
STORY ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE. JARIUS – THE NAME MEANS “THE ONE TO BE
ENLIGHTENED”. AND MARK USES THESE TWO MIRACLES TO TEACH JARIUS AND
YOU AND I SOMETHING ABOUT FAITH.
WE FIRST MEET JARIUS AS A
GOOD MAN. HE HAS STANDING IN HIS COMMUNITY. HE PROBABLY IS
FINANCIALLY COMFORTABLE. HE IS A LEADER. AND HE COMES TO JESUS
BECAUSE HE IS DESPERATE. FATHERS IN THOSE DAYS LOVED THEIR LITTLE
GIRLS JUST LIKE THEY DO TODAY. EVEN THOUGH THE GIRL'S DESTINY WOULD
BE TO BE MARRIED OFF IN HER MID-TEENS, THAT WAS THE ONLY COURSE OPEN
TO THEM. AND JARIUS IS WILLING TO GO PUBLICALLY TO THIS WANDERING
PREACHER AND BEG HIM TO DO WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID HE COULD DO. BUT ON
THE WAY, JESUS IS TOUCHED BY A WOMAN WHO IS AN OUTCAST. NOT ONLY IS
HE TOUCHED, BUT JESUS STOPS AND MAKES A BIG SCENE ABOUT IT. TO THE
JEWISH MIND, TOUCHING SOMEONE WHO WAS UNCLEAN MADE YOU UNCLEAN, AND
YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH A RITUAL TO BE CLEAN AGAIN.
JESUS TELLS THE WOMAN HER
FAITH HAS SAVED HER. WHAT DID HE MEAN? WE HEAR THE WOMAN'S THOUGHT
PROCESSES: “IF ONLY I COULD TOUCH HIS GARMENT, I WOULD BE HEALED.”
BUT REAL FAITH IS NOT JUST HAVING A THOUGHT. IT IS PUSHING THROUGH
THE CROWD, KNOWING THAT THEY WILL RECOIL FROM YOUR TOUCH, MAYBE CURSE
YOU OR EVEN STONE YOU. REAL FAITH MEANS THAT YOUR BELIEF IS BORNE
OUT BY ACTION. POPE FRANCIS SAID THAT IF YOU MET SOMEONE WHO WAS
HUNGRY, PRAY FOR THEM AND THEN FEED THEM – THAT WAS REAL PRAYER.
JARIUS HAS TAKEN ALL THIS
IN, THEN COMES THE TEST. SOMEONE SAYS, “YOUR DAUGHTER IS DEAD.
DON'T BOTHER THE TEACHER.” AND JESUS SAYS, “HAVE FAITH”. ALL
EYES ARE ON JARIUS. HIS DAUGHTER WAS AT THE POINT OF DEATH, AND NOW
HE IS TOLD THAT SHE IS DEAD. THE PROFESSIONAL MOURNERS HAVE ALREADY
STARTED WEEPING AND WAILING. DOES JARIUS JOIN THE MOURNERS, WHICH IS
THE LOGICAL THING TO DO, OR DOES HE TAKE THE ADVICE OF THE WANDERING
PREACHER, AND BELIEVE? JARIUS CHOOSES TO BELIEVE, AND STANDS WITH
JESUS AS THE MOURNERS BREAK INTO LAUGHTER WHEN JESUS SAYS, “SHE IS
ONLY SLEEPING”. JARIUS WALKS PAST THOSE MEMBERS OF HIS SYNAGOGUE
WHO LOOK AT HIM WITH PITY, SOME WITH CONTEMPT. JARIUS ACTS OUT HIS
FAITH, GOING WITH JESUS TO THE BEDSIDE.
NO ONE WITNESSED THE
MIRACLE EXCEPT THREE APOSTLES AND THE PARENTS OF THE LITTLE GIRL.
ONE MINUTE SHE LAY ON THE BED, NOT BREATHING, HER SKIN PALE AND HER
BODY STILL. THEN JESUS TAKES HER BY THE HAND AND TELLS HER TO GET
UP, AND SHE DOES, AND THE PARENTS ARE OVERJOYED AND JESUS CALLS THEM
BACK TO EARTH AND REMINDS THEM OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES – GIVE HER
SOMETHING TO EAT, HE SAYS, BECAUSE BEING DEAD MUST WORK UP AN
APPETITE – WHEN JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD, HE WANTED SOMETHING TO
EAT AS WELL. BUT REALLY, EATING PROVED THAT SHE WASN'T A ZOMBIE; SHE
WAS REALLY ALIVE.
JESUS TOLD THOSE WHO
WITNESSED THE MIRACLE TO SAY NOTHING. AND PROBABLY JARIUS AND HIS
WIFE DID JUST THAT. WHEN EVERYONE NOTICED THAT THE LITTLE GIRL WAS
NOW UP AND ABOUT, THEY PROBABLY SHRUGGED AND SAID TO EACH OTHER THAT
THE TEACHER MUST HAVE BEEN RIGHT, SHE WAS ONLY SLEEPING.
BUT JARIUS HAD LEARNED
THAT DAY THAT FAITH WAS NOT JUST BELIEVING IN SOME PROPOSITION; IF
YOU BELIEVE SOMETHING YOU ACT UPON IT, EVEN IF IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE,
EVEN IF IT MAKES LIFE A LITTLE HARDER. THEN YOU HAVE REAL FAITH.
IN A FEW MINUTES WE WILL
BE INVITED TO TAKE PART IN HOLY COMMUNION. OUR CHURCH TEACHES THAT
WHAT WAS BREAD AND WINE IS NOW JESUS, PRESENT AS BODY AND BLOOD, SOUL
AND DIVINITY. HE COMES TO FEED US WITH HIMSELF, OFFERING TO US THE
FOOD THAT WILL ALLOW US TO BECOME MORE AND MORE THE SONS AND
DAUGHTERS OF THE FATHER. WHEN WE HEAR THE WORDS, “THE BODY OF
CHRIST” WE ANSWER, “AMEN” WHICH MEANS WE BELIEVE. IF WE
BELIEVE THIS, WE MUST ACT ON THAT BELIEF, AND OUR LIVES MUST CHANGE.
BECAUSE FAITH IS NOT JUST BELIEVING, IT MUST LEAD TO ACTION.
