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The world in which we live yearns to be free. People yearn to be free from oppression, injustice, poverty, hunger, illness, conflict, abuse, ignorance, prejudice, hatred and fear. The world in which we live is in need of major healing. The healing that is needed is for individuals, families, communities, cultures, nations and even creation itself. An optimist believes the healing will someday occur. The pessimist believes we are beyond repair. The children of God, themselves in need of healing, have long been called to help with the healing process but we have often contributed to the disease and injustice from which so many desire deliverance. Given the enormity of the task it is rather amazing so many individuals and institutions are presently doing all they can to bring about the desired human experience. For me this collective effort speaks volumes about human faith and perseverance.
This morning's lesson in Mark is really a story within a story but both stories are about the same thing — human beings wanting or needing something better — something beyond our own ability to provide — something that requires faith or belief in someone or something beyond ourselves.
Two of the primary characters in our stories could not be more different if they tried to be. One is a man, a religious leader of a synagogue. He no doubt was a person of some wealth and had power and prestige in his community. The other is a woman without a name. She is unclean and not permitted in the synagogue. She is broke having spent her money attempting to end a physical problem of bleeding which has gone on for twelve long years. During her years of suffering she has been alone. During the same twelve years Jairus has had the joy of wife, family and friends. These two do have two things in common. They both have a great need and both believe Jesus has healing power.
A key word in these stories is "sozo." It can mean healing, delivery from danger or salvation. Both Jairus and the woman are seeking "sozo" from Jesus. Jairus seeks it for his twelve year old daughter while the woman seeks it for herself.
The story begins when Jairus seeks out Jesus and begs him to come and lay hands on his daughter who is ill. Jairus is not used to begging and he is aware Jesus is offensive to many of his fellow rabbis. However, his love for his daughter is such that he is willing to do whatever it takes.
As Jesus and the crowd that is with him travel to the home of Jairus the unnamed woman comes up behind Jesus and touches the bottom of his coat. She is instantly healed but Jesus detects the power as it leaves him and he stops to inquire as to who has touched him. His disciples are astonished.
With a huge crowd bumping into one another Jesus is concerned to discover one person who touched him. I can also imagine what must be going on in the mind of Jairus. Every second matters and here is Jesus taking precious time for something that seems insane.
I recall a time in 1973. We had just moved to Pittsburgh. My youngest daughter was less than a year old. We were moving a refrigerator when we noticed she had become quiet. As we examined her we discovered she had swallowed a little metal bell that had been on her shoelace. I smacked her back but nothing happened. I could turn the bell with my finger but could not dislodge it. She was starting to turn blue. I told my wife I would have to make an incision in the baby's throat. She picked Kim up and as she ran out of the room she ran into the doorjamb and the bell was dislodged but there was lots of bleeding.
We jumped into our car and headed to the office of our pediatrician because it was much closer than the hospital. I ran into the office with the baby in my arms and asked to see the doctor at once. The receptionist told me to take a seat. Wrong answer! "Let me see the doctor now or I am going to start smashing things." It is amazing what fear can make you do. The doctor finally appeared, looked into the baby's throat and assured me the bleeding had stopped and things were okay. "Next time," he said, "go to the emergency room." Wrong thing to say! I went into a tirade. Needless to say we found another doctor. I now know I was wrong but at the time my child was in danger or so I thought.
Had I been Jairus I would have been getting all over Jesus taking time to help this unclean woman. If someone had informed me my daughter had died during the delay I am pretty certain I would have said things to Jesus I would later have regretted. Hearing Jesus say, "Do not fear, only believe" would have been like hearing the receptionist say, "Have a seat and wait your turn."
I do not think God is pleased with the pain and suffering in our world. It no doubt bothers God more than it does any of us. It is easy to blame God and even curse God for what is wrong. We would do well to remember that we humans either cause much of the suffering or often do not do much to relieve it.
Paul writes to the Romans the following words found in Romans 8:11: "If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through the Spirit that dwells in you." In Revelation 21:3-4 we hear this promise, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away."
You and I are presently experiencing the first things of God, but there is something more ahead for us. In John 14:3, Jesus says, "I go and prepare a place for you; I will come again and take you to myself that where I am you will be also."
In the face of all the suffering in the world we are told two very important things by Jesus. "Love your neighbors including your enemies, "and "Do not fear, only believe."
At times both of these things are difficult to do but they are Christ's instructions for people of faith. These are the things we are asked to do until the day comes when we shall indeed be free.
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