Mark 5:21-43
What is this penchant Jesus has for reaching out to the unclean?
In this passage a woman actually reaches out and touches Jesus' cloak in faith that she would be healed. What is the worse offense for the woman? Being a woman? In Jesus' time, if a woman reached out to physically touched a holy man it would be a blasphemy as well as generally making Jesus ritually unclean. But this is not just any woman, this woman has been suffering with a hemorrhage for 12 years. That really would make her unclean and really make Jesus unclean too by mere contact. Even if this physical ailment were some literary device that indicates an ailment that drags the life from her, it still indicates a serious ailment and she would still be ritually unclean and to be avoided at all costs. And yet, in her faith she seeks out Jesus and 'knowing' she is an unclean (a sinner of some kind, for an ailment meant either you or your parents sinned horribly), she merely wishes to 'touch Jesus' to be healed.
Wow, how much truth is there in that thought? If we could only touch Jesus or if he would only touch us, we would be healed. A powerful truth.
Jesus has every right to chastise and banish this women. She has stolen a cure from him! She also could be yelled at for making him unclean. Is that what Jesus does though? Is she condemned for reaching out in faith to be healed even if it goes counter to what the accepted norms were for Jesus' day? Not at all. Jesus is fully aware of the power he has, the power he holds, the power that he commands. How does he react? No anger. No condemnation. No reprisal for 'stealing a cure'. He loving acknowledges the woman and confirms that her faith has healed her.
Who are the unclean today? The marginalized? those with an illness? History is replete with who the 'unclean are'. Women seem to command a starring role in a society ruled by men, especially in our - yes, I'm going to say it - in our euro-centric male dominated society. How about workers? Those that are not the elite? The blue collar people? How about Asians at the turn of the last century? Or the Irish? Or the Catholics? What of our black brothers and sisters who only have been able to reach out for dignity in the last 50 years after centuries of abuse? I can't help but be reminded of a scene from The Help where a snooty white woman creates a separate bathroom for her black maid because 'lord knows what germs they have'. How about those in the gay community? Am I anathema because I love my husband and love my God and creator? Am I allowed to reach out and touch Jesus Christ? What if you are a Muslim in this so called 'Christian Country'. That term makes me laugh and cry. Our forefathers came here for religious freedom. That means more than being Christian and it even means the belief that there is no God at all. What is to come of all our illegal immigrants? Should they be relegated to second class citizen? I am sure there are those that would not even grant them that - they would be half human and not citizens at all.
The fact is, we are all citizens of one planet, created by God and we are all brothers and sisters. We can carve up our space with artificial borders and boundaries where one area is better than another, where one area is entitled to more and others to less. We can feel better than others and make others feel unclean and not worthy.
Jesus welcomes all. Jesus reaches out to all. Jesus calls to all. Jesus understands us all, wherever we are physically, wherever we are emotionally on our journey, whatever we are and whomever we are.
Cant't touch this? Reach out and touch Jesus for yourself. Jesus reaches out to all of us. Accept the love, accept the healing.
What is this penchant Jesus has for reaching out to the unclean?
In this passage a woman actually reaches out and touches Jesus' cloak in faith that she would be healed. What is the worse offense for the woman? Being a woman? In Jesus' time, if a woman reached out to physically touched a holy man it would be a blasphemy as well as generally making Jesus ritually unclean. But this is not just any woman, this woman has been suffering with a hemorrhage for 12 years. That really would make her unclean and really make Jesus unclean too by mere contact. Even if this physical ailment were some literary device that indicates an ailment that drags the life from her, it still indicates a serious ailment and she would still be ritually unclean and to be avoided at all costs. And yet, in her faith she seeks out Jesus and 'knowing' she is an unclean (a sinner of some kind, for an ailment meant either you or your parents sinned horribly), she merely wishes to 'touch Jesus' to be healed.
Wow, how much truth is there in that thought? If we could only touch Jesus or if he would only touch us, we would be healed. A powerful truth.
Jesus has every right to chastise and banish this women. She has stolen a cure from him! She also could be yelled at for making him unclean. Is that what Jesus does though? Is she condemned for reaching out in faith to be healed even if it goes counter to what the accepted norms were for Jesus' day? Not at all. Jesus is fully aware of the power he has, the power he holds, the power that he commands. How does he react? No anger. No condemnation. No reprisal for 'stealing a cure'. He loving acknowledges the woman and confirms that her faith has healed her.
Who are the unclean today? The marginalized? those with an illness? History is replete with who the 'unclean are'. Women seem to command a starring role in a society ruled by men, especially in our - yes, I'm going to say it - in our euro-centric male dominated society. How about workers? Those that are not the elite? The blue collar people? How about Asians at the turn of the last century? Or the Irish? Or the Catholics? What of our black brothers and sisters who only have been able to reach out for dignity in the last 50 years after centuries of abuse? I can't help but be reminded of a scene from The Help where a snooty white woman creates a separate bathroom for her black maid because 'lord knows what germs they have'. How about those in the gay community? Am I anathema because I love my husband and love my God and creator? Am I allowed to reach out and touch Jesus Christ? What if you are a Muslim in this so called 'Christian Country'. That term makes me laugh and cry. Our forefathers came here for religious freedom. That means more than being Christian and it even means the belief that there is no God at all. What is to come of all our illegal immigrants? Should they be relegated to second class citizen? I am sure there are those that would not even grant them that - they would be half human and not citizens at all.
The fact is, we are all citizens of one planet, created by God and we are all brothers and sisters. We can carve up our space with artificial borders and boundaries where one area is better than another, where one area is entitled to more and others to less. We can feel better than others and make others feel unclean and not worthy.
Jesus welcomes all. Jesus reaches out to all. Jesus calls to all. Jesus understands us all, wherever we are physically, wherever we are emotionally on our journey, whatever we are and whomever we are.
Cant't touch this? Reach out and touch Jesus for yourself. Jesus reaches out to all of us. Accept the love, accept the healing.
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered round him; and he was by the lake. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and 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.’ So he went with him.
And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.’ Immediately her haemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, “Who touched me?” ’ He looked all round to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’
While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, ‘Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.’ And 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. He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha cum’, which means, ‘Little girl, get up!’ And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
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