Mark 5:21-43, Broken-ness and Healing
Sorry for the delay in posting. The holiday caught up with us!
July 2ndMark 5:21-43- “Broken-ness and Healing”. Green
Mark 5:21-43 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." 24 So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak [prayer shawl], 28 because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
31 "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'"
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"
36 Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."
37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." 40 But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
(from New International Version)
The story of this little girl– and the story of a desperate father- Jairus a leader of a synagogue- a prominent person- a pastor so to speak- a keeper of the tradition- all that yes- but also a human- a father- a broken-hearted desperate man looking for a miracle- a man who fell at Jesus’ feet
Whereas he may have cared about being seen with Jesus- before his daughter got sick- that kind of stuff just doesn’t matter now- prestige and embarassment aren’t on his radar- all that has fallen away and he is on a mission to get healing for his daughter- it says he fell at Jesus’ feet and pleaded- and Jesus’ response is immediate- the scripture says “so Jesus went with him” no questions- no issues- challenges- he just goes
People had gathered near Jairus’s home to see if the girl would die- in fact they were mourning and wailing before he even got back home. Having people come in to wail and mourn was a custom- but I sense in this crowd- because of the way they laugh at Jesus and just seem to be in the way- that they may be seeking to be seen favorably by Jairus- not sincerely mourning for this child- but wailing to impress the pastor
The healing though had already began- it began when the father sought God honestly and desperately- falling down in humility he was praying for healing- he knew he was broken, he knew his daughter was sick- and he believed that this Jesus could do something about it- He had deep needs - when we have deep needs its best to draw from a deep source of power, love and healing- but our human tendencies are:
1. To keep doing the same old thing- expecting different results (we think we know better)
2. To half-heartedly pray and not completely, humbly give up and submit
We have a problem with surrender- it should not be a last resort- but a spiritual first resort
We are made to need God-
We are made to need each other
The story of the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years
According to the Law popular religion she was unclean
She had a stigma of shame- she had sought the doctors- but nothing worked- she was likely told that she deserved this problem. She was not married- it would not be allowed- she was alone- broken- but she too, like any one of us, was made in the image of God- and that day she heard Jesus was near- she believed there was more to her story her destiny- and she broke through all the religious rules- touching people in the crowd- and received the power of God. She lived out her faith and was healed.
We are to be a people who don’t push people out to the margins. The point of the church is not to discard people, push them by our judgments into lonely shame filled lives- no our mission is to open wide the way to Jesus Christ- so they can see, feel, and experience the love of God- we are to blur the boundaries of us and them- indeed the church is a collection wounded people- we are them- we are not more deserving of God’s love or healing than anyone still in broken ness or need. We need each other- we were healed in order to invite others into the healing God has for them. We are to have Christ in the center- and not block Christ for others
What do Jairus and the woman have in common? They have a lot not in common- but they both “fell at his feet” Independence is a myth- it is a pathology if truly lived out- unabomber syndrome
We were created for community- for interdependence- this week when we celebrate our 230 years or so of independence from the British monarchy- let us not get confused and buy into the myth that independence is a Christian value- Desperation/Dependence for God- not independence
Independence has never, never been taught as a Christian virtue
meant for individuals and families and churches- indeed the scriptures- OT through the NT- tell us we are to be dependent on God- Stubborn independence is always seen as a negative- not a positive
The essence of the original sin- was trying to “know better” than God-
We live still in the broken reality- of daily fooling ourselves into believing we know better than God- Adam and Eve rationalized- “yeah, God said not eat the fruit– but it won’t be a big deal....” and we say “yeah, Jesus said love your enemy- but he didn’t really mean it.” Paul said, “forgive others just as in Christ, God forgave you...” but he doesn’t know the depth of pain- he doesn’t know the hurt my family member did to me... We know better than Paul, Jesus, Yahweh
It is time for the bleeding to stop... It is time to reach out for the power of God- and believe that Jesus can heal the wounds in our life- the broken relationships in our families- You can’t do it- But God’s power can flow through you
We have two stories here of desperate people
God does not look down at desperate people- seeing them as weak and “less than” others
No, with God in our weakness we are strong- we don’t hope in ourselves- but in the Word promise and reality of God
We believe that in God- all things can be made well- it may happen in this life- and it will definitely happen in consumation of all things- in the redemption of all things-
What way are you choosing to live?
Are you pretending that you have no broken-ness in your life?
Are you not allowing God in to some of the bleeding of your life- assuming that the wound will always be with you? That you deserve this wound? That it is a private thing?Maybe a cut off family relationship, a friendship ended, a habitual sin you have chosen to not work on,
Friends it may be your day to push through the crowd and believe that even touching Jesus just a bit through time and the scriptures will help- rushing to Jesus though it may seem late to all the naysayers- who say there is no hope- just like the mourners in the story-
Seek after God- fall at God’s feet- lean on your friends of faith- admit that you don’t know better- admit that life isn’t manageable on your own- that we weren’t made to be rocks or islands- but to be humble servants in a community. There is good news friends. Friends its never too late to reach out to Jesus- With Our God is unfailing Love
July 2ndMark 5:21-43- “Broken-ness and Healing”. Green
Mark 5:21-43 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." 24 So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak [prayer shawl], 28 because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
31 "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'"
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"
36 Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."
37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." 40 But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
(from New International Version)
The story of this little girl– and the story of a desperate father- Jairus a leader of a synagogue- a prominent person- a pastor so to speak- a keeper of the tradition- all that yes- but also a human- a father- a broken-hearted desperate man looking for a miracle- a man who fell at Jesus’ feet
Whereas he may have cared about being seen with Jesus- before his daughter got sick- that kind of stuff just doesn’t matter now- prestige and embarassment aren’t on his radar- all that has fallen away and he is on a mission to get healing for his daughter- it says he fell at Jesus’ feet and pleaded- and Jesus’ response is immediate- the scripture says “so Jesus went with him” no questions- no issues- challenges- he just goes
People had gathered near Jairus’s home to see if the girl would die- in fact they were mourning and wailing before he even got back home. Having people come in to wail and mourn was a custom- but I sense in this crowd- because of the way they laugh at Jesus and just seem to be in the way- that they may be seeking to be seen favorably by Jairus- not sincerely mourning for this child- but wailing to impress the pastor
The healing though had already began- it began when the father sought God honestly and desperately- falling down in humility he was praying for healing- he knew he was broken, he knew his daughter was sick- and he believed that this Jesus could do something about it- He had deep needs - when we have deep needs its best to draw from a deep source of power, love and healing- but our human tendencies are:
1. To keep doing the same old thing- expecting different results (we think we know better)
2. To half-heartedly pray and not completely, humbly give up and submit
We have a problem with surrender- it should not be a last resort- but a spiritual first resort
We are made to need God-
We are made to need each other
The story of the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years
According to the Law popular religion she was unclean
She had a stigma of shame- she had sought the doctors- but nothing worked- she was likely told that she deserved this problem. She was not married- it would not be allowed- she was alone- broken- but she too, like any one of us, was made in the image of God- and that day she heard Jesus was near- she believed there was more to her story her destiny- and she broke through all the religious rules- touching people in the crowd- and received the power of God. She lived out her faith and was healed.
We are to be a people who don’t push people out to the margins. The point of the church is not to discard people, push them by our judgments into lonely shame filled lives- no our mission is to open wide the way to Jesus Christ- so they can see, feel, and experience the love of God- we are to blur the boundaries of us and them- indeed the church is a collection wounded people- we are them- we are not more deserving of God’s love or healing than anyone still in broken ness or need. We need each other- we were healed in order to invite others into the healing God has for them. We are to have Christ in the center- and not block Christ for others
What do Jairus and the woman have in common? They have a lot not in common- but they both “fell at his feet” Independence is a myth- it is a pathology if truly lived out- unabomber syndrome
We were created for community- for interdependence- this week when we celebrate our 230 years or so of independence from the British monarchy- let us not get confused and buy into the myth that independence is a Christian value- Desperation/Dependence for God- not independence
Independence has never, never been taught as a Christian virtue
meant for individuals and families and churches- indeed the scriptures- OT through the NT- tell us we are to be dependent on God- Stubborn independence is always seen as a negative- not a positive
The essence of the original sin- was trying to “know better” than God-
We live still in the broken reality- of daily fooling ourselves into believing we know better than God- Adam and Eve rationalized- “yeah, God said not eat the fruit– but it won’t be a big deal....” and we say “yeah, Jesus said love your enemy- but he didn’t really mean it.” Paul said, “forgive others just as in Christ, God forgave you...” but he doesn’t know the depth of pain- he doesn’t know the hurt my family member did to me... We know better than Paul, Jesus, Yahweh
It is time for the bleeding to stop... It is time to reach out for the power of God- and believe that Jesus can heal the wounds in our life- the broken relationships in our families- You can’t do it- But God’s power can flow through you
We have two stories here of desperate people
God does not look down at desperate people- seeing them as weak and “less than” others
No, with God in our weakness we are strong- we don’t hope in ourselves- but in the Word promise and reality of God
We believe that in God- all things can be made well- it may happen in this life- and it will definitely happen in consumation of all things- in the redemption of all things-
What way are you choosing to live?
Are you pretending that you have no broken-ness in your life?
Are you not allowing God in to some of the bleeding of your life- assuming that the wound will always be with you? That you deserve this wound? That it is a private thing?Maybe a cut off family relationship, a friendship ended, a habitual sin you have chosen to not work on,
Friends it may be your day to push through the crowd and believe that even touching Jesus just a bit through time and the scriptures will help- rushing to Jesus though it may seem late to all the naysayers- who say there is no hope- just like the mourners in the story-
Seek after God- fall at God’s feet- lean on your friends of faith- admit that you don’t know better- admit that life isn’t manageable on your own- that we weren’t made to be rocks or islands- but to be humble servants in a community. There is good news friends. Friends its never too late to reach out to Jesus- With Our God is unfailing Love
posted by Palouse Fed. Church at 11:03 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home