June 29, 2003

Mark 5:21-43

After Jesus crossed over by boat, a large crowd met him at the seaside. One of the meeting-place leaders named Jairus came. When he saw Jesus, he fell to his knees, beside himself as he begged, "My dear daughter is at death's door. Come and lay hands on her so she will get will and live." Jesus went with him, the whole crowd tagging along, pushing and jostling him.

A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years - a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before - had heard about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, "If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well." The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with.

At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, "Who touched my robe?"

His disciples said, "What are you talking about? With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you're asking, 'Who touched me?' Dozens have touched you.

But he went on asking, looking around to see who had done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story.

Jesus said to her, "Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you're healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague."

While he was still talking, some people came from the leader's house and told him, "Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?"

Jesus overheard what they were talking about and said to the leader, "Don't listen to them; just trust me."

He permitted no one to go in with him except Peter, James, and John. They entered the leader's house and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and neighbors bringing in casseroles. Jesus was abrupt: "Why all this busybody grief and gossip? This child isn't dead; she's sleeping." Provoked to sarcasm, they told him he didn't know what he was talking about.

But when he had sent them all out, he took the child's father and mother, along with his companions, and entered the child's room. He clasped the girl's hand and said, "talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, get up." At that, she was up and walking around! This girl was twelve years of age. They, of course, were all beside themselves with joy. He gave them strict orders that no one was to know what had taken place in that room. Then he said, "Giver her something to eat."

[The Message]

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1. Having come through the stilling of a storm (external to a boat) and the stilling of a storm (internal to madness) we are now ready to still additional internal and external storms. Without these extensions we, true to our limited vision, would think storms only had to do with wind and demon.

2. Can you imagine the internal storm experienced and the external storm caused by Jairus with his pleading for a daughter (so many different levels of counter-cultural behavior here).

Jesus simply proceeded. Interruptions occurred, and still do, with loss of energy and other distractions. Jesus simply proceeded. Temptations occurred, and still do, to give up for the task is hopeless. Jesus simply proceeded. The initial task is completed. Jesus simply proceeds home.

3. Can you imagine the internal storm experienced and the external storm caused by a woman with her acting on her own behalf (again, so many different levels of count-cultural behavior here).

Jesus simply stops. Large, distant tasks are not to get in the way of small, present tasks. Jesus simply stops. Power issues need to be addressed as soon as possible and not put off. Jesus simply stops. The task at hand needs attending to with some completeness. Jesus simply attends to where he is, making home wherever he is, even among the foxes.