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Mark 5:21-34 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. 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 hemorrhages 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 hemorrhage 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 around 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."
This coming Sunday's passage is a long one from the gospel of Mark. It contains two miracles. To better understand, a miracle is something that goes beyond logic, beyond human understanding, and defies the conventional expectation of human minds. It is a wonderful, unexplainable gift from God that does not need to explained, but enjoyed. That's my definition. You and I have seen and experienced many miracles that others, the nonbelievers might scoff at, but to us that have brought us deeper faith and great joy in the God who provides for us. One thing to note in this passage is that people knew the power of Jesus and knew Him well enough to come and seek a miracle either for themselves or for a loved one. The leader of the synagogue comes asking for life for his little girl. And as Jesus heads to provide that healing, another person seeking wholeness comes into the picture, and it is she that we will concentrate on for today.
The miracle this woman needs has been a long time coming. She had exhausted her financial resources in trying to find this healing from doctors and other treatments. You and I have been here before; we've been on the phone with insurance companies and doctors' offices and struggled to find parking in the doctor's small parking lot, we've had to produce a picture ID and proof of insurance, and then sat in a crowded, cough-filled waiting room, scanning People magazines from the turn of the century only to hear our name called just as we were about to see Justin Beaver's (joke, ok?) new haircut only to discover that someone needed the recipe for pie on the other side. Then we have to put on those wonderful, back-side air conditioned gowns as we await the doctor. Yes, this woman went through that. For twelve years. 12. Each visit only made her worse. Then she heard about Jesus and heard his tour was coming to her zip code and she immediately had a plan, not to call TicketMaster, but to find out where He was going to be and she thought, "If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well." This was faith. After her faith in doctors had subsided, she realized my only hope is Jesus. And that one touch, simple touch upon the hem of Jesus' garment and wow, she was healed! The woman suffered an embarrassing female disorder; this probably distanced her from family and friends, but no more - Jesus made her whole.
Jesus felt that touch and knew that power had gone from Him and turned to the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" The disciples said, "Everyone is touching you; how can you asked that ?" Jesus knew the difference of those just touching Him and this one who knew to reach out and touch Him with expectant faith. The pressing of the crowd on Jesus is like our Sunday at church "touching" of Jesus. We're looking around to see how big the crowd is, and if our friends are there, and especially if that one person we don't care for is there "touch" of Jesus. This touch was that person who truly, honestly, genuinely, I'm hurting and there's nowhere else to turn but this house where I've heard Jesus is touch. It still happens. Someone comes into the house of God wanting and waiting to touch Jesus with that personal need, and wow, it happens. And it rarely gets celebrated. The pastors wait up front after giving a marvelous call to discipleship and/or faith, and no one comes up on that Sunday, but that one person, she or he knows - I touched Jesus and Jesus touched me back! I'm good now! Thank you, Lord!
The hemorrhaging came to an end in that person. No more spewing forth racist words or thoughts. No more thoughts of hemorrhaging liquor into that mouth as a way to escape or ease the hurt. No more love poured out on a relationship that died the day after the first child came home from the hospital. The touch of Jesus has brought the fullness of life to that individual in a miraculous way; no way to explain it. No need to explain it. Just to receive it and enjoy it. God is good.
PRAYER: Loving God, my prayer today is for this dear reader and his/her life. You know the miracles needed in their life and that's my prayer today; bring an unexplainable change in their life that will bless them and You. Whatever has been hemorrhaging in their life, Lord, heal it. Stop it. Bring instead life into them. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
