Genesis 44:18-34
1 Corinthians 7:25-31
March 8, 2010
When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered round him while he was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 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. So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 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. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed. Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, Who touched my clothes? You see the people crowding against you, his disciples answered, and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering. 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? Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, Don't be afraid; just believe. He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep. 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. He took her by the hand and said to her, Talitha koum! (which means, Little girl, I say to you, get up!). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.- Mark 5:21-43
The stark reality of death strikes fear in each of us. For it is appointed for us to die and after that comes the judgment. What awaits us at the end of our life? Will it be peace with God or will it be judgment and torment? Each of us must answer to God one day.
The Athanasian Creed puts it this way: "…He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies and shall give an account of their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire." What will we say when we open death's door?
1 Corinthians 7:25-31
March 8, 2010
When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered round him while he was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 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. So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 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. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed. Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, Who touched my clothes? You see the people crowding against you, his disciples answered, and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering. 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? Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, Don't be afraid; just believe. He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep. 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. He took her by the hand and said to her, Talitha koum! (which means, Little girl, I say to you, get up!). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.- Mark 5:21-43
The stark reality of death strikes fear in each of us. For it is appointed for us to die and after that comes the judgment. What awaits us at the end of our life? Will it be peace with God or will it be judgment and torment? Each of us must answer to God one day.
The Athanasian Creed puts it this way: "…He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies and shall give an account of their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire." What will we say when we open death's door?
Faith is the word for how this healing comes to us. Faith is reaching out our own hand to receive the touch that comes from Jesus. Jesus' touch does the healing. Faith is nothing more than trusting Jesus to do just that: to touch us and heal us. Jesus tells Jairus to switch from fear to faith. And why does faith heal? It puts us in touch with the Healer. It's like plugging an electric cord into a power point. The power is all there inside the socket. Faith is plugging into, touching, the power-line so that life flows again where once it was dark and lifeless.
Jesus' final word is: "Go in peace." That is all the good news Jairus and his daughter needs to hear. They are to go back into their daily lives as new persons. This little girl is not just healed of the frightful affliction or healed from social discrimination, but healed in the heart. There's faith now instead of fear. Now there is confidence in Jesus with no worries about any afflictions. At the root of it all is Jesus, who heals our sickness with God. No more worries about "bad" visits from anywhere--even from God. Christ is the Father's final Visitor. In Christ God has visited his people (see 7:16b) with peace. It's God's Final Touch. Go in peace! You are forgiven in Jesus' holy Name.
O God, because You have prepared for those who love You such good things as surpass our understanding, pour into our hearts such love towards You that we, loving You above all things, may obtain Your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.
Collect for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost Lutheran Book of Worship © 1980 Concordia Publishing House St. Louis
Schnorr von Carolsfeld, woodcuts © WELS Permission to use these copyrighted items is limited to personal and congregational use.
O God, because You have prepared for those who love You such good things as surpass our understanding, pour into our hearts such love towards You that we, loving You above all things, may obtain Your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.
Collect for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost Lutheran Book of Worship © 1980 Concordia Publishing House St. Louis
Schnorr von Carolsfeld, woodcuts © WELS Permission to use these copyrighted items is limited to personal and congregational use.
No comments:
Post a Comment