Sermons for the Month
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
DATE: June 29th, 2003
SERVICE: Third Sunday After Pentecost
TEXT: Mark 5:21-43To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN
That was quite a Gospel reading, wasn't it? Did you notice anything about it other than the fact that it was long? What we have here is a story within a story, and the main characters in each one are quite different from one another and yet they are the same in their need for the healing power of Jesus in their lives. On the one had there is Jairus, a well-to-do and influential person and on the other hand there is a woman who is financially impoverished and an outcast. They both are suffering. Jairus is suffering because his daughter is dying, a fact that his rank as one of the leaders of the synagogue cannot erase. As the synagogue leader he was responsible for the facilities, for the security of the scrolls, for oversight of the worship leaders. As one writer put it, he was an insider, a person who counts, someone who belongs. We read that this important man fell at Jesus' feet and begged him repeatedly to come and heal his daughter. On the one hand that's out of character for a person in his position who probably was accustomed to people begging him for favors. But, on the other hand, any parent would do nearly anything to save his or her child. He expresses complete confidence in Jesus' ability to heal his daughter. "Come," he says, "and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live." So, Jesus goes with him, and on the way encounters the other character in today's story. She is the exact opposite of Jairus. But, she too is suffering, not only physically, but she is emotionally and spiritually damaged as well. Her condition has made her a social outcast; it causes her to be ritually unclean, which means that she has little human contact. Anyone who might touch her would become unclean. She is ineligible to attend the synagogue. Her situation is like that of a leper she is an outsider she does not belong. And yet, like Jairus, she approaches Jesus. Not face to face, as was the case for the leader of the synagogue, but from behind. No doubt she had heard stories about Jesus and his ability to heal. But, she was afraid; she didn't know what would happen to her if she ventured out into the crowd. Would she be recognized as the outcast that she was? Would she be stopped before she reached him? It is significant that in spite of these concerns she went, her need and her belief that Jesus could heal here were so strong that she took the chance. Like Jairus, she does that which is uncharacteristic because she has complete confidence in Jesus' ability to heal. Can you picture them in your mind's eye? The important man kneeling at Jesus feet, begging for his daughter's life, sure that the touch of this man's hands will bring life and the outcast woman sneaking up from behind sure that merely touching his cloak will bring relief for her suffering. Here are two people from different worlds who both are in need of the healing power of Jesus. In the Lord's eyes these two are the same. They each have an extreme need. They each have extreme faith. And, they each are recipients of healing at the hand of the Lord. The outcast woman is given a new beginning, an opportunity to start over and to find peace in her life. Jairus, whose daughter actually died, is shown that even in the face of death there is the hope for new life if Jesus is involved. They each could join the writer of Lamentations in proclaiming, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Great is your faithfulness. I can't help but wonder if they might have made such a proclamation even before they experienced miracles in their lives. Were they the kind of faithful people who in spite of suffering and worry trusted in God, who they believed was at work in the life of Jesus? Their actions indicate that that may have been the case. Trusting God is so vital for we who strive to live lives of faith. Some years ago I read a story about "Quincy the Wonder Dog" in the book Overcoming Setbacks by Steve Brown. It has stuck with me since because it conveys a message about trust. It seems that the Brown family had discovered that their beloved dog Quincy had congenital physical problems. The dog had malformed hips, and an overbite that prevented him from eating properly and some other serious internal problems. Yet, of all the pets they had had it was this one that was the most loving. Quincy had gone through his first hip operation, and it was very painful. He was with the vet for four days, and during that time was in incredible pain. That's why Pastor Brown was afraid, when he went to pick Quincy up, that the dog's attitude might have changed toward him. After all, he was the one who took him to the vet and was, at least indirectly, responsible for his pain. He thought the dog might be angry at the one who had made him go through something so difficult. A dog doesn't know that pain is necessary for healing. So, with some hesitancy, he went to get Quincy from the vet. The poor animal looked horrible. He had lost weight. He was exhausted. He limped painfully. And yet, as soon as he saw Pastor Brown he started wagging his tail. He strained to get to his owner. And, once home, he came over and put his head in his master's lap, coming back to do so again and again in spite of the pain of movement. Pastor Brown says that as he scratched Quincy behind the ears he prayed, "Lord, make me like Quincy. I know you never hurt me. I know you don't always explain why things happen. Teach me to come to You the way this dog has come to me. Teach me to trust You and love You when it hurts, even when I don't understand why." Obviously we do not know the whole story of Jairus and the woman with the hemorrhage. We do not know if they ever questioned God in the midst of their suffering. What is clear from today's "story within a story", though, is that they had faith in Jesus, they displayed amazing trust, and they experienced the healing power of God in their lives. I firmly believe that when we are faithful, God is faithful. Although our situations may not be resolved as neatly as was the case in today's Gospel lesson, Jesus will act, the power of God will be revealed and there will be hope and healing. So, like Jairus and the outcast woman may we seek out our Lord, and like Quincy, may we trust in our Master's love for us. AMEN