Brent Kuhlman

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Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 8)
21 June 2009

St. Mark 5:21-43

No sleeping, snoring Jesus this week.  No boating this weekend.  He’s on the beach after calming the storm and after healing a demon possessed man who lived in a cemetery.  Lord Jesus.  Lord of the winds and the waves.  Lord over sin, death, and the devil.  No wonder a great crowd is waiting for Him on the shore.  People have been waiting.  Waiting for generations.  For centuries.  For the kingdom of God.  For the Christ.  And here He is – fully awake -- on the seashore.

In Mark’s Gospel people come out of the woodwork.  People you’d never expect.  But word has been leaking out that the Messiah has come.  And so off these hungry-for-the-Gospel-people go looking for Jesus.  Trusting in Jesus.  Giving Him the highest of worship:  faith. 

Today there’s two.  No “little” faith with them like the disciples in the boat last week.  Or total rejection by the Gerasenes just a few verses before this text.     

First up:  Jairus -- the big shot synagogue ruler.  Has a little girl.  Twelve years old.  She is very sick.  Deathbed sick.  Hospice sick.  There’s not much time left.  Down to just hours.  Maybe even minutes.  Where does Jairus look for help?  To whom does he desperately look?

Not to himself.  Jairus is nothing.  But to the Savior who has burst on to the scene!  Jairus gets through the crowd to Jesus.  But the mighty synagogue official comes before Lord Jesus only as a beggar.  Falls down before Jesus’ feet and out spills the beggar’s cry of faith:  “My little girl is at death’s door.  Please, please come.  Lay your hands on her and bless her Jesus so that she can get better and live.”       

They take off.  Off to the house.  “Hurry Jesus!  We don’t have much time!”  Everyone’s on the edge of their seats to see what will happen.  Jesus marches along to save a little girl from the icy grip of death itself.  As they go the throng of humanity presses, squeezes and pushes against the Lord Jesus.

They’re making progress.  Going as fast as they can to the house.  Then all of sudden Lord Jesus hesitates.  No.  Comes full stop!  Someone has touched His coat!  And Jesus perceives that He’s helped someone because His divine healing power flowed from His body.  He won’t budge until He finds out who came to Him in faith.  “Which one of you touched my garments?”  Jesus asks.

Are you kidding Jesus?  Good grief!  There’s a whole mass of humanity pressing up against you!  It’s a scene of human gridlock and yet you ask, “Who touched me?” 

During this delay Jairus is probably getting quite anxious.  Every second counts.  But Jesus delays.  He wants to know.  Someone who believes in Him touched Him. 

And lo and behold it is a woman.  An unclean, outcast from the worshiping community hemorrhaging-for-twelve-years-woman.  Spent all her savings on physicians.  And their health care only made her condition worse.  She’s heard that Messiah has come.  So she dares to come up from behind Him to touch – just touch a piece of His coat.  And she felt it.  The healing.  The hemorrhaging dries up. 

His eyes meet up with hers.  She’s terrified.  She too is reduced to being only a beggar before the Lord.  Falls down before Him.  Confesses what she, an unclean, hemorrhaging woman has done.  “It was me Lord!  I touched you!  I’m sorry.  I was so sick.  The physicians took all my money.  Made my condition worse.  You’re all I have left Jesus.  You’re the only one who can help me!” 

And Lord Jesus, in this mass of humanity, is there entirely for her.  Yes, that’s right, there just for her – this poor, poor woman.  He absorbs her uncleanness.  Takes it in His body in order to take it to Calvary and die for it.  And in exchange she is cleansed.  Restored.  Redeemed.  She is not just a woman.  Now she is a:  DAUGHTER!  She belongs.  She’s a part of God’s family.

Jesus praises her faith.  Her faith in Jesus.  “Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace and be healed of your sickness.”          

But this delay has cost Jairus dearly.  While Jesus was having this divine service on the road, messengers arrive to tell Jairus that his daughter has died.  “No need to bother with this Jesus anymore Master Jairus,” they say.  “He’s of no use now!” 

Jesus overhears this conversation.  He steps up to the plate.  “Do not be so afraid any more.  I’m here.  Only believe!”   An outstanding promise from the One who is the Resurrection and the Life.  “Do not fear.  Only believe.”   

So off they go again to the house.  Jesus lets Peter, James and John go along.  Once they get to the house the commotion and lamentation is in full swing.  In those days mourners were even hired. 

Jesus acts like nothing is wrong.  And really with Him nothing is ever wrong.  “Why all the weeping and wailing?  The child isn’t dead.  She’s only sleeping!”  And their crying turns into hilarious laughter.  The only time in the New Testament that Jesus evokes laughter.  It’s a mocking laughter.  “What an idiot!  What a maroon!  Of course she’s dead!  Who is this fool Jairus?”  And the world still laughs at this Jesus who treats death like a sleep.

Jesus leaves the mockers outside and goes in to the little girl’s bedroom.  Takes Dad, Mom, Peter, James, and John with Him.  Grabs her hand. He’s there entirely for her.  “Talitha kum! (Little girl, it’s time to get up now!)” 

And His words do what they say.  They give what they say.  The twelve year old daughter “immediately” gets up and walks around the room.

The woman was hemorrhaging to death.  Jairus’ daughter died.  But Jesus was there entirely for them.  Two daughters.  One healed.  One raised from the dead.  Both given even more:  salvation. 

Today you’ve come out of the woodwork.  Expecting good gifts from Lord Jesus.  You have His promise too:  “Do not be afraid.  Only believe.  Believe that I’ve raised you from the dead in Baptism to live a new life of faith in Me.”  Yes, indeed.  Jesus is here entirely for you.  With all the power of His dying for you.  His Body.  His Blood.  For you for you to eat for pardon from all your sin.  That’s His promise.  Once you were dead.  But now you are alive.  And then more to come.  Resurrection and eternal life on the Last Day.  "I’m here entirely for you too.  Do not be afraid.  Only believe."

In the Name of Jesus.