A WOMEN IN PAIN COME FORWARD OUT OF THE CROWD AND TOUCHES JESUS. SHE IS HEALED. LET THIS BIBLICAL STORY BE FOR US A PARABLE OF JESUS AND HIS CARE FOR US. JESUS EXUDES LIFE, LIFE FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE SHADOW OF DEATH., IN PARTICULAR THOSE WHOM THE WORLD DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE IN THEIR PAIN. IN TODAY'S TEXT, WE SEE A TECHNIQUE. THAT IS TYPICAL OF MARK, A BRACKETING. BASICALLY " BRACKETING" MEANS THAT MARK BEGINS A STORY WHILE AT THE SAME TIME ANOTHER STORY IS TOLD WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE ORIGINAL STORY. THE FIRST STORY, THE STORY OF THE HEALING OF THE DAUGHTER OF THE RULER OF THE SYNAGOGUE, TH IS THE STORY ABOUT A PROMINENT MAN WHO BESEECHES JESUS TO COME AND HEAL HIS DAUGHTER. ON THE WAY, JESUS IS INTERRUPTED, DISTRACTED BY THE WOMEN WHO TOUCHES HIM, SEEKING HEALING FOR HERSELF. UNLIKE THE RULER OF THE SYNAGOGUE, SHE IS A NOBODY. SHE HAS NO NAME. WE ARE ONLY INTRODUCED TO HER AS A WOMAN WHO HAD AN ISSUE OF BLOOD FOR TWELVE YEARS. SHE HAD SUFFERED UNDER THE MINISTRATIONS OF MAN AND AND DOCTORS. BY INTERRUPTING ONE STORY WITH ANOTHER, MARK HAS THE EFFECT OF EXPANDING THE IMAGE OF JESUS AS THE HEALER. JESUS IS NOT ONLY SOMEONE WHO TURNS TO THOSE IN POSITION OF POWER, LIKE THE RULER OF THE SYNAGOGUE, BUT HE IS OPEN TO BEING TOUCHED, INTERRUPTED BY A WOMEN WHO IS AN ANONYMOUS SUFFER. . A POOR [MARINAL, SICK WOMEN] ON HER WAY TO DEATH, HER LIFE BLOOD LEAVING HER, TOUCHES JESUS. IN SO DOING, SHE IS TOLD TO GO IN PEACE. SO MIGHT WE. SOMETIMES THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS HAPPEN TO YOU, IN LIFE ARE THE INTRUSIONS. YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY SOMEWHERE, WITH AN AGENDA, A CLEAR, DIRECT PURPOSE IN MIND, AND YOU GET DISTRACTED. SOMETHING ELSE COMES UP THAT DEMANDS YOUR ATTENTION, AND THAT "SOMETHING ELSE" TURNS OUT TO BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE JOURNEY ON WHICH YOU ORIGINALLY LAUNCHED. TODAYS TEXT FROM MARK IS A STORY ABOUT A WOMAN WHO HAS A INTRUSION. HERE IN THE SECTION OF SCRIPTURE, JESUS IS ABOUT IMPORTANT BUSINESS IN THE VERSES JUST BEFORE THE INTRUSIONS. HERE IN THE SECTION OF SCRIPTURE, JESUS IS ABOUT IMPORTANT BUSINESS. IN THE VERSES JUST BEFORE THE INTRUSIONS, A LEADER OF THE SYNAGOGUE, AN IMPORTANT AND IMPRESSIVE MAN, PERSUADES JESUS TO MAKE A VISIT ON HIS DAUGHTER WHO IS AILING. ON THE WAY TO DO SOMETHING VERY GOOD, FOR THIS PERSON AND HIS DAUGHTER, JESUS GETS DISTRACTED, THIS WOMEN APPEARS FROM THE MARGINS AND DEMANDS TO BE NOTICED AS SHE MAKES HER WAY INTO THE STORY. WE DON'T KNOW THE WOMAN'S NAME. WE KNOW NOTHING OF HER FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES. ALL WE ARE TOLD IS THAT SHE IS A WOMAN IN PAIN. FOR TWELVE YEARS SHE HAS BEEN HEMORRHAGING , THAT IS LOT OF BLOOD TO LOSE. SHE MAKES HER LAST EFFORT TO LIVE, SHE REACHES OUT FROM THE MARGINS TO MOVE NEAR THE POWER, HER HAND MOVING TO TOWARD JESUS?
YOU KNOW THE THE PICTURE BY MICHEAL ANGELO OF THE CREATION OF ADAM IN THE SISTINE CHAPEL? THERE, THE ALMIGHTY GOD, THE FATHER REACHES OUT TO TOUCH THE LIFELESS BODY OF ADAM, TO GIVE HIM THE SPARK OF LIFE.
HERE THE ACTION MOVES IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. AS THE WOMAN REACHES OUT WITH HER BLOODY FINGER TOWARD JESUS, TOWARD LIFE.
SHE HAS SAID TO HERSELF, " IF I CAN ONLY TOUCH THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT, I WILL BE WELL."
THIS IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST IMAGES OF FAITH IN THE NEW TESTAMENT- HER HAND REACHING OUT FROM THE MARGINS OF THE CROWD TO WHERE SHE WAS PUSHED BY HER POVERTY, HER PAIN, HER GENDER, REACHING OUT TO TOUCH JESUS, THE LORD, THE GIVER OF LIFE. SHE REACHES OUT AND RECEIVES THE LIFE FOR WHICH SHE HOPED.
IMMEDIATELY ( ONE OF MARK'S FAVORITE WORDS, euthus) SHE IS HEALED, FOR THE ONE PUSHED TO THE MARGINS OF LIFE. NOW JESUS SPEAKS. YOU CAN'T TELL FROM THE TONE OF HIS VOICE IF HE IS UPSET, BECAUSE SOME OF THE POWER LEFT HIM TOWARD THIS HURTING PERSON. PERHAPS HE SPEAKS BECAUSE HE WANTS TO KNOW WHO KNOW THIS PERSON IS WITH SUCH FAITH THAT SHE DEMANDED A "BLESSING." PERHAPS THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST HEALING MOMENTS IN THE WHOLE STORY. THIS WOMAN WAS AN UNKNOWN, IDENTIFIED ONLY BY HER BLEEDING AND HER PAIN, IS NOW GOING TO BE KNOWN BY FACE, BY NAME AND HER INDIVIDUALITY. AGAIN SHE TAKES MATTERS IN HAND AND IDENTIFIES HERSELF.
HE PRAISE HER ACTION, BLESSES HER, WHICH PLACES HER "IN THE FAMILY OF GOD" WHEN JESUS SAYS: " YOUR FAITH HAS MADE YOU WELL." MARK GOES BACK TO THE BIG STORY. THE STORY ABOUT THE DAUGHTER OF THE LEADER OF THE SYNAGOGUE. " IF FOR THIS LIFE ONLY WE HAVE HOPED IN CHRIST," PAUL WRITES, " "WE ARE ALL PEOPLE MOSTO BE PITIED." (1 COR 15:19) JESUS CAME THAT WE MIGHT HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT IN ABUNDANCE, TAKING ON OUR POVERTY THAT WE MIGHT SHARE HIS RICHES (2COR. 8:9). DYING THAT WE MAY LIVE NOW, AND IN THE LIFE TO COME.
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