“The Journey’s Goal: Faith” (Mark 5:21-43)

I think that all of us gathered here this morning can understand the actions of Jairus as he makes his way towards Jesus as his last hope to save the life of his dying daughter.  He was grasping for straws as he sought out the popular healer he had heard about.  Thus, begins our story . . .

    

Upon finding Jesus, Jairus falls to his knees and pleads with Jesus to “. . . come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”  And, Jesus does.  It is not an easy trip to the synagogue leader’s house.  The streets are crowded with a mob that has gathered around Jesus . . . pushing and shoving.  The going is rough as Jesus is pressed from all side . . . then, suddenly, a peculiar thing happened to Jesus . . . he felt a surge of power leave his body.  Something was different and Jesus could feel it within himself. 

He stopped . . . turned around in the crowd, and asked who had touched his clothes.  Of course, the disciples think that it is a ridiculous question that Jesus is asking . . . any one of many people surrounding Jesus could have touched him . . . plus, who is going to admit it anyways?  But, Jesus wants to know.  He watched the crowd and waited.

Meanwhile, imagine Jairus witnessing this whole scene . . . anxious to get Jesus to his daughter so that her life can be saved.  This was wasting valuable time . . . and, besides . . . this was not a story about Jesus getting touched.  Despite Jairus’ anxiousness, Jesus waited for someone to confess up to touching his clothes.

A woman, who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, finally comes forward to admit that it was she who touched Jesus’ clothes.  She had heard about Jesus and his ability to heal, and she was tired of her suffering . . . she wanted to be healed, to be made whole again, and to be able to live life as a part of her community.  So, she came up to Jesus and touched his cloak.  Immediately she had been healed as the energy rushed out of Jesus . . . energy that Jesus had felt leave his body.  She confesses to the whole thing . . . tells the whole truth.

And, Jesus affirms her healing: “Daughter, your faith has healed you.  Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Again . . . remember Jairus.  Remember that this is his story and time is wasting as Jesus holds court with this woman from the crowd.  He wants to get home to allow Jesus the opportunity to keep his daughter from dying.  But, it is too late . . . while they were standing there, others from Jairus’ house were coming with the news that Jairus’ daughter had died. The messengers encourage Jairus to give it up and leave the healer alone . . . the girl is dead.  Jesus, though, tells him the opposite . . . challenges him to hold to his faith, as he tells him: “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

Fast-forwarding through the story, Jairus and Jesus arrive at the house to see mourners already there . . . everyone thinks the girl is dead, but Jesus tells them otherwise.  With the girl’s parents and three of his disciples he enters the room and he heals the girl.    Immediately the girl gets up much to the astonishment of those who witness it.  Jairus’ belief . . . his faith . . . his deepest prayer . . . succeeds as his daughter lives . . . and, we rejoice.

Our reading this morning is dramatic stuff.  Think of it as a scene in a movie . . . at the start of the story the music sounds ominous and anxious.  As the story goes along the music quickly builds with a sense of urgency as they are delayed in reaching their destination before it drops into a somber and sad melody before coming to a silent climax signifying death.  Or think of it as one of those old melodramatic films where Dick Dastardly had has tied Penelope to the train tracks and the hero—Dudley Doright is rushing to her rescue.  What is taking place in our story ranks right up there with the best of them.  In either case, there is always a bump in the road that makes the situation tough to succeed.

This is Jairus’ story.  The healing of the bleeding woman is a bump in the road that slows down the whole goal of healing the goal.  The question becomes on whether or not they will make it.  It makes for some great drama and suspense. 

In this story we have two healings.  Neither healing is like the other . . . they are different.  In one story, when Jesus touches the girl, she is healed.  In the other story, the woman doesn’t even touch Jesus, but his clothes, and she is healed.  Outside of the fact that there are two miracles, the stories are not much alike.  Yet, the writer of Mark’s gospel had good reason for putting the two together.  In that combining we discover that they have a lot in common.

Remember, the woman never physically touches Jesus . . . she touches his cloak.  Jesus never touches the woman.  In the end, she is healed.  In affirming her healing, Jesus tells the woman what had healed her.  Jesus said: “Daughter, your faith has healed you.”

In Jairus’ situation the healing takes place in the more traditional form that we are all used to . . . Jesus touches the girl.  Jesus holds the hand of the girl and heals her.  This is a healing that we can understand . . . one that we can comprehend.  Yet, I would argue that it was not the touch of Jesus that healed the girl.  I would argue that it was something completely different, yet at the same time something that Jesus told Jairus to hang onto.  Do you remember what he told Jairus?  He said: “Don’t be afraid, just believe.”  It is here that we discover the commonality between the two stories . . . that we discover the message.

The message is quite simple . . . believe!  Have faith! 

What healed the woman was her faith.  She believed that Jesus could heal her . . . that Jesus could heal whether she or he ever actually touched. 

What healed Jairus’ daughter was the fact that Jairus believe . . . even though the girl had been dead for a while, he believed.  He believed that Jesus could do anything, even bringing his dead daughter back to life once again.  I, for one, think that this belief . . . this faith . . . was what saved the life of the girl.

To Jairus, Jesus said: “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

To the woman, Jesus said: “. . . your faith has healed you.”

The key to it all is belief . . . is faith.  All healing in whatever shape or form . . . all miracles . . . come through belief and faith.  Jesus affirms this in his statements to the woman and Jairus.  Jesus affirms this with us.  The key then becomes whether or not we truly believe in that which we profess as the followers of Jesus.  There is only one way we will ever know . . . we must not be afraid . . . we must hang on to our belief . . . to our faith.  Like Jairus . . . let us never stop believing.  Amen. 

    

I think that all of us gathered here this morning can understand the actions of Jairus as he makes his way towards Jesus as his last hope to save the life of his dying daughter.  He was grasping for straws as he sought out the popular healer he had heard about.  Thus, begins our story . . .

    

Upon finding Jesus, Jairus falls to his knees and pleads with Jesus to “. . . come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”  And, Jesus does.  It is not an easy trip to the synagogue leader’s house.  The streets are crowded with a mob that has gathered around Jesus . . . pushing and shoving.  The going is rough as Jesus is pressed from all side . . . then, suddenly, a peculiar thing happened to Jesus . . . he felt a surge of power leave his body.  Something was different and Jesus could feel it within himself. 

He stopped . . . turned around in the crowd, and asked who had touched his clothes.  Of course, the disciples think that it is a ridiculous question that Jesus is asking . . . any one of many people surrounding Jesus could have touched him . . . plus, who is going to admit it anyways?  But, Jesus wants to know.  He watched the crowd and waited.

Meanwhile, imagine Jairus witnessing this whole scene . . . anxious to get Jesus to his daughter so that her life can be saved.  This was wasting valuable time . . . and, besides . . . this was not a story about Jesus getting touched.  Despite Jairus’ anxiousness, Jesus waited for someone to confess up to touching his clothes.

A woman, who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, finally comes forward to admit that it was she who touched Jesus’ clothes.  She had heard about Jesus and his ability to heal, and she was tired of her suffering . . . she wanted to be healed, to be made whole again, and to be able to live life as a part of her community.  So, she came up to Jesus and touched his cloak.  Immediately she had been healed as the energy rushed out of Jesus . . . energy that Jesus had felt leave his body.  She confesses to the whole thing . . . tells the whole truth.

And, Jesus affirms her healing: “Daughter, your faith has healed you.  Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Again . . . remember Jairus.  Remember that this is his story and time is wasting as Jesus holds court with this woman from the crowd.  He wants to get home to allow Jesus the opportunity to keep his daughter from dying.  But, it is too late . . . while they were standing there, others from Jairus’ house were coming with the news that Jairus’ daughter had died. The messengers encourage Jairus to give it up and leave the healer alone . . . the girl is dead.  Jesus, though, tells him the opposite . . . challenges him to hold to his faith, as he tells him: “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

Fast-forwarding through the story, Jairus and Jesus arrive at the house to see mourners already there . . . everyone thinks the girl is dead, but Jesus tells them otherwise.  With the girl’s parents and three of his disciples he enters the room and he heals the girl.    Immediately the girl gets up much to the astonishment of those who witness it.  Jairus’ belief . . . his faith . . . his deepest prayer . . . succeeds as his daughter lives . . . and, we rejoice.

Our reading this morning is dramatic stuff.  Think of it as a scene in a movie . . . at the start of the story the music sounds ominous and anxious.  As the story goes along the music quickly builds with a sense of urgency as they are delayed in reaching their destination before it drops into a somber and sad melody before coming to a silent climax signifying death.  Or think of it as one of those old melodramatic films where Dick Dastardly had has tied Penelope to the train tracks and the hero—Dudley Doright is rushing to her rescue.  What is taking place in our story ranks right up there with the best of them.  In either case, there is always a bump in the road that makes the situation tough to succeed.

This is Jairus’ story.  The healing of the bleeding woman is a bump in the road that slows down the whole goal of healing the goal.  The question becomes on whether or not they will make it.  It makes for some great drama and suspense. 

In this story we have two healings.  Neither healing is like the other . . . they are different.  In one story, when Jesus touches the girl, she is healed.  In the other story, the woman doesn’t even touch Jesus, but his clothes, and she is healed.  Outside of the fact that there are two miracles, the stories are not much alike.  Yet, the writer of Mark’s gospel had good reason for putting the two together.  In that combining we discover that they have a lot in common.

Remember, the woman never physically touches Jesus . . . she touches his cloak.  Jesus never touches the woman.  In the end, she is healed.  In affirming her healing, Jesus tells the woman what had healed her.  Jesus said: “Daughter, your faith has healed you.”

In Jairus’ situation the healing takes place in the more traditional form that we are all used to . . . Jesus touches the girl.  Jesus holds the hand of the girl and heals her.  This is a healing that we can understand . . . one that we can comprehend.  Yet, I would argue that it was not the touch of Jesus that healed the girl.  I would argue that it was something completely different, yet at the same time something that Jesus told Jairus to hang onto.  Do you remember what he told Jairus?  He said: “Don’t be afraid, just believe.”  It is here that we discover the commonality between the two stories . . . that we discover the message.

The message is quite simple . . . believe!  Have faith! 

What healed the woman was her faith.  She believed that Jesus could heal her . . . that Jesus could heal whether she or he ever actually touched. 

What healed Jairus’ daughter was the fact that Jairus believe . . . even though the girl had been dead for a while, he believed.  He believed that Jesus could do anything, even bringing his dead daughter back to life once again.  I, for one, think that this belief . . . this faith . . . was what saved the life of the girl.

To Jairus, Jesus said: “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

To the woman, Jesus said: “. . . your faith has healed you.”

The key to it all is belief . . . is faith.  All healing in whatever shape or form . . . all miracles . . . come through belief and faith.  Jesus affirms this in his statements to the woman and Jairus.  Jesus affirms this with us.  The key then becomes whether or not we truly believe in that which we profess as the followers of Jesus.  There is only one way we will ever know . . . we must not be afraid . . . we must hang on to our belief . . . to our faith.  Like Jairus . . . let us never stop believing.  Amen.