I'm Not Afraid to Touch You

Aug 13th, 2023 Sermon Outline/Screen Text (Grace City)

I’m Not Afraid to Touch You – Mark 5:21-43

Telos: Don’t be afraid to touch Jesus, because reaching out to Jesus is an act of faith that touches your life and the life of those around you

Introduction

In our text today we are exposed to the stories of two people who have more in common than they would have ever realized. The beauty in their story is that their paths would have never crossed had it not been for Jesus. (Bob you’ll love this because you love juxstapositions) We don’t know much about these two characters. All we know about them is found here in Mark and in parallel text in Matthew and Lukes gospel.

One character is Jairus a ruler and leader in a the local synagouge who comes to Jesus openly in desperation requesting him to come and lay his hands on his dying 12 year old daughter, in hopes that a touch from Jesus will make her well.

The other is though debated a Daughter of Israel who has an issue of bleeding and has been dying for 12 years. She comes to Jesus secretly in a crowded mob hoping not that Jesus would touch her but that if she could just touch Jesus then she will be made well.

Its interesting that one of them can in fact touch Jesus, but wants Jesus to reach out, while the other can’t touch Jesus but has decided to reach out to him. It’s a juxstaposition.

Both are reaching out to Jesus in an act of faith that will not only touch their life but the life of those around them.

Transition: There are lot of parallels in their story.

As a matter fact I would to submit to you that while they may think, that their stories are separate, they are actually the same. There is a message in the middle for them both.

Actually, if you think about it, you can’t tell one of their stories without making reference to the other. How do I know? Well Mark uses a sandwiching technique known as a chiastic structure. A chiastic structure is a literary technique that poetically sandwiches the main point of a message in between a build-up and a draw-back of similar stories. It forces a reader to peel back the layers of text in order to get to the core message.

· Shakespeare said it this way: To be, or not To be that is the question

· In the song Hot & Cold Katy Perry said it this way:

'Cause you're hot then you're cold

You're yes then you're no

You're in then you're out

You're up then you're down

You're wrong when it's right

It's black and it's white

We fight, we break up

We kiss, we make up

(You) You don't really want to stay, no

(You) But you don't really want to go

You're hot then you're cold

You're yes then you're no

You're in then you're out

You're up then you're down

You see what she did there? This guy doesn’t know what he wants to do and its evident in the sandwiching in the lyrics. There is a meaning in the middle

Screen Text: There is a MEANING in the middle

There is just a few verses in our text that have my attention that get down to the core of our message today. The verses are found in the middle of a build up of one story and the drawback of another.

Screen Text: But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed from your affliction.” While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher anymore?” When Jesus overheard what was said, he told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe.” (Mark 5:33-36, ESV)

Message Title: I’m Not Afraid to Touch You

Body-Transition: The Juxtapositions in their story

This particular passage of scripture is itself found in the middle of two separate accounts. Both Matthew and Luke deal with this passage as well. There are a number of juxtapositions in Jairus and the Woman’s story.

· Jairus wants Jesus to touch his daughter | this daughter wants to touch Jesus

· Jairus daughter is 12 yrs old | This woman has been suffering for 12 yrs

· Jairus sees Jesus and falls at his feet | The woman hears about Jesus and falls at his feet

· Jairus is a synagogue leader who would have rejected Jesus had his daughter not been at the point of death | The woman has been for years at the point of death but would have been rejected by the synagogue because she was considered unclean

· Jesus touches a dead child’s hand who would have been unclean according to the Law | A woman who was unclean according to the Law because of her bleeding reaches out her hand and touches Jesus

· Jairus is afraid his daughter may die and comes to Jesus in desperation | The woman is desperate because she has been dying but comes to Jesus confident

Why is she confident? Why is she saying in her mind that if could just touch the hem of his garment I will be made whole?

I believe she is trying to tell us that reaching out to Jesus is an act of faith that touches your life and the life of those around you.

Transition: Having faith to touch Jesus is at the heart of the story

Jesus asked the question Who Touched Me? Touch is the key word in this passage. Everyone is doing it. Jairus as asking for it, the mob is demanding it and the woman is believing in it.

Touch in this text is the Greek word “haptomai” hap'-tom-ahee

This is not a transactional request like what Jairus asked for, it is not an imposing request like what the crowd is clamoring for it is far more intentional; you might even say generational. It means to attach oneself to, it is a connecting to, an identifying with. This is what makes all the difference.

You were created to attach yourself to Jesus. Both the Westminster and Heidelberg Catechisms which are summaries of the Christian faith also given to us in question form answer for us in the first two questions that

1. The Chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever

2. Our only comfort in life & death is knowing that we are not our own but belong to Jesus Christ our Savior

Transition: Beloved you can be confident and unafraid as you reach out to Jesus because #1

Point 1 Screen Text: Jesus is the Truth and Can Handle Your Truth

Screen Text: The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. (Mark 5:33, ESV)

· She might have told him everything she had done wrong that caused her issue

· She might have told him how difficult it had been for her in the last 12 years

o Physical Distress: Touched by others but didn't get well (Luke said it couldn't be cured)

o Financial Distress: Spent all her resources

o Spiritual Distress: would have been unclean

o Social distress because no one would touch her

I don’t think that’s what she did. I believe she told him why she was not afraid to touch him by telling him who she thought he was. This woman didn’t just reach out and grab a random piece of his clothing. In Matthew and in Lukes gospel they said she touched the border or the fringe of his garment. This is extremely significant. If you have ever seen a religious Jew you may have noticed they wore what’s called a Tallit. This is a prayer shawl that has fringes along the bottom and special fringes at the borders of shawl. Moses declares in Numbers 15 that the children of Israel were required to have tassels or fringe on the borders of their garments. This was a reminder of the commandments of God, the Shema and their duty to walk before the Lord. In Malachi the prophet shares a Messianic Prophecy for the children of Israel.

Listen to what the prophet Malachi 4:2

Mal 4:2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.

This word wings is the word that Moses uses for the fringes attached at the borders of the this shawl. Jesus as a Rabbi and Teacher would have worn this garment. This woman has heard about Jesus, she has heard that he might possibly be the Messiah, she has heard…

Jesus felt that touch and turned around to say who touched me. Sombody got some medicine. Is there anybody here that would say I’m not Afraid to Touch You?....Is there anybody here that would say I believe that Jesus you are the Holy One of Israel, you are the Day Spring from on High, You re the Bright and Morning Star, You are the Sun of Righteousness with healing in his wings and I,m Not Afraid to Touch You.

So what was Jesus response to her telling him the whole truth of who he is, he says in verse 34

Which leads me to the second reason why you need to tell Jesus I’m Not Afraid to Touch You

Point 2 Screen Text: Jesus Will Give You a New identity

Screen Text: “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed from your affliction.” (Mark 5:34, ESV)

When you’re not afraid to touch Jesus, you will go from a nobody in someone else’s story to the Main character in God’s Story

· In a moment Jesus can take you from a random woman to a daughter

· From a random person to a child of the King

Beloved I want to share with you something that some may not want to tell you out of fear of offending you. Beloved I love you too much to be that mean. You need to know that it is possible to be created by God and not be a child of God. If you do not identify with who Jesus as the anointed Holy One of God, you will perish in your sin. All that means is that you will live in separation with your creator. The Bible as a whole goes through a chiastic framework of literature based on Redemptive Covenantal History. The Bible cycles through these 4 basic tenants of Salvific History:

· Creation

o Fall

o Redemption

· Re-Creation

There is a Meaning once again in the middle, there is a creation, all of humankind is here living out their existence but only those who have been redeemed from the fall will experience the New Creation. Jesus wants to say to you daughter, son welcome home, welcome home. Something you need to understand beloved is that even though you say I’m Not Afraid to Touch You there will be some that tell you that you’re wasting your time just like they did with Jairus.

Screen Text: While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher anymore?” (Mark 5:35, ESV)

· Some are going to tell you that you’re wasting your time with this Jesus stuff

· Some may try to discourage you from keeping the faith

· Some may tell you that your situation is too hard for Jesus to help you

It’s my prayer that you hear Jesus’s words to Jairus just as if he is saying them to you in verse 36

Screen Text: When Jesus overheard what was said, he told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe.” (Mark 5:36, ESV)

Why because when you lay hold of Jesus there is something that you need to realize. It’s not just about you. I told you that when Jesus asked Who Touched Me he was asking essentially who connected themselves to and identified with me? This is what blew my mind as I was studying this text.

An unclean woman touches Jesus in the middle of a Mob where people are pressing in all around. Jesus stops and brings attention to something that he technically could have ignored. He essentially makes something public that the woman was trying to keep secret. Then he goes into Jairus house, kicks everybody out, heals his daughter then tells him to keep quiet about something that was already publicized. They told him the girl was already dead, they rented mourners, wailers, and musicians so when the neighbors see little Mariah running in the backyard the next day they’re going to know what happened. One is trying to keep it silent and Jesus makes it public the other trying to make it public and Jesus says keep it silent.

But this is what happens when you say I’m Not Afraid to Touch You, I’m Not Afraid to Identify With You.

· Jesus Who is The Truth Can Handle Your truth

· Jesus Will Give You a New Identity

Point 3 Screen Text: Jesus Will Turn Your Test into a Testimony

Jesus didn’t just put this woman on blast. You might think that he called her out in the middle of the crowd but Jesus didn’t call her out he called her up. He says it this way in Lukes gospel:

“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.

For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. (Luke 8:16-17, ESV)

How do I know he turned her test into a testimony? Write this verse in your notes. Mark 6:53-56

Mar 6:53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. Mar 6:54 And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him Mar 6:55 and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. Mar 6:56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

Because she said I’m Not Afraid To Touch You Jesus started a forest fire with her faith. I know that relationship rocky right now but I dare to touch Jesus with…