Who is Jesus 7

Today we are covering a large stretch of text because the two stories that we cover today can’t really be separated from each other. One miraculous healing takes place in the middle of another. We’ve been looking at Mark’s answer to the question “who is Jesus?” and recognizing the way which Mark slowly reveals the answer to that question. Over the past few sermons the question at the center of the passages has been one of authority. Where does Jesus authority come from? How far does that authority extend? Last week Jesus showed that his authority extends over natures- calming a story, and is for all people, Jew or Gentile, no matter what side of the dividing line they live on. Today we see a little more. We will be in . Lets go ahead and dive in.

Today we are covering a large stretch of text-

The New Revised Standard Version A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. 22 Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 23 and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” 24 So he went with him.

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29 Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 He looked all around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29 Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 He looked all around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

There are a number of things that happen here worth paying attention to. First, the person who comes to Jesus when he arrives back on the Galilean side of the Sea of Galilee is the leader of a local synagogue. I know we see the ways that some religious leaders are in conflict with Jesus throughout the gospels, but this is a good reminder that it is not true for all those in positions of religious leadership in the Jewish community. The visible power and authority of Jesus can be off-putting to some, but others recognize it, and here we see Jairus driven by need to Jesus. Maybe he had stood against Jesus before, maybe not, but either way he is now pushed to Jesus because of need. Jairus is powerful, has a position of authority of his own in his community, would be considered one of the upper class members of society. People are already rallying around him to support him. Jesus’s crowd and Jairus’ group meet and they begin to work their way back to Jairus’ house. But Jairus isn’t the only one in need.

There is this other person, a person absolutely unlike Jairus is almost every way, who intrudes on the story. Unlike Jairus, she isn’t given a name, only a gender and a medical condition. She’s been suffering for the same number of years as the dying girl has been alive as we will discover further down the passage. She isn’t a person of any prestige. Her medical condition would have made public interaction difficult and embarrassing. Her condition also renders her permanently unclean according to the Jewish purity code, making her daily personal and religious life even more complex and complicated. Not only does she suffer physically, but she suffers emotionally and spiritually as well, separated from the community in a number of ways. Jairus is at the center of the community, she’s on the fringe. He’s prosperous, she’s spent every dime that she’s had trying to find healing. Crowds part for and follow Jairus, and this crowd of people doesn’t even notice her. She has no power, no authority, no standing. And yet there is one thing they have in common- they have both been driven to Jesus by need.

The woman has enough faith that, unlike Jairus, she doesn’t need Jesus to notice or recognize her, doesn’t expect a laying of hands. She simply believes that if she can get a finger on the edge of Jesus cloak, she can be healed. So she does.

There’s no way Jairus is happy with this event. A delay in the journey to save his daughter’s life would not be welcome in any way. The same goes for those who are with him who recognize that time is of the essence. And now there’s this unnamed nobody who has stopped them, sidetracked them. But Jesus doesn’t see her the way those around him see her. Jesus recognizes her for her faith and calls her “daughter.” Wasn’t it just a few passages back that Jesus declared that his “true family” -brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, daughters- were those who do the will of God. And here Jesus gives her a title in that family. Calls her daughter- the same thing Jairus calls the girl, his daughter, who he desperately wants healed. And as Jesus points out, it is “her faith” which has healed her.

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), .

The New Revised Standard Version A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

35 While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?”

And that’s it. The thing that Jairus has been dreading, the thing he was seeking to avoid has come true, news broken to him by people from his house who have perhaps the worst bedside manner of all time- “your daughter has passed, quit being such a bother.” Everything that he’s been fearing has come true. And this is again one of those moments where we see the tension that exists between fear and faith because Jesus’ response to the overheard conversation is to tell him “do not fear, only believe.” And really, believe there is a bit of a sad translation. Its a fun part of speech- a present, active, imperative. And you don’t need to remember that, but I do want you to remember this- what Jesus really tells him here is “ Don’t fear, be continuously faithful,” or perhaps better said, Don’t be overcome by fear, but instead hold on to your faith.”

The New Revised Standard Version A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

35 While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38 When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43 He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

The New Revised Standard Version A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38 When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43 He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Who is Jesus? Well, he’s come to teach and embody the good news. That’s his primary purpose. The kingdom of God has come near, God’s reign and power is present on earth in a new and powerful way. That’s the message he brings and the life he lives. And as he teaches that message and lives that life he comes into conflict with those who hear his teaching and see his life and wonder where his power to do so has come from. Mark makes it clear that his power is from God, which leaves the only question as, “to what extent does that authority go. He has authority to teach, the authority to interpret the law, reminding those who question he and his disciples that people are more important that the law, human beings matter more than the legal systems that can cause as much harm as they do good. And that authority extends over nature. Jesus calms the sea and the storm. And neither that authority nor that mission are limited to “God’s chosen.” Jesus rejects no one, crossing boundaries, physical, social, and cultural, in order to extend the power and grace of the kingdom of God to those in need. And now we see that not even death has authority over Jesus- Jesus authority goes even there. 5 chapters in and Mark is already giving away the plot, right?

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You know the problem with preaching a triumphalist passage like this in a world where pain and loss exist, right?

How do you preach this passage to those who have been crying out for healing and haven’t experienced it. How do you preach this passage to those who have lost loved ones, lost children. This passage is hard when you feel like you’ve cried out as much as you can, spent yourself completely, physically, spiritually, financially, hoping for something good to come that never does. And yet this passage, I think, holds something for those of us who find ourselves in that place, who have ever watched someone else’s miracle and wondered “where’s mine.” And the hope isn’t displayed in the healing that comes at the end. Instead, hope is found in the waiting because that’s where faith is- Jesus words to Jairus are “Do not fear, only believe.” “Don’t let fear control you. Hold fast to your faith.” Those words come in a moment where Jairus’ faith is being shattered and just holding on is a mountain of a challenge.

And yet, thus far in the gospel of Mark, “faith” is continuously exemplified not by those who have rationally thought it out and simply claim it. Often those people are on the opposite end of an argument with Jesus. Instead, faith this far into Mark’s gospel is just about always exemplified by the desperate people who don’t know what else to do. Thats true for Jairus. Its true for the woman. Its true for the friends and man lowered through a ceiling. They exemplify faithis desperate moments. Maybe if we learned to identify faith that way, doing our best to hold on in truly challenging moments, we would look for hope in impossible situations more easily.