Rev. Susan M. Craig
July 9, 2006
Psalm 30
Mark 5: 21-43
Out of the Depths

Today is our opportunity to consider subjects of healing and miracles. Out there subjects? Or real ones? How often have we turned to God, and prayed for a miracle, seriously - or humorously?

I like the story about the man, who prayed and prayed asking God to let him win the lottery. He prayed so hard that he really believed God would come through. Then when the big day arrived, and the numbers were drawn, he didn’t win. So he shook his fist saying that never again would he put his trust in God… only then to hear God reply, “If you really wanted to win the lottery, at the very least, you should have bought a ticket.”

A humorous accounting, but one that points to the idea that acts of healing and miracles are not solo, “abracadabra” acts performed by God, but acts done in concert, acts in which we are invited and needed to join God as co-creators.

Usually, we seek to solve our problems and assuage our fears on our own, for we know our own abilities and are accustomed to depending upon our own resources. After all, self-reliance and independence are highly esteemed in our culture. But there are times, there have been and there will be again, when we are incapable of moving beyond fear or despair on our own, when we find ourselves or those we love in deep trouble, times as well when we feel unworthy of being saved, or when our fears and self-loathing engulf us, control us, and imprison us.

It is then, when we finally give up on our own solutions, that we, even if hesitantly, give ourselves over to God - not only loving God, but daring to trust in the one beyond our understanding. And it is then, that the movement from places of pain and despair to places of healing and “wholing,” begin as mutual acts of trust and love, and interactions where we and God can work together in the process.

The miracle of it all is that our God is a God for all the seasons of our lives –yes, our childhood and youth, our adulthood and elder years – but also all the varying times of our lives, of naiveté and self-indulgence, of carelessness and even hurtfulness, of hard work and struggle, of mourning and finally our dancing. God is there with us and for us in every one of those occasions, God is there – and right here - loving us and forgiving us – asking and hoping for us to reach out and return that love and trust.

Our scripture lessons today say more about this.

In Psalm 30, the writer who was very sick, cries out to God, and after a time of struggle he gives thanks to God for accompanying him through his dark times, finally rescuing him, transforming his time of mourning where he expected to die, into a time of dancing.

In Mark’s gospel we have two stories, the story of Jairus and his daughter, and the story of the woman with the hemmorage. They come to us intentionally juxtaposed one right in the center of the other. As such, the story of the woman is an interruption, but one that informs the conclusion and our understanding of Jairus’ story. Let’s take a closer look.

We begin with Jairus, a righteous man, one of the leaders of the synagogue. Jairus was clearly caught in the depths of human sorrow, in the depths of the worst life can bring to bear. With his daughter’s life in grave jeopardy, Jairus chose to go and find Jesus - to ask him to return and heal her. Repeatedly he begged, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands upon her, so that she may be made well and live.” And Jesus went. (So far we have a good and faithful man, acting upon his faith and Jesus responding.)

Not surprisingly, their progress was slowed by the crowds, for Jesus was becoming known. At this point in time, he had stilled the storm on the Sea of Galilee, healed the Gerasene demoniac - and many others. It is no wonder that stories and rumors of his powers were beginning to grow out of control.

Next we hear that as the crowd pressed in on him, a woman, who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years, and spent all her money on doctors, made one last effort to be healed. Now you should understand, in Jesus’ time, a woman who was at her certain time in the month was considered unclean and therefore, untouchable (a.k.a the origin of traditions such as described in Anita Diamante’s The Red Tent.) This woman would have been shunned and avoided, and most probably rejected by her family for years. Given all that, you can understand how she dared not come before Jesus and ask for help. Instead, she chose to approach him from behind and simply try and touch the hem of his garment. She would have known about the stories of his healing and might have hoped the same for herself. “If I but touch his clothes I will be made well,” she said, barely daring, after so many other failures, to believe.

And immediately, as she touched his clothes, she felt in her body the bleeding stop, and she was healed. But the story does not end there. At the same time, Jesus turned and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” The disciples were amazed. How could Jesus know of such a thing in such a crush of people? But Jesus did realize, and his perception caused the woman to fall down before him and admit the truth, admit that she had touched the hem of his garment, trusting that that would be enough to heal her. She spoke her faith, timid though it was, and Jesus replied, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your disease.”

Also, at that same moment, as the woman was healed and sent forth, Jairus received the news he was most dreading. People from his home arrived, running, to tell him that his daughter has died. Actually, Mark’s gospel puts it more bluntly. “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” Imagine, if you can, having journeyed to find Jesus, received his assent, and then been stopped by another in need, a hemorrhaging woman no less, and having your fragile sense of faith, or trust in Jesus, dashed. It would have been like being smacked across the face, or punched in the stomach.

But, just as Jesus knew he had been touched by the woman, so, too, he also knew what the people were saying to Jairus, and he interjected - with one of the most elemental messages of his ministry. “Do not fear, only believe.” And Jairus, who had come daring to believe, held onto his faith.

Then they continued to Jairus’ home, and arriving found the people who had been caring for the girl, overcome with grief. Jesus then told them that the girl was only sleeping. But those who had suffered along with the child could only laugh at his preposterous assumption. Then along with her parents, Jesus went into the girl’s bedroom and restored her to life, saying “Talitha cum” which means “Little girl, get up.” And immediately she did as he said, and all were amazed.

Healing stories? Miracle stories? Perhaps they are one and the same. But, what can we learn from them?

- That the presence of human faith, no matter how hesitant, coupled with God’s ability to heal can cause miracles.
- That it is never too late to believe and there is never a reason to stop believing – despite all appearances.
- That together with human faith, Jesus and God can enable preposterous happenings.
- That God knows when we are hurting and when we reach out.
- “Do not fear, only believe.” A teaching for Jairus, and for all of us. Believe. Believe enough to come and ask for help. Believe, even if only enough to try and touch a garment’s hem.
- Lastly, do not fear interruptions, for God’s grace is not bound to human time, or human conditions, nor is God’s grace limited to the righteous. “The well have no need of a physician,” Jesus taught, “but the sick. I came to save sinners,” to save those considered by society – whatever that is – as unworthy.

Now I’d like to change gears and tell you a true story about a modern day miracle, enacted by a child.

“A little girl named Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in her closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Then, placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way six blocks to Rexall’s Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention. But he was too busy. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally, she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

“And what do you want?” the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. “I’m talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven’t seen in ages,” he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

“Well, I want to talk to you about my brother.” Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. “He’s really sick…and I want to buy a miracle.”
“I beg your pardon?” said the pharmacist.
“His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?”
“We don’t sell miracles here, little girl. I’m sorry I can’t help you,” the pharmacist said, softening a little.
“Listen, I have money to pay for it. If it isn’t enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.”

The pharmacist’s brother was a well-dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, “What kind of a miracle does your brother need?”

”I don’t know,” Tess replied, with her eyes welling up. “I just know he’s really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can’t pay for it, so I want to use my money.”
“How much do you have?” asked the man from Chicago.
“One dollar and eleven cents,” Tess answered barely audibly.
“And it’s all the money I have, but I can get more if I need to.”

“What a coincidence,” smiled the man. “A dollar and eleven cents --- the exact price of a miracle for little brothers”. And he took her money in one hand and grasped her other, and said, “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the miracle you need.”

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon who specialized in neurosurgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn’t long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

The faith of a small child and a coincidence – or was it grace? Children believe that all things are possible. As we face dark places personally – as a country – or as a planet, whenever, we need to trust that with God, (that means us and God working together) with God, all things are possible.

As I say that, I also feel I need to add something. I also realize that unlike our stories today our prayers may not always be answered as we expect. What about the boy or girl who is not healed? What do we do when our prayers seem to go unanswered? Theologian, Frederick Buechner has responded to this question as follows:

“Who knows? Just keep praying, Jesus says. Even if the child dies, keep on beating the path to God’s door, because the one thing you can be sure of is that down the path you beat, with even your most half-cocked and halting prayer, the God you call upon will finally come, and even if he/she does not bring you the answer you want, God will bring Godself. And maybe at the secret heart of all our prayers, that is what we are really praying for.”

I don’t know what you believe about miracles, in scripture or beyond, but I do know scripture can be read and understood in many ways.

Personally, I do not know enough to negate the possibility of miracles happening just as they were described. But for those of you who tend to be more skeptical, consider this.

Think for a moment about another miracle, the story of the Feeding of the 5000. Seeing that people were hungry, Jesus told the disciples to go and feed the people. The disciples went and shared all they had. You remember, two little fishes and five loaves of bread. And, in the end, when they had passed the baskets throughout the crowd, there remained twelve baskets - full of bread and fish.

A magical multiplying? Or was it a miracle worked - through the hands of the disciples and those in the crowd? Think about it. Had you been in that crowd, and seen someone share all they had, might not you –if you already had enough for your family – might not you, share a little of your own? Imagine those who had enough adding in, and those without, helping themselves.

When people share and do not hoard, and when they are poor and far from home – isn’t that also a miracle. If we could better learn to share what we have – wouldn’t that also be a miracle?

Then there is the story of the healing of the paralytic – a man brought to Jesus by friends who believed. People acting in faith have been instrumental in the working of miracles. And so, I believe, it continues.

Miracles are not about God waving a magic wand, and saying “abracadabra”. Our God would rather join hands with us, work with us, and enable us to be the Body of Christ bringing miracles to be in this world.

Have you ever dared to really put yourself into God’s hands – called to God from the depths of your life? Have you ever reached out hesitantly, just enough to touch a hem? If so, then perhaps these words from Patrick Overton may ring true to you.

“When you come to the edge of all light that you know, and are about to step out in the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen: either there will be something solid to stand upon, or you will be taught how to fly.”

Do not fear, only believe. Our world badly needs us to act in faith, not in fear. Amen.
Benediction:
Jesus said you ought always to pray and not to faint. Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger women and men.
Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, but for power equal to your tasks.
Then the doing of your work will be no miracle – you will be the miracle.
Every day you will wonder at yourself and the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God.

In the name of our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, Amen.