Almost 20 years ago, realizing that he was dying, my brother asked me to help him choose a scripture that could be shared at his memorial. Inasmuch as it was a difficult request for him to make (and for me to hear), it was an even greater moment of grace and presence for me, and I am convinced for him as well. Mark’s gospel story (Mark 5: 21-43) of Jairus daughter and the woman with a hemorrhage had always been a favorite of mine, mainly because it was a story of a miracle within a miracle. So this was the one I first read to my brother, Troy. After I finished, he said in his matter of fact manner, “I like that.”
In the Gospel of Mark, we hear that Jesus “crosses” to the other side of the lake, gets out of the boat, there’s a big CROWD and Jesus stays near the water (powerful symbols). A man approaches him and requests that he come to see, touch, and heal his daughter, who is sick to the point of death. Jesus responds by heading off with the man and the large crowd in tow.
Then, we are told that there is a woman in the crowd who has been “afflicted” for 12 years, and she believes that if she but touches Jesus’ clothes, she would be healed. She manages to do this and is immediately healed. Jesus, almost in a startled fashion, realizing that healing power has “gone out” from him, asks who it was that touched him, which seemed a curious question to the disciples since the crowd was so large and encroaching.
Here’s one of the many interesting elements in the story. The woman approaches Jesus from BEHIND, touches his cloak and is healed. Then, after realizing she is healed, she approaches Jesus directly and tells him “the whole truth!” Astounded by her faith, Jesus confirms her and sends her off, healed of her “affliction.”
In the meantime, some of the friends of the man, who had requested that Jesus heal his daughter, show up and inform him that his daughter has died and that there was no sense in bothering Jesus any further. Now this really puts Jesus off. He has just had an intimate experience of faith and healing with this woman, and now the crowd is saying that this little girl, who has seemingly died, is not worth the bother of Jesus.
And this is the point of the story that my brother had keyed in on when he heard it, and said “I like that.” In the current New American Bible translation, it says that Jesus, dismissing the report of the girl’s death (and in fact the crowd’s reaction to it), turns to the father of the girl and says ““Do not be afraid; just have faith.” The bible, which I was reading from to my brother 20 years ago translated the passage as “Fear is useless, what is needed is faith!’ And it was this very blunt yet powerful statement that spoke to my brother at that moment. The directness of Jesus in response to what seemed to be a hopeless situation was what gave my brother both strength and comfort to face his life and death.
Needless to say, I tend to like this “translation” of the scripture story as well. Of course, we know that the story continues with Jesus, along with a few of his disciples, entering the house of the girl, commenting about the weeping and commotion that was going on, and again acting in exasperation. After actually being ridiculed by those causing a commotion in the house, Jesus finally clears the house completely of everyone except the child’s parents and the disciples that were with him. Then comes the healing touch. Jesus awakens the “sleeping girl” and calls her forth to arise. And we are told that the child of 12 years of age (which by the way is the exact number of years that the woman suffered with affliction)…the little girl rises and begins walking around. Jesus then tells those present to give her something to eat!
How often are we pessimistic about outcomes? Do our preconceived notions and fears of the way things appear to be confine our ability to be present to possibilities of being healed…I mean REALLY healed. How many different ways can we be healed? How many creative ways can we heal one another? In this story, Jesus was touched, and then he touched – both resulting in healing and wholeness. This miracle-within-a-miracle story is bracketed by the “crowds” of negativity and pessimism, both of which although can be, and very often are so, destructive. But these “crowds” do not stand a chance in the face of the pure presence of faithfulness, hope and love! 12 years of death and 12 years of life!
Fear is useless precisely because of the inestimable power of faithfully seeking healing, being healed, and giving healing, in whatever mysterious or unexpected manner that it may arrive. May we only be present and give each other “something to eat!”
Peace,
Thomas