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Deacon Linda M. Scales
Our Savior, Martinez
4227 Columbia Road
Martinez, GA 30907
706-863-1718
Proper 8, Pentecost 4
June 28, 2009
If I wanted to choose a Gospel to assist a new Christian, or talk with someone who was trying to understand the value of following Jesus, I would gladly choose this particular Gospel. This Gospel includes three important elements: the power of trusting in Jesus, the many ways Jesus can make a life-changing difference in our lives, and the value of interruptions, or the interpretation of interruptions.
First, let’s look at the context of today’s story. After a day of healing and teaching, Jesus told the disciples to get into the boat and cross the sea of Galilee. Jesus was exhausted and fell asleep, not at all aware that a storm was coming. When the storm turned to a heavy squall that could capsize their boat, the disciples woke Jesus and plead for help. Jesus calmed the storm, and they safely arrived on shore. You heard about the importance of having Jesus in your boat in last week’s sermon.
When they got on shore, a “man with an evil spirit,” or a deranged man ran up to them from where he lived in the cemetery. You probably remember this story but picture what it would have looked like and what it sounded like. Jesus directed the evil spirits to go into a heard of 2,000 pigs. The pigs then jumped off a cliff and were drowned. The next sound and sight is angry and frightened townspeople who want Jesus to get out of their neighborhood. I’ve always wondered what Jesus had against those pigs and their owners.
Anyway, it’s back in the boat, and time to seek out for another shoreline. When they landed this time, a distraught father and leader of the Jewish synagogue, fell at Jesus’ feet and begged healing for his daughter. What amazing faith he had to humble himself in front of the townspeople and the itinerate preacher, Jesus. He had faith in Jesus to make a difference in the life of his daughter. Jesus said: “Do not fear, only believe,” and proceeded to go to the daughter. The group of people who had been watching this unfold, were so curious, they crowded around Jesus to go along and see what would happen. Could Jesus heal Jairus’ daughter, or would he make a fool of himself? Either way the crowd did not want to miss the action.
Then we hear of the new dynamic in the story. A woman who had had a blood flow for 12 years approached Jesus and touched the hem of his robe. How could he tell that? There were a lot of people crushed against him. Somehow he knew that his healing power had gone out to someone. She must have been terrified. She knew that she was not to touch or be touched when she had a flow of blood. She was ritually unclean, and should stay isolated so as not to defile anyone coming in contact with her. For 12 lonely years she had not been touched by anyone. She probably expected to be cast out or punished for her bold action, but she told Jesus of her struggle to be made well by the doctors in the village. What a surprise it was when Jesus called her “daughter,” and told her that her faith had made her well. This is the power of trusting in Jesus.
How shocking it was for the townspeople to see Jesus make this kind of extension to a woman who was an outcast. It was one thing to help the religious leader’s family, but this woman? Her faith in Jesus led to a life-changing experience for her. Her healing meant total restoration within the community. Jesus’ action demonstrated that relationships have a far higher priority than rules. Jesus didn’t care that she was nameless, poor and female. She crossed boundaries to get to Jesus, and experience healing. Fortunately for her, Jesus also crossed boundaries of purity codes, cultural mores, and convention. Jesus made it OK for anyone to approach him.
Jesus is now free to continue his trip to Jairus’ house, but he is met with mourners, and people telling him not to waste his time because the girl is dead. Did healing the woman cause a delay that cost the girl’s life? Jesus told Jairus “Do not be afraid, only have faith.” The Jewish father, who had just witnessed the woman healed, is a model of faith and trust in Jesus. He didn’t give up on Jesus’ power. What a challenge that must have been when he had heard that his daughter was dead. To the crowd Jesus told: “She is not dead, but sleeping.” Of course they laughed because many of them had seen the dead body.
Jesus did have the power over life and death. He told the girl to get up, and she did. To prove that she was totally alive, Jesus instructed them to give her food to eat.
In both of these stories we see healing as a result of faith. We also see healing as the result of a personal encounter between the power of God in Jesus and the individual. God does have life-changing power when we have faith and trust. Do not be afraid, have faith and believe.
In the beginning I mentioned that this Gospel teaches me three things: the power of trusting in Jesus, there are many ways Jesus can make a life-changing difference in our lives, and the value of interruptions. I don’t think I’m unique when I say that when I am engrossed in some task or project, I don’t like to be interrupted. I really like to follow through with MY plans. When I was writing this sermon, I kept getting phone calls from people who needed immediate information, or required me to get involved in something I had not planned to do. I had to laugh at the many interruptions! Since I had just written that there is value in interruptions, I tried to view the interruptions more positively, but with mixed results. Funny I have never read in the Gospels that Jesus got really irritated at the multitude of interruptions he experienced on any given day.
Consider Jesus’ interruptions in this series of stories. First, Jesus is trying to take a break and get away from the crowds. His rest aboard ship is interrupted by a storm and the request for intervention. When he arrived he was almost assaulted by the seemingly mad man running out of the cemetery. His planned stay is interrupted by people chasing him away. Then on his next stop he is greeted by the Jewish leader pleading with him to heal his daughter. As he tries to respond to this request, a woman takes his healing power without even consulting Jesus. Fortunately mourners telling Jesus that the girl had died did not interrupt his goal of healing the daughter.
Could it be there really is a value in being interrupted? We can refuse to give in to the inconveniences of changed schedules. We can stick to our “to do” lists, and not answer the phone. We can ignore people who may be seeking out help. We can avoid the inconvenience of going to the soup kitchen, spending a weekend with troubled teenagers, and not help out at Church by cooking, serving, or praying for other people. We can do that. We can claim to be God’s people without listening to hear if it is really God who is interrupting us.
When parents are interrupted by their children, that may be the most important way to spend time. We may need to take time to listen to each other, even when that is not written on the schedule. The interpretation of our interruptions may be far more important than our original plan. The interruption may provide an opportunity to serve Christ. Our chances to serve don’t usually come at convenient times. Interruptions are probably the stuff of Christian discipleship. Our lifestyles involve so much noise, it’s easy not to hear the voices that call out for help. Our hearts contain concerns for a wide variety of issues, it’s easy not to sense another’s grief or pain.
God does not seem too impressed with consistent schedules, or our attempts to live orderly lives. God seems to think it more important that we love and care for those who journey with us, whatever that looks like. You may have heard the comment: “If you want to make God laugh, just tell God your plan.” If we really walk with Jesus, things probably won’t go as we plan. And to that we can say: “Thanks be to God.”