Day 932 - Little Girl, Get Up And Eat!

A Sermon Shared With The Urban Outreach Ministry, June 30, 2015, Chattanooga, TN

OT Reading: 2 Samuel: 1:1-27
NT Reading: Mark 5:21-34

A person ought to wonder about several things first when carefully reading scripture and trying to make sense of it. For example, “What has just happened in the previous verses?” What is going on at the time of the passage? Is there anything important about the historical situation and how does it bear on us now?

Other questions help understanding a passage. One important one is, “Are we reading a complete event or message, or do we read only a fragment of a larger story?” This helps us avoid what is called, “proof texting.” Proof texting uses a one-liner for a sweeping, and often erroneous generalization. For example, “There are no women in heaven because Revelation 8:1 says, ‘When the lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.’”

Through Chapters 3-6, Mark is telling us about the Kingdom of God, and the interrelationship of faith and being called to believe by the Holy Spirit.

This passage of Mark looks clearly like a complete story because it is what is called a “Markan Sandwich.” There are two stories, one enclosed within another, as we will see.”

What important event(s) happened preceding the text. Jesus has just cast out a demon from the Gerasene demoniac who was so violent he was chained up in a graveyard, but persisted in breaking his chains. . When Jesus confronts the possessed man, the man, or the demon possessing him shouts, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” (See Mark 1:21-26; in his first sermon, Jesus confronts a possessed man who demons address Jesus, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? … I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” Jesus casts out the man’s demons and they possess pigs that run off a cliff into the sea. The swineherd went to the city and told everyone what had happened and when they all went out to see, the found the demoniac pleasantly sitting there in his right mind. The people were afraid (Greek word means in fearful reverence, as if in the presence of God). They asked Jesus to leave their place, except the demoniac who asked if he could accompany Jesus. Jesus told him not, rather go home and tell of God’s grace and mercy to him.

A second theme Mark constantly uses is that crowds always beset Jesus.

This is where our passage begins. They leave the area of Gerasene and travel by boat back to the other shore and a large crowd meets them:

Mark 5:21   When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. 

What have we learned? A large crowd greets Jesus is greeted by a large crowd and he is by the sea (of Galilee). He must be about to teach.

Now, to appreciate the remaining verses, we need to recall that we are about to read a Markan Sandwich. Biblical scholars have argued long and hard about Mark.

Up until the latter part of the last century, many respectable scholars said Mark was a poorly constructed Gospel. Mark uses “street Greek,” not the polished and grammatically precise style of Greek literature. Often it seems he forgets important details, or gets them wrong.

But now almost all people who study Mark realize not only is it probably the earliest Gospel, it weaves a very powerful and carefully composed exposition of the Gospel, presenting the core themes of faith, Divine action and human frailty in dramatic fashion that stretched the readers mind. Perhaps its vernacular aims at an audience of the disadvantaged and oppressed? One of his literary devices is the “story sandwich.”

One line of thought to understand why Mark uses these “sandwiches” is that the inner story is an illustration that conveys the full meaning of the outer story.

Let's see if that works here.

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. 

Jairus is “one of the leaders of the synagogue.” This means he is not a priest or a scribe, but probably some lay person who holds special credibility and standing in the congregation.

How does the reaction of Jairus differ from that of the folks from the city of Gerasene? Jairus seems to appreciate who Jesus is and rather than flee or ask him to leave, he entreats Jesus to aid his dying daughter so she may be made well, and live(!).

So Jesus decides to put the crowd aside and go with him to his house but the crowd is not too happy.

Now Mark puts Jairus and his daughter aside and begins a new story.

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. 

The text suggests the woman in the crowd suffering for 12 years has a gynecological condition.  Recall our questions to ask about the text. What is the nature of the setting? Any Jew hearing this story would know two things about this woman. Her vaginal bleeding makes her ritually unclean. She cannot go into the temple, and she is probably childless, either because her condition prevents her from conceiving, or because her husband, or any person is forbidden to touch her because it would make them ritually unclean. Furthermore, she is dying, getting 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.” 

What similarity between the hemorrhaging woman and the situation with Jairus do you see?

Jairus and the woman know Jesus can heal. Both have taken the initiative to seek out Jesus. Jairus’ daughter and the hemorrhaging woman are both dying.

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?’” 

Immediately this woman gives hope for Jairus,  she has been healed. Is Jesus upset because he realizes someone who is ritually unclean has touched and made him unclean? No, no word of ritual purity comes forth. Jesus feels as if a little bit of Grace has leak out. Some interpreters say negatively that the woman has “taken” some of the power of Jesus, weakening his healing power. However, I suspect Jesus knows what has happened. His disciples think he is a little off, saying, “Look at all the people pressing up against us, how can you say ‘who’ touched me?’” But Jesus persists:

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.”

 We have come across these Greek words, “Fear and trembling” before. The words mean that she is deathly afraid being in the presence of God. In Philippians 2:12-13, Paul uses similar words to convey the same message, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” The philosopher, Kierkegaard made them famous because how one makes their being, or place in the world has serious implications for salvation.

Jesus tells her, “Your faith has made you well, go in peace.” In spite of her understanding of and faith in Jesus’ identity, like the Gerasene demoniac, Jesus sends her away, and we return to Jairus’ story and bad news.

Mark 5:35   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.” 

As soon as we get into the innards of the sandwich, the story of the hemorrhaging woman, it ends.  And we pick up the story of Jesus and Jairus leaving for Jairus  home, we hear from guests the daughter is dead already. What does the story of the hemorrhaging woman amplify about these words? (This story bears some resemblance to the story of Lazarus in John 11:1-44).  With the healed woman’s fear hanging in the air, Jesus tells Jairus, “Do not fear, only believe.”

A lesson awaits us.

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).

 The theme of secrecy continues, Jesus prevents everyone bout Jairus  his wife and his three trusted disciples to come along. He calls her in Aramaic to arise (The Greek word is “arise” the same word used by the man dressed in white at the tomb of Jesus after his crucifixion. “He is not here, he has been raised.”)

Look at what Jesus did. He touched the dead girl’s hand. Again he violates the purity code. In fact, throughout Mark and most of the Gospel, Jesus shows particular disregard for the purity laws.

Do you see any other connection to the hemorrhaging woman? She was dying but was healed. She was an older woman. Talitha is a younger girl. Being twelve years old signifies she is at the onset of child bearing age and eligible for marriage in Jesus’ day. A woman who was barren has been made fertile, a child who was of fertile age but dead has been raised.

In both cases, what was the operating principle? Faith. Why did the woman have faith? Why did Jairus have faith? Mark expects us to make the connection, the Holy Spirit was working on them both.

Now there is one more possible part of this story that bears more similarity to the parables. A message is being given that is obscure and perhaps only understood by the insiders.

Twelve is a significant number to a Jew. It has profound religious significance numbering the tribes of Israel. Following this, we may ask how does the hemorrhaging woman and the 12 year old child bear on Israel?

The dying woman and the disregard of Jesus for the purity laws could be a set-piece for Israel that is a dying nation succumbing to the rigid and inflexible demand to follow the law rather than to let the law be written on one’s hear reflecting a way of living. (See Jeremiah 4: 1-4). The 12-year young girl could be the faithful remnant of Isaiah 6: 1-13. While we may not feel the power of this sub-current, a Jew knowing the scripture, especially Rabbis and scribes, would surely perceive this parallel implication of the action of Jesus to the fate of Israel, if, their ears and mind are open to the Spirit. Jesus represents the salvation of Israel, the Messiah.

And how does this “sandwich end?

42b 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.

Again, amazement, the same word that describes the fear and displacement of the mind from its ordinary state and self-possession into terrifying knowledge, or ecstasy of being the presence of the Lord. Jesus, unlike the Gerasene demonic, enforces the divine secret, telling everyone in the room (the three disciples, Jairus and his wife) to tell no one. And to prove she is alive, she is given something to eat. (Remember that upon appearing to the disciples in Luke 24:34-43 and John 21:1-14 Jesus ate fish validating he was alive and well.)

What should we take away from Mark’s masterful creation of a multi-layers exposition of the nature of faith, Kingdom of God and hope for Israel?

I bring you back to some questions to think about. Why did the woman and Jairus  apparently alone of his party, believe Jesus could help? What about the people who came from the house of Jairus to tell him and Jesus not to bother to hurry because the child is already dead? I bring you back to the crowd with everyone pressing in on Jesus when the disciples expressed consternation that Jesus would wonder who touched him. Why did Jesus sense the woman touching him? Why didn’t others of the crowd gain healing when they brushed against Jesus? Why were the woman and the others who recognized who Jesus is (even the demons) afraid? Does Philippians 2:13-14, help understand this fear? Taking the Gerasene demoniac into account, what does this story tell us about the Holy Spirit and those who fear of the Kingdom of God? Could it be that the ones who fear the Kingdom of God are the ones who do not believe?

Amen

Day 924 - I've Got Your Back

A Reflection for the Urban Outreach Ministry, June 23, 2015, Chattanooga, TN

Gospel Reading: Mark 4:35-41

There are many ways to interpret this passage. It helps to put it in context.

We have been reading the verses of Mark leading up to this passage. Jesus has been explaining to the crowds the nature of the Kingdom of God through parables. The parables of Jesus, as we learned, are really riddles meant to provide a context to understand the Kingdom of God.

Jesus has taught us that we have no power to bring the Kingdom of God to the world or even to enter it. On the first hand, Jesus brought the Kingdom of God to us. On the second hand, we can only enter the Kingdom of God through the action of the Holy Spirit when it calls us to the Kingdom.

If you deny the Holy Spirit, or fail to listen for it, you will not hear the call. You are stuck in the Kingdom of the World.

Just before the events of this passage, Jesus explained to the Disciples the reasons for the parables, and as they were able, he explained the mystery of the Kingdom to them. We use the word mystery in its true sense, hidden knowledge possessed by insiders whom Jesus has informed.

Now after ministering to great crowds beside the Sea of Galilee, the disciples have the full explanation of the purpose of Jesus. Jesus decides it is time for a respite and bids them to get into their boat for the other side where they will go into the mountains and talk more.

The sea, even a big lake, like our Great Lakes, is a dangerous place, even for fishermen who have experience. They know the sea is an unpredictable, terrifying place respected especially with care.

Furthermore, if you live in the desert-like place of Palestine, you have other worrisome fear of water and storms. Other than sailing on a large lake at night, the worst place to be is in a wadi in the desert near the mountains when a storm is threatening. Water runs off the mountain in torrents. In a matter of minutes the wadi transforms from a dry creek bed to a raging river washing every loose object in sight away.

But the sea is their place of work so they do as Jesus bids and sail towards the far shore. Jesus decides to take a well deserved nap.

(I certainly get the idea that Jesus has set up this situation, given that he has just explained to the Disciples who he is and what is his purpose.)

A storm arises, typical of the reality of living on the sea at night. The language of the Greek text suggests the boat is swamped by the water and on the verge of sinking.

The disciples wake Jesus terrified and perhaps outraged he has led them out into a dangerous situation where their lives are threatened. He in turn stills the storm saving everyone from danger.

Jesus shows what seems a little bit of frustration, even anger, or at least astonishment that the Disciples seem to have failed to hear what Jesus has just told them. “Don’t you remember anything I told you? Don’t you believe anything I’ve told you? What is the problem? Why are you afraid?”

The disciples asked for protection. Perhaps Jesus did not expect them to ask, but to know truly he would protect them?

The disciples have experienced something beyond their expectation of reality. Should they be surprised, having experiencing such things as they travel with Jesus and the crowds? Maybe hearing and seeing is not always enough for believing? Perhaps they really were not taking what Jesus said as seriously He?

There is something to this story beyond the experience of the disciples that is pertinent today. Perhaps Mark knows there is something else here to understand because we know the end of this story. Jesus faced the ultimate threat of extinction, of death and of denial by his adversaries but overcame those threats in a reversal of power that defeated death.

We know we are called to walk in this world as Jesus walked. We are called to extend the collegiality and love to everyone that Jesus did, and to honor the Lord as the source of all good gifts. We know that, don’t we?

So, why is it so hard for us actually to trust Him at his word. Why are you worried? Do the birds worry because the Lord does not take care of them? Then why do you, for whom he cares exceptionally so?

The irony is that we look for power where it does not lie and refuse to go to the places where power rests.

Last week a horrible event occurred. A young man went into a church desiring to “start a revolution” by killing nine African-American worshippers who were meeting in Bible study.

Yet, the public comments reflected overwhelmingly a solidarity with the families of those who lost friends and loved ones in the shooting. But there are so many negative Facebook posts and letters to the editor and comments on TV. Liberals were calling for repentance for collective guilt. Some African-Americans were calling for harsh action and talking as if all “white” folks carried some culpability for this act. Others, thankfully a very small number, thought the shooter did not do enough. Some politicians went out of the way to avoid acknowledging the evil in this act, or the possibility that some people cling to symbols of history as symbols of hate.

One only needs to look around to see that there is a pervasive attitude in our culture that is dissonant to all theses calls for solidarity. They are reflected in the hostile use of labels to categorize people into easily identified boxes. This is not all that different than the language of racism and religious bigotry. (Far more damage has been done in the name of religion than the loss of these nine lives by this one hell-bent person.)

Perhaps the thing to take away from this is the action of the families of the nine victims who confronted the shooter in court. They did not call for damnation and execution (though the South Carolina governor was quick to do that). Do you know what they did?

They forgave him. Here are three comments taken from a New York Times article.

““You took something very precious away from me,” said Nadine Collier, daughter of 70-year-old Ethel Lance, her voice rising in anguish. “I will never talk to her ever again. I will never be able to hold her again. But I forgive you. And have mercy on your soul.”

“You have killed some of the most beautifulest people that I know,” (the mother of Tywanza Sanders) said in a quavering voice. “Every fiber in my body hurts, and I will never be the same. Tywanza Sanders is my son, but Tywanza was my hero... But as we say in Bible study, we enjoyed you. But may God have mercy on you.”

“I acknowledge that I am very angry,” said Bethane Middleton-Brown, sister of one of the victims, DePayne Middleton-Doctor. But “she taught me that we are the family that love built. We have no room for hating.”

We want to gauge this event through the lens of the world, but these comments are voices of great power, the same power Jesus used to defeated death, Rome and evil. It is the power of faith so strong it can do the ultimate. Trust that Jesus has our back.

Not many of us have that power. We want to trust the ballot box, our President, the local policeman, the president of our club, the power of our guns, even our own strength because we do not listen and do not hear the words of this passage. We must answer the two questions in verse 40 in the affirmative. We are afraid, and we have no faith.

Many of us are blind to the progress we have made in improving the plight of the poor and oppressed. The killings last week have a special impact because they open eyes that have not seen at a time when having sight is a heavy burden that may obscure the hope behind it, or wake us up. I have always recalled the discourse between the Lord and Isaiah as he was called in Isaiah 6:1-13. Here are the words, somewhat abridged:

“I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.  And one called to another and said:

            “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;

            the whole earth is full of his glory.”

The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

Then one of the seraphs … touched my mouth with (a hot coal) and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out…And he said, “Go and say to this people:

            ‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend;

            keep looking, but do not understand.’

            Make the mind of this people dull,

                        and stop their ears,

                        and shut their eyes,

            so that they may not look with their eyes,

                        and listen with their ears,

            and comprehend with their minds,

                        and turn and be healed.”

            Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said:

            “Until cities lie waste

                        without inhabitant,

            and houses without people,

                        and the land is utterly desolate;

            until the LORD sends everyone far away,

                        and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the land.

            Even if a tenth part remain in it,

                        it will be burned again,

            like a terebinth or an oak

                        whose stump remains standing

                        when it is felled.”

            The holy seed is its stump.

I look back on the past half century or so and see that great strides have been made to lay waste to the underlying attitudes that made the several thousand year old institution of slavery a reality. It still persists in the world but it is dying.

The governor of South Carolina is calling to take down the Confederate battle flag from the state capitol, as is Senator Corker. But hearts need to change. How shall we do it?

The only way to do it is to use the power those church members have.

How many of us challenge racially bigoted statements with hostility when they are made, rather than invite a person who expresses them out to lunch to talk about it? More importantly, how many of our congregations have active programs in the primarily African-American and Hispanic neighborhoods that offer housing in their homes for the destitute?

How many of us treat the destitute as brothers and sisters rather than just complain about how hard are their lives but avoid them? How many of us trust that Jesus has our back when we lend a hand to help, and how many of us look at his two great commandments and choose death, not life?

How many of us hear when it is said, “’Who will go up to heaven for us, and get (this commandment) …’ ‘Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.”  Is your heart circumcised to the Lord?  The only ones subject to these calamities are those who are not listening.

The families of the people killed in Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston certainly seem to get it. They have that faith. May we all aspire to hold the power they have.

There is a person sitting in a jail cell in Charleston that fully understands the power that overturned the power he thought he held in his hands. Today he sits in jail on suicide watch, much like Judas after betraying Jesus. May God rest his soul as he has those of his victims.

Amen