Restoring Daughters to Zion.

A sermon for July2, 2006

Mark 5:21-43

Thursday evening, Sam and I came over here and brought our son, Andy and his wife to see the building. Andy stood right down here and did a slow turn around, looking at the walls, ceiling and mural. And he said, “I’ve been here before.” I smiled and told him, “Yes, you have. When you were about 11 or 12 years old we came here for a Fisherfolk concert.”

That would have been back in 1984 or ‘85. And I’ll tell you right now that if you had told me then that I would ever be a priest in the Episcopal church (or any other church) I would have laughed in your face. Not that the thought hadn’t crossed my mind once, but it was impossible - just like the raising of a dead child. And if you’d told me that I would ever be standing in this sanctuary, beneath this mural, as rector (priest in charge), I’d have had you committed because that wouldn’t just be impossible, it’d be insane.

Even when I was ordained, I was convinced that I was destined to serve a small little mission in an out of the way place like Palacios or Marlin - you know, with about 30 or 40 people. But God has a sense of humor - I once said I’d never do college ministry, so I ended up in Huntsville - with a thriving, growing parish and a primary responsibility for campus ministry. Okay, so how’d I end up here - Sam, you know it’s your fault

- you’re the one who kept saying: “life’s too short to live in Houston.” But you see, with Jesus, anything is possible.

Our gospel lesson today proves that. It is about desperation, last chances and grace beyond anything we thought we could hope for. We have the story of two desperate people, whose last hope is the itinerant preacher from Nazareth - Jesus. And it is a story of restoration.

One of the things that we have to remember is the understanding of illness among Jews in the time of Jesus. Illness was a sign of sin - remember the question the disciples asked Jesus about the blind man? “Who sinned? This man or his parents...” That was the understanding of the day illness and defects were the result of sin.

So here is Jarius - a leader of the synagogue and his daughter was ill to the point of death. Being a parent, I know the anguish of seeing your child suffer. It doens’t matter if it’s physical or emotional. We don’t like to see our children suffer - and most often we would do anything to save them from pain or anguish. I remember the pain and anguish I heard in my son’s voice the night he called us so concerned about a procedure the doctors were going to try on his 3 day old son - a two month preemie. It tears your heart out

So Jarius, an elected synagogue official, a father worried about his 12 year old daughter, comes to Jesus and falls down before him pleading - “save my little girl.” Jesus - forever in tune with human need and suffering - responds by going with Jarius.

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And the crowd, perceiving that Jesus is going to work another miracle presses to keep up as they go down the dusty street. And here we find the second desperate person. The nameless woman has suffered for 12 years - she has tried every cure possible and ssuffered as the hands of physicians intent on curing her. Again - remember that in this culture, illness is the result of sin - so there is shame and guilt mixed in with the pain and suffering. She has hear the stories about Jesus. She thinks if she can just touch the hem of his robe, she can be cured. So she weaves through the crowd and moves closer and closer until she can just reach out and touch his robe - and a miracle happens. She knows that she has been healed - instantly, without ceremony. And then she tries to steal away, with her stolen gift of healing.

Now Jesus has felts the healing power go out of his body and he stops. “Who touched me?” As far as the disciples are concerned, that’s a pretty silly question - “lots of people have touched you - look at the

crowd. They’re touching all of us...” But Jesus knows that power has gone out - someone has been healed.

My second year in Huntsville, we got a new student - I’ll call her Judy. Judy wasn’t an Episcopalian - >she was from another mainline denomination. Her roommate was attending the ESC and brought her along one night. She was accepted into that body of Christ and given the code to get in the door. She told someone one day that she had come over the night before and stolen some food. I over heard the statement, and assured her that the food was there for her - she couldn’t steal it because in essence - it was hers. It took a while, but we finally convinced her that she wasn’t stealing because the food was placed there all the students - including her.

I think this story about the woman is not unlike the story of Judy. She thinks she’s gotten away with something. But Jesus singles her out - “who was it that touched me.” And she comes to him, bowing down just a Jarius had done, and tells him the story. Most likely she expected to be yelled at, sent away, or maybe even thrashed for daring to reach out. Look at how many things she has done wrong: 1) she’s in a public place while being in an unclean state. 2) she’s reached out and touched a man

who is not kin to her. 3) she’s caused him to be unclean by her touch. 4) she’s stopped him on an important journey.

But Jesus does not reprimand her - instead he calls her “daughter - your faith has made you well” - go in peace and be healed.” This woman is assured of her place in God’s family – her healing – and her acceptance by all people.

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At this time, people from Jarius’ house come and tell him his daughter is dead - don’t bother the teacher - there’s nothing he can do now. But once again Jesus responds in an unexpected way. He tells Jarius - “Do not fear - only believe.” In essence he’s saying, you just saw what faith can do, trust that it can happen for you, too. The people laugh at him - it’s ridiculous to think that the dead can come to life again. But Jesus presses on. He leaves everyone out on the street - tosses out the professional mourners. He takes only Peter, James and John and the parents of the little girl. He takes her hand as says, “little girl, get up.” - and she does. It’s as simple as that. She gets up and they give her something to eat.

Jesus was in the process of changing the value system of the day. Illness is not always the result of sin. It can be - it’s amazing what people will do to their bodies today through neglect or abuse or from addictions. Some of us could eat healthier and could exercise more, but even the nicest and most conscientious people get sick. It’s part of life - it happens - and most often it’s not your own fault. But Jesus shows us through these healing that God wants wholeness and healing for each of us.

As we read these stories, and as we deal with people we love who do not find complete physical healing, we have to remember that God doesn’t not view wholeness in the same way as we do.

I remember a woman from my home parish – as a young woman she had a stroke. When she finally went home from the hospital, she only had partial use of one hand and was left with a vocal communication challenge. She had three young children to raise and this was very difficult with her disabilities. She taught me a lot about disabilities – how a person could have an idea and not be able to communicate it. She spent 7 years mad at God for not giving her a complete physical healing. But she finally grew to understand that she needed to learn to accept who she was and to know that God loved her regardless of her condition.

She was on a Cursillo team a number of years later and together with another woman – one in a wheelchair – lead a table discussion group. At one point in the weekend the question of sacraments came up and a discussion of healing ensued. Elizabeth and the other woman both talked about having been healed and the others at the table thought they were crazy. But they weren’t – they both knew the depth of the emotional healing that God had given them. Healing is not always physical.

One of the things that we notice about both Jarius and the woman – they were both desperate – there was no other avenue left to them. Sometimes we have to hit rock bottom before we ask for help. Jesus is always the answer. He is the one who can heal us of our afflictions – who can help us to begin to climb out of the holes we are in.

God always wants more for us that we can ask or believe – the woman not only was healed of her disease – but she was restored to her rightful place as a daughter in God’s family. And in the same way, Jarius received back his daughter – in perfect health. Two daughters restored.

What is it that God wants to give you? What healing in your life do you need? Where do you need to be restored to fullness of life. And this is

not necessarily just personal. Redeemer itself is not unlike these two daughters. I visited here when this church was packed to overflowing. It’s been through some rough times. And I know that the love and willing touch of Jesus can restore Redeemer to glory.

God is doing a new thing here at Redeemer. First of all he’s called a woman to stand in this place. And in doing that, he is telling us that the new Redeemer is not going to look like the old Redeemer. God has plans for us – for you and me. All the way through my walk with Christ, God has surprised me. He always takes me further than I think I can go. And it never looks exactly like what I thought it would look like. He’s brought me here through the understandings that I can minister – first in Kairos prison ministry, then at St. Luke’s hospital as a chaplain, as a missioner in college ministry and now here. Together -- through the love of Jesus, we can and will move forward together, exploring and discovering where God is calling us at this time, in this place.

Please feel free to comment. Send an email to me at nan@doerrworks.com