The Rev. Kenneth H. Saunders III
St. James Episcopal Church
Greeneville, TN
Year B - Proper 8 - July 1, 2018
The Gospel story this morning is interesting. There is actually a
story within a story... or is it a story within a story, within a story? For
the evangelist, Mark, this is a bit strange. See, Mark almost always gets
straight to the point and if you talk to some of our budding biblical scholars
in the Tuesday evening bible study, you’ll understand very quickly that Mark
usually doesn’t include a lot of extra details like we see here.
So if he is giving us this much detail, it’s probably something
that we should pay attention to. So, let’s take a closer look at the story
within the story within the story.
Jesus and the disciples have just endured the great storm.
Remember last week when the storm was tossing the boat around and all the
disciples in the boat were freaking out? They went to Jesus, who was on the
stern of the boat asleep, and woke him up. And Jesus got up and rebuked the
wind saying, “Peace, be still!”
Well, the portion of text we just heard follows that great storm.
Jesus is with a great crowd that has surrounded him. His reputation has
preceded him… The people have heard of Jesus and his great healing powers and
have come out to see for themselves. A leader from the nearby synagogue, a man
named Jairus, came by and asked Jesus to come with him and heal his daughter
who was very sick.
Jesus agrees and starts to go with Jairus through the crowd, and
that large crowd that was gathered started to press in on him. Here is where we
get to the story within the story… During all the commotion, the mingling and
the pressing in on each other, Jesus stops and asks, “who touched me?” The
disciples begin to think that he is crazy because they are surrounded by so
many how could they possibly know who touched him.
Jesus knew something had happened, even in all the busyness around
them. He felt the power go forth from him. A woman, who was sick with what the
scripture calls a hemorrhage, reaches out and touched the hem of his cloak…
because she thought that just by touching this amazing healer that it would be
able to make her well.
She had been under the care of physicians and spent all her money.
(some of us know what that’s like) However, with one touch, she felt that she was
cured of her disease. Who touched me? Jesus says… and the woman who was healed,
comes forth with fear and trembling and falls down before him. She explains
what happened and Jesus says very simply, "Daughter, your faith has made
you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."
And then the original story continues… with some who come from the
house of Jairus to tell him that it is too late, that his daughter was already
dead, not to bother Jesus any longer. Jesus tell Jairus to believe and takes
him with Peter, James, and John to the house. When they arrive at the house,
they see lot of commotion, weeping and wailing. Jesus asks them why they are
weeping and carrying on like that when the girl is only sleeping.
Jesus takes Jairus and his wife and Peter, James and John into
where the girl was and takes the girl by the hand, and as in Mark’s story (that
is NOT known for the details), Jesus says in Aramaic “Talitha cum” … “Little
Girl, get up.” The little girl got up and began to walk around, and Jesus told
them to give her something to eat.
A story within a story within a story… So we’ve heard the
story… and the story within the story,
but what’s the story of the story within the story that I just retold to you?
What do you think the reason is that Mark spends so much time giving us the
intricate details, up to and including the Aramaic words that he spoke when he
told the little girl “Talitha cum?” What is the significance of having a story
nestled within the story?
I think that Mark uses these intricate and interlaced stories to
tell us something about the Kingdom of God. First of all, God knows that we
have busy lives and that the stresses and pressures are always closing in on
us. The story reminds us that Jesus is there for us and responds to us. Jairus
came to Jesus and Jesus responded to his need. As Jesus does throughout the
scriptures, he always meets people where they are and directly responds to
their need. In the Kingdom of God, God knows what we need, and God responds. God
always responds to our needs.
The story within the story reminds us that in order to receive the
Kingdom that God has in store for us, we must have faith… and if we are bold
enough and believe enough and have faith enough to claim the Kingdom for
ourselves, and then we will receive the healing that we need.
The woman that was sick with a hemorrhage was bold and daring… she
was a risk-taker, and she believed and
reached out in faith, knowing if she could just touch the hem of Jesus’
garment, then there was a good chance she would be well for the first time in
12 years.
Bold and daring… she violated everything that society said was
right. She was bleeding, and yet touches another person, a great healer and
teacher, risking his ritual cleanliness and her possible ridicule and death…
Nevertheless, she knew that it was the only chance she had left to be well. She
dared to receive the Kingdom of God and was made well.
And in the story of Jairus’ daughter, one would think that all was
lost, that Jesus had lingered too long tending to others. That it was too late,
she was already dead. But Jesus continues on, forward in mission to show others
the Kingdom of God in their midst. He goes into the house and into where the
girl was… knowing she was thought to be dead, and then risking everything
(ritual impurity by touching the dead) he takes her by the hand and says, Talitha
cum! Little girl, get up.
Do we let the Kingdom in? Even after we think all is lost? Even
after we have given up all hope? Do we let the Kingdom in and let it take us by
the hand and raise us to the new life that is found in Jesus?
If we are bold enough to reach out in faith and grab the hem of
Jesus and let him heal us, then we need to be willing to let Jesus take us by
the hand and raise us to new life. We have to be willing to take a risk on
behalf of our faith, and let it be proclaimed by our actions in the midst of
adversity. When the stresses of life start to close in on us, pressing on all
sides, we must be bold and willing to ask for help… We must be willing to reach
out for the Kingdom of God and grab it by the hem… and then let it take us by
the hand and raise us to a new life… A new life of peace, and love.
Jesus was present to all the situations that surrounded him, yet
he stayed on task and purpose through all the chaos that surrounded him. He was
the most calm of those in the boat in the storm that surrounded the disciples,
and he was the peaceful presence today in the midst of the chaos, pain, and
death.
The Kingdom of God has in fact come very near… In the Kingdom,
there is calmness, there healing, there is peace, and love, and understanding.
Reach for the Kingdom, and then be willing to let it take you by the hand, and
raise you to new life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
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