Word to the Wise
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 - Tuesday in the 4th Week in Ordinary Time
[2 Sam 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30-19:3 and Mark 5:21-43]The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction." While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said, "Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?" Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid; just have faith."
The Gospel of Mark continues to point to what Jesus does as a way of revealing who he is. Earlier, he has shown he can command nature by calming a storm, cast out demons, and now in this "story within a story" of two healings, he has power over sickness and death. We can admire the story for its place in the overall scheme of the gospel or we can enter the story by placing ourselves in the situation either as observer or as participant. This is a rich offering of options!
The situation is desperate for the woman and for the synagogue official (not to mention his little girl). Who among us has never known of someone with an illness that seems to defy all efforts to treat it and has bankrupted the family. Who among us has never known a parent desperate to save a child with mortal illness? Furthermore, are we in those crowds in both stories who are skeptical of anything being done?
Another thing we might note is that as an objective observer, we might be impressed by Jesus' power, but have we really noted his response and listened to what he says in both stories. He calls the woman, "Daughter!" which means he includes her in the family of faith. He tells her that it is her faith that has saved her, not her touch of the garment! To the grieving parent who has received word of his daughter's death, he says the one thing that God says the most often in the scriptures: "Do not be afraid!" and tells him "Just have faith." There are words of comfort to accompany deeds of power! The faith of the sick woman and the loving parent are sufficient to evoke a powerful response from Jesus. Yes, these healings are part of the overall scheme of the gospel, but they also invite our own response when we find ourselves seeking healing and life itself. "Do not be afraid; just have faith." AMEN