13th Sunday of year B
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 5:21-43
When Jesus had crossed in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered round him and he stayed by the lakeside. Then one of the synagogue officials came up, Jairus by name, and seeing him, fell at his feet and pleaded with him earnestly, saying, ‘My little daughter is desperately sick. Do come and lay your hands on her to make her better and save her life.’ Jesus went with him and a large crowd followed him; they were pressing all round him.
Now there was a woman who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years; after long and painful treatment under various doctors, she spent all she had without being any the better for it, infact, she was getting worse. She had heard about Jesus, and she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his cloak. ‘If I can touch even his clothes,’ she had told herself ‘I shall be well again.’ And the source of the bleeding dried up instantly, and she felt in herself that she was cured of her complaint. Immediately aware that power had gone out from him, Jesus turned round in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ His disciples said to him, ‘You see how the crowd is pressing round you and yet you say, “Who touched me?”’ But he continued to look all round to see who had done it. Then the woman came forward, frightened and trembling because she knew what had happened to her, and she fell at his feet and told him the whole truth. ‘My daughter,’ he said ‘your faith has restored you to health; go in peace and be free from your complaint.’
While he was still speaking some people arrived from the house of the synagogue official to say, ‘Your daughter is dead: why put the Master to any further trouble?’ But Jesus had overheard this remark of theirs and he said to the official, ‘Do not be afraid; only have faith.’ And he allowed no one to go with him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. So they came to the official’s house and Jesus noticed all the commotion, with people weeping and wailing unrestrainedly. He went in and said to them, ‘Why all this commotion and crying? The child is not dead, but asleep.’ But they laughed at him. So he turned them all out and, taking with him the child’s father and mother and his own companions, he went into the place where the child lay. And taking the child by the hand he said to her, ‘Talitha, kum!’ which means, ‘Little girl, I tell you to get up.’ The little girl got up at once and began to walk about, for she was twelve years old. At this they were overcome with astonishment, and he ordered them strictly not to let anyone know about it, and told them to give her something to eat.
1. Even though all life must end with death, God is the God of the living not of the dead(Mk12:27). Today’s first reading puts it clearly: “Death was not God’s doing, he takes no pleasure in the extinction of the living.
To be – for this he created all.” (Wis1:13).For this reason Jesus spared no time in relieving any suffering that could lead to the loss of life. Today’s gospel presents us with two cases of Jesus saving life. While on his way to the house of synagogue official whose daughter was at the point of death, Jesus had a faith encounter with a woman suffering from haemorrhage. The details are quite overwhelming: the woman has been ill for twelve years. She has suffered in the hands of many doctors. She has spent all her money. Her situation was getting worse. The picture is a hopeless one just like that of the Jairus’ daughter who was already declared dead before the arrival of Jesus.
2. The woman had never heard or met Christ directly. She only heard about him and his deeds from other people. The reason is obvious. Among the Jews her kind of sickness renders the sufferer impure, thus unfit to mix up with people. But having heard of Jesus she was ready to break the law of Moses that confines her to solitude. She made up her mind to secretly encounter Jesus without raising any dust. “If I can only touch his garment I shall be healed.” She joined the anonymous crowd and struggled to reach Jesus. When she came near she secretly stretched out her hand and touched his garment. That touch of faith changed everything. What was hidden came to light because Jesus turned around to look at her. She has captured Jesus’ attention. “Who touched me?” was the surprising question. She owned up and told Jesus and the crowd everything. Jesus recognized her as daughter and encouraged her. “Daughter, your faith has saved you, go and be healed.”
3. So many were following Jesus, touching and pushing him such that asking who touched him was considered a foolish question by his disciples. But there are touches and there is touch, a touch of faith. Today so many people flock to places of worship looking for God but rarely seize the available opportunity before them. Many go back without having captured the attention of God. They come, listen to homilies but accept nothing of what they hear. Their problem come and go with them because like the crowd that followed Jesus they touch him without being conscious. They see without perceiving. From the story of the woman cured of haemorrhage we can see that no case is a hopeless case for Jesus. No sickness is incurable for him who knit us together in our mother’s womb(Ps139). Before him even death is not the last word as we see in the case of the little girl in today’s gospel. We only need to believe and take bold steps towards touching Jesus. His word is:”Do not fear. Only believe!” The woman in the story did not look for someone to do it for her. She did not light yellow or red candle. She only believed and moved and encountered Jesus.
4. You may have suffered for years from an illness, you may have tried doctors and spent all your money but you are not getting better. You may even be at the point of accepting to try an “Essau solution” of exchanging your birth right with a plate of porridge, a quick solution that cost much more than the problem that it solved. Calm down and give God a trial. Hold your faith and make your touch of faith. Daily you touch Jesus in the Eucharist. Allow your touch to take power out of Jesus. Like the psalmist, affirm that you will not die(Ps 118:17). Confess that “I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living”(Ps 27:13). Do your part and God will not fail to prove his faithfulness. (Lam3:22-23).
Peace and security upon you.
© Vitalis Anaehobi. 30/06/24.
