Touched By Grace

The Fourth Sunday After Pentecost

Lamentations 3:22-33 (22-23)

2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 13-15

Mark 5:21-43

Touched By Grace

Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (Romans 1:7)

Our Gospel text for today tells us about the dughter of Jairus. But another story seems to have interrupted the first: the woman with bleeding. At first sight, the two stories seem unrelated, but if we look a little more closely, we realize that there is: both stories involve being touched by Jesus, and what happens when people are touched by the Lord. In the beginning of our text we read:

And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, "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." And he went with him.a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.

But as they make their way to Jairus’ home,

there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well." And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.

Well, what do you think of that? I used to dread having to read and teach and preach on this text because I had the most difficult time explaining what happened to the woman with bleeding. The thing to me smacked too much of magic, and I was at a loss as to how to explain it. Well, was what happened magic? Of course not! The Lord’s power is always the power to heal, to restore, to bind up, to forgive, to give life, to save. Never can magic do these things. And so, let me try to explain this peculiar passage.

First of all, it wasn’t Jesus who touched the woman. It was the woman who touched Jesus. Well, wait a minute. That may be the case, but when the woman touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was healed, what happened then?

And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my garments?"

Jesus knew two thing then: that someone touched him, and that power issued from him at that time.

And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'"

From this, we can draw but one conclusion: Jesus knew what the woman was thinking, AND HE PERMITTED THE WOMAN TO TOUCH THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT! Why? Because he wanted to heal the woman! Jesus probably couldn’t touch the woman himself because of the crush of people, and so he let the woman touch him instead! AND JESUS’ POWER TOUCHED HER!

And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

And so much of the time, we are like the woman with bleeding. We spend so much effort, so much time, so much money on things that do not bring true healing. We spend so much effort, so much time, so much money, on things that do not last. We are too concerned and focused on temporal, temporary things. Temporal, temporary joy, riches, honor. Oh yes. Without a doubt, these things taste good, sound good, feel good. But after a while, like the remedies the woman with bleeding sought, these things fade, and we are off again looking for that which can give us healing and peace. And like the woman with bleeding, we can never find that which can bring true healing and peace for our souls. Until Jesus touches us. Through His Word, through His Sacraments. And when Jesus touches us, we hear his Word: “your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." Jesus touches us and announces that everything is all right.

While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?"

It is said that when the ancient Chinese wanted to curse you, they say, “May you outlive your children.” I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy, but this is what happened to Jairus. And what is worse, Jesus was so close! Just a few more steps, just a few more minutes, and his daughter would have been made well! We are also like Jairus’ daughter. The Master souldn’t waste his time on us because we are also dead. Dead in our sins. And no amount of money, no medicine, no good thing or work can ever give us life. We may try, but try as we may, nothing we do can ever give us life

And yet, for those whom the Lord loves, there is always hope. Listen to the Word of the Lord of life:

But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesusf saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, "Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping."

But why does the Lord say that? Why does he say the child is only sleeping when she is in fact dead? Because for those whom the Lord loves, there is really no death.

And they laughed at him. But 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. Taking her by the hand he said to her, "Talitha cumi," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Do you see now? FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES, THERE IS REALLY NO DEATH.

And it is that love which is the source of his grace. It is that love which prompted the Lord to come down to earth and make his dwelling with us, to be with us in the midst of our trials, our hardships, our sicknesses, our sadnesses, our sins. He was made sin for us, says St. Paul, so that we may be the righteousness of God. Jesus permitted himself to be touched by uncleanness so that we may be made clean; Jesus permitted himself to be touched by evil so that we may receive good from the Lord; Jesus permitted himself to be touched by death so that we may have life. And look what the Lord paid for our redemption: his body crushed, his blood shed for us for the forgiveness of our sins! Ecce Homo! Behold the man! Hanging on the cross so that he may touch us with grace, forgiveness and life! Behold, even now he touches you through His Word, and through His Sacraments! Listen to his Word, even as the woman is healed of her bleeding, even as Jairus’ daughter rises from death, even as you recieve grace, forgiveness and life: “Behold! I make all things new!”

Part of our Old Testament reading goes: “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness, O Lord.” This is most certainly true. This is most certainly FOR YOU.

May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. (Philippians 4:7)

The Heart of the Matter

Here's an insight i got studying for my sermon for Holy Trinity, on the Gospel reading: I'm a former UCC, pop Evangelical, and ever since i transferred to Lutheranism, i've had the most difficult time with John 3:16, because of the phrase, "whoever believes..." Well, i was taught in sem that even belief, faith, comes from the Holy Spirit, but still, i couldn;t get around the thinking that John 3:16 was set up to have a conditional (WHOEVER BELIEVES). well, just this morning, as i was trying to hammer out a sermon for sunday (procrastinated, because of my difficulty with the WHOEVER BELIEVES phrase) i realized something (thanks to the Holy Spirit! he's never let me down yet!). i was listening to rev. steven parks' explanation of the acts 2:38 passage the other day on IE, and suddenly it hit me: you have to understand John 3:16 in the context of what Jesus says in John 3:1-15! just as in being physically born, we have neither choice nor power when we are born again! everything is by the grace and power of God, especially the Holy Spirit! Luther's explanation the the Third Article becomes clear then! and also, this quote from the Confessions: 

Before a person is enlightened, converted, regenerated, renewed, and drawn by the Holy Spirit, he can hear the Gospel, meditate on it and discuss it. Nevertheless, he regards it as foolishness and cannot believe it. For he is hostile to God's will, unless the Holy Spirit is effective on him and kindles and works in him faith and obedience. 

John is not setting up a conditional statement in verse 16. he's saying that, based on what Jesus said in verses 1-15, that John 3:16 is totally the work and grace of God! The Father loved us from eternity, the Son died on the cross for us and won for us forgiveness and life, and the Holy Spirit "calls, gathers and enlightens us" by the Gospel! everything in John 3:16 is God's work and grace! everything! thank you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! I knew you wouldn't let your Word go to waste on a day like the Feast of the Holy Trinity!