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)

God's Friday

1 Peter 2:23-24

 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

    Good Friday. This used to be called God’s Friday. The day God died. The day the Son of God died. The passage of time changed God’s Friday to Good Friday. But it could not have been good for God. Listen to the words of the Crucified: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachtani?” Such words cannot be good for God. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Such words cannot be good for God. We see God’s Son, hanging on the cross, helpless, on this day called Good. Such a day cannot be good for God.

   Ecce homo! Behold the man! See the Son of God, bruised, wounded from head to toe, spat upon, vilified, humiliated. Poor, broken, pathetic. Such a thing cannot be good for God. And the silence. O! The silence of the Son of God! He cannot even raise his hand in vengeance, but more gracious than this: HE WILL NOT RAISE HIS VOICE IN AGONY, IN PAIN, IN COMPLAINT. He will not cry to heaven. He will not appeal to the Father on his sapphire throne. He will not call down the legions of angels waiting for his single cry of pain. He will not unleash divine judgment which is his prerogative by Divine right. He is not only powerless before Pilate, before his enemies. He is also mute. Such a thing cannot be good for God.

   BUT GOOD FRIDAY IS GOOD – FOR US! Because of Good Friday, we are healed! Because of Good Friday, our sins are forgiven! The cross is ugly to look at. Such an evil death. A death you cannot wish, even for your enemies. But the gift of that ugly, evil death is life – FOR US! By his stripes you are healed. By his death you are born again into fellowship with God.

   As we gather under the cross of Christ on this day called Good, we remember the almost unbearable weight of our sin, and the payment for that sin: the death of God’s only begotten Son. And yet, by his death, we are healed. His death brings us forgiveness, and newness of life. Changed forever. We have been changed forever by that lonely, evil death on the cross. We continue with our lives, but our lives are now changed! We continue to sin, but that has changed too. We still die, but even death has been changed by that life, given unto death for the forgiveness of our sin! We have been changed by that sinless life. We have been changed by that perfect death. We have been changed. We have been changed from poor, sinful beings to children of the Almighty, who can, with boldness, come into his majestic presence as dear children can barge into the presence of their dear father, and ask for forgiveness, renewal, life! We have been changed from lost and condemned persons into God’s own nation, his own royal priesthood, his own chosen people. We have been changed from being slaves of hell to citizens of heaven, children and heirs of the kingdom of the Almighty. All of this because of the ugly, evil death of God’s beloved Son. And this is why this sad and evil day is called "Good" Friday--not good for Jesus---but certainly good for us. For by his wounds you have been healed. By his death, you have life. Eternal life. This is most certainly true. This is most certainly good. This is most certainly for you.