DAY 57

A SANDWICH!

Numbers 12, 13 & 14 and Mark 5:21-43

Today both the Old and New are full of information. I peeked ahead to tomorrow’s readings and while they are good, my plan is to comment about our Mark reading today, and I will comment on Numbers 12-14 tomorrow.

Mark in 5:21-43 offers us a sandwich. It starts with a story about Jairus and his very ill daughter, which is then interrupted by a woman who has been terribly sick for years, and then it returns to Jairus’ situation. Like a sandwich the outside and inside work together to enhance the experience. The story starts with a synagogue ruler falling at Jesus feet, but we are quickly brought to meat of the matter (sorry).

We find a woman who, because of her hemorrhaging ought not be in crowd. With all the hard work you have been doing in reading the Old Testament you already know she is…unclean. An unclean person is not suppose to put other people in jeopardy of becoming unclean, they are suppose to stay clear of everyone.

Yet if you were suffering for 12 years, suffered much under the hands of many physicians, and spent all you had might you throw caution to the wind? Can you picture the tension is this scene? She reaches out and is healed. She probably wants to leap for joy, but at that moment Jesus notices power has left his body and demands to know who touched him. Now first of all, this woman showed great faith, and second I imagine Jesus probably knew who touched him, but I think He wants her to declare her faith. Imagine you are in the crowd, you have managed to keep from being recognized, but now if you take responsibility for your actions, you will of course be recognized! She again steps out by speaking up. I wonder if she was bracing, bracing for rebuke? Instead she hears these words, “Daughter, you faith has made you well...” Imagine being ostracized for 12 years and then Jesus calls you daughter, wow, all because of her faith.

That is the rich center of this sandwich, a woman showing remarkable faith. The outside of it suddenly turns wrong. The news comes, “Don’t bother coming your daughter is dead.” Jairus does not indicate that he still wants Jesus to go to the house, he is no doubt devastated by the news. Jesus speaks up, and amid ridiculing laughter, raises the girl to life. The point is of course faith.

If the story of the women enriches the story of faith, what story in your life enriches your faith? Ponder that question for a moment, and then like Mark, allow your own rich story to enliven and enrich the other situations you are facing today.