Mark 5 : 21 - 43
Common English Bible
21-24 Jesus crossed the lake again, and on the other side a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. Jairus, one of the synagogue leaders, came forward. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet and pleaded with him, “My daughter is about to die. Please, come and place your hands on her so that she can be healed and live.” So Jesus went with him.
24-29 A swarm of people were following Jesus, crowding in on him. A woman was there who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a lot under the care of many doctors, and had spent everything she had without getting any better. In fact, she had gotten worse. Because she had heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothes. She was thinking, If I can just touch his clothes, I’ll be healed. Her bleeding stopped immediately, and she sensed in her body that her illness had been healed.
30 At that very moment, Jesus recognized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?”
31-32 His disciples said to him, “Don’t you see the crowd pressing against you? Yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” But Jesus looked around carefully to see who had done it.
33-34 The woman, full of fear and trembling, came forward. Knowing what had happened to her, she fell down in front of Jesus and told him the whole truth. 34 He responded, “Daughter, your faith has healed you; go in peace, healed from your disease.”
35 While Jesus was still speaking with her, messengers came from the synagogue leader’s house, saying to Jairus, “Your daughter has died. Why bother the teacher any longer?”
36-43 But Jesus overheard their report and said to the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid; just keep trusting.” He didn’t allow anyone to follow him except Peter, James, and John, James’ brother. They came to the synagogue leader’s house, and he saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “What’s all this commotion and crying about? The child isn’t dead. She’s only sleeping.” They laughed at him, but he threw them all out. Then, taking the child’s parents and his disciples with him, he went to the room where the child was. Taking her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Young woman, get up.” Suddenly the young woman got up and began to walk around. She was 12 years old. They were shocked! He gave them strict orders that no one should know what had happened. Then he told them to give her something to eat.
REFLECTIONS:
Thoughts from DJ:
Why does a woman who wants her pain to be privately healed get put on display to the crowd? Then a public figure and his child are intentionally given a quiet and private healing. I will reveal my assumption that Jesus must be doing something good and merciful in both cases.
Could it be that those adults who have been publicly shamed, judged, cast out and marginalized need those with power to honor and validate their healing and worth? I definitely hope it is good, merciful and honoring to shine a light on the stories of healing, sobriety and value. It seems to me that stories like Sam and Lu should be lifted up and shared by those with the power to do so:
“Sam and Lu have recently gotten their first apartment after being houseless for over 20 years. They have overcome so many tragedies and difficulties yet have always maintained a positive attitude. Sam and Lu are very resilient, since their stay with C@P Sam had a TBI and was also diagnosed with cancer. Through all of this, his partner LuVana never left his side and always kept pushing for her partner. They were married at Village of Hope (VOH) in Fall of 2023.”
Then, could it be that the hundreds of children who receive care, mentorship, encouragement and heal at our CCS family shelter should continue to stay un named and anonymous? Maybe in some ways their story is too new to be defined by the pain and challenges they have had to face. Maybe there are still so many chapters of their story to be written, and this one should be short.
If nothing else I hope these stories will remind us that not all healings will look the same. Some seem to be driven by an individual's desire, while another is achieved through the love of their community. Sometimes maybe we should throw a party, write a book or make a movie. Other times we should whisper a word of thanks to ourselves.
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
Consider something you have been avoiding doing. Make it your goal to accomplish that task today.
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
Have you made a request to someone recently that has been denied? Consider what that person is saying “yes” to under the surface of their “no.”
Pathways toward Centeredness
Sensation (Loving God by experiencing our physical senses and imagination)
Do you ever experience difficulty releasing negative emotions? This week, try helping those emotions complete their cycle by moving your body. Go for a walk or run. Dance. Scream into a pillow, Complete some manual labor. Anything that helps you body release its energy!
Questions for Reflection
What’s a story of good news you might share with others this week?
What’s your favorite celebration you’ve participated in?
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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