Mark 5:21-43
When Jesus had gone across by
boat to the other side of the lake, a vast crowd gathered around him on the
shore. The leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus,
came and fell
down before him, pleading with him to heal his little daughter. “She is at the
point of death,” he said in desperation. “Please come and place your hands on
her and make her live.” Jesus went with him, and the crowd thronged behind. In
the crowd was a woman who had been sick for twelve years with a hemorrhage. She
had suffered much from many doctors through the years and had become poor from
paying them, and was no better but, in fact, was worse. She had heard all about
the wonderful miracles Jesus did, and that is why she came up behind him
through the crowd and touched his clothes. For she thought to herself, “If I
can just touch his clothing, I will be healed.” And sure enough, as soon as she
had touched him, the bleeding stopped and she knew she was well!
Jesus realized at once that
healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and
asked, “Who touched my clothes?” His disciples said to him, “All this crowd
pressing around you, and you ask who touched you?” But he kept on looking
around to see who it was who had done it. Then the frightened woman, trembling
at the realization of what had happened to her, came and knelt before him, and
gave him the whole story. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made
you well; go in peace, healed of your disease.”While he was still talking to her, messengers arrived from Jairus’s home with the news that it was too late—his daughter was dead and there was no point in Jesus’ coming now. But Jesus ignored their comments and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just trust me.” Then Jesus halted the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go on with him to Jairus’s home except Peter and James and John. When they arrived, Jesus saw that all was in great confusion, with unrestrained weeping and wailing. He went inside and spoke to the people. “Why all this weeping and commotion?” he asked. “The child isn’t dead; she is only asleep!” They laughed at him in bitter derision, but he told them all to leave, and taking the little girl’s father and mother and his three disciples, he went into the room where she was lying. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Get up, little girl!” (She was twelve years old.) And she jumped up and walked around! Her parents just couldn’t get over it. Jesus instructed them very earnestly not to tell what had happened and told them to give her something to eat.
Food for thought!
Double tragedy. Someone is dead. Another one is dying. Today, Jesus shows us that he is
attentive to
those who take him serious, like the man and the woman in today's gospel reading.
A desperate
father, named Jairus came to Jesus and fell down before him, pleading with him
to heal his little daughter. “She is at the point of death,” he said in
desperation. “Please come and place your hands on her and make her
live.” This man was helpless and he came to Jesus for help. And got it.
Jesus agreed to go with him. But even as he was going with Jesus, tragedy
struck;
the
daughter
died.
Lesson
for us
: tragedy
hits everybody including those walking and working with Jesus. So don't ever
think that because you pray every day, because you go to Mass every Sunday or
even everyday, that tragedies will not come your way. Even followers of Jesus
get tragedies.
In other
words, Jesus
never promised our lives would be easy.
He never promised
we woul
d
be happy.
He never promised that
we would
find
success at work or school.
He never promised
we would
find
a college or job after graduation.
He never promised
we would
make the sale if
we
worked
really hard.
He never promised
that
our
family would stick together.
Jesus
rather
promised
that w
e
will
face discipline:
"Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as
children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline?" (Hebrews
12:7)
; that we w
ill
face difficulties:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world
you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John
16:33)
Jesus told this man what he
tells all those people in hopeless situations: DO NOT BE AFRAID. ONLY HAVE
FAITH! This is the only thing Jesus asks of us, only one, just this one: only
have faith. The rest is his. Another hopeless situation was of a woman who came to Jesus, as Jesus was on his way to a hopeless situation. She came to Jesus in a helpless situation; everything else had failed. Please note that when she came to Jesus she told him everything about herself, not just something. The gospel says, "she knelt before him, and gave him the whole story."
Have you ever told Jesus your WHOLE story? Does Jesus know all about you? What don't you tell Jesus in
your real story?
Unlike
people, Jesus does not
judge
us;
he
does not
condemn
us;
he
does not
disappoint
us.
To him
be praise and honour and glory. Amen.
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