Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Fifth Sunday after Pentecost - 06/28/15 Sermon - “Don't be afraid; just keep trusting"

Sunday 06/28/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Don’t be afraid; just keep trusting”                      

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 130

                                            

New Testament Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:7-15

Gospel Lesson: Mark 5:21-43

          Brothers and sisters, friends, welcome on this Fifth Sunday after Pentecost. Pentecost, that day almost two-thousand years ago, that the disciples and the early Christians had a powerful experience with God. For on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit of God moved like a mighty wind, like mighty fire, and filled the hearts, the souls, and the minds of the disciples and the early followers of Jesus Christ. On this day, the disciples and early followers of Christ finally had the courage and the conviction to go forth preaching the gospel of life, light, and love everywhere. They feed the poor, they clothed the naked, and they began transforming the world for Jesus Christ.

          Nearly two-thousand years later, we are continuing to do the same thing. Yet how many of us here struggle sometimes to trust God? How many of us here sometimes get frustrated or confused by God? You see, sometimes we go through times of trial, and in these times we struggle to understand where God is present in our struggles. We might say to God, “God, why are we suffering?” For we all sometimes struggle, for we all sometimes we lose heart.

          Today, Jesus Christ addresses this reality when he says in Mark 5:36b, “Don’t be afraid; just keep trusting” (Mark 5:36b, CEB). Now admittedly saying to someone “trust God,” can be much easier than doing it ourselves. Sometimes we struggle to trust God. Sometimes we struggle to understand God’s will. Sometimes we just struggle.

          For some of us, the struggle is medical, physical, or personal. How many people here for example, have had long term health issues? How many of you have had to deal with these health issues for many years? Did or do these health issues cause you to ever question or to challenge your faith? Did or do these medical issues ever test you in general?

          This morning Jesus heals a women, who according to the gospel of Mark, “had been bleeding for twelve years” (Mark 5:25, CEB). So once again, the gospel of Mark from this morning, said that Jesus healed a woman “who had been bleeding for twelve years” (Mark 5:25, CEB). Twelve years! Can you imagine what it would be like to bleed for twelve years?

          Can you imagine what this might do to your faith, your joy, and your sense of God’s loving presence in your life? Twelve years! Not one, not five, not even ten, but twelve years!

          I just can’t imagine what it would be like to bleed for twelve years. To suffer for twelve years, daily, non-stop.

Further this morning, then Jesus heals a twelve year old girl that been sick from a painful disease. So we have two healings this morning. Now some of you, have had this kind of suffering. For those of you that have had this kind of suffering, I hope three things for you all this morning.

                    One, that you are healed, two that this story inspires and grows your faith, and three that this story helps you to grow faith in others.

           Yet we all suffer sometimes. We all wait on God sometimes. In the reading from Psalm 130 from this mornings it says, “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!” (Ps. 130:1-2, NRSV).

          You see in this Psalm we see human suffering, and crying out to God for help, for healing, for fullness. For in Psalm 130, it continues in verse 5 to say, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;” (Ps. 130:5, NRSV).

So imagine twelve years of bleeding and suffering. Imagine your own pain. Imagine being only twelve and dying form a painful disease. Yet the Psalmist says, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;” (Ps. 130:5, NRSV).

          From the Apostle Paul’s second Epistle or the letter to the church in Corinth, or the Corinthians from this morning, Paul tells us what we should strive to do. That even if we are suffering, even if we are in pain, we should strive to show everyone God’s love and grace. We will fail at times in doing this, but we must do our best, so that through us, people will see the truths and love of Jesus Christ.

          The Apostle Paul says in 8:7-9, “Be the best in this work of grace in the same way that you are the best in everything, such as faith, speech, knowledge, total commitment, and the love we inspired in you. I’m not giving an order, but by mentioning the commitment of others, I’m trying to prove the authenticity of your love also.  You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Although he was rich, he became poor for our sakes, so that you could become rich through his poverty” (2 Cor. 8:7-9, CEB). It is a challenge to have grace, strong faith, good speech, and love, when are suffering. It can be a challenge to make sure that we loving and caring for all people.

          Yet in this church, we should continue to strive to help each other, and make each other’s sufferings and joys personal to us. That we suffer together, that we rejoice together. That we live our faith together. We are family.

          Imagine then, if we had a women or a man that had been suffering and bleeding for twelve years? Or a twelve year old child who was in pain and dying? How would we tackle these things? How would we help these persons?

          This is exactly what Jesus Christ is presented with in the Gospel of Mark reading from this morning. In looking more closely at the gospel of Mark reading from this morning, it says, “Jesus crossed the lake again, and on the other side a large crowd gathered around him at the shore” (Mark 5:21, CEB). So Jesus gets to the other side of the lake, and finds a large crowd flocking to him.

          Then the gospel says, “Jarius, one of the synagogue leaders, came forward. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet and please with him, “My daughter is about die” (Mark 5:21-23a, CEB). Jairus then says, “Please come and place your hands on her so that she can be healed and live” (Mark 5:23b, CEB). Jesus then, went with Jairus.

          Yet, as He went with Jairus, the gospel says that, “A swarm of people were following Jesus, crowding in on him” (Mark 5:24b, CEB). This crowd included a woman, “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” (Mark 5:25b-26, CEB).

          This woman had heard of Jesus, and his teachings, and his healings. Due to this, the gospel says that “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” (Mark 5:27b-28, CEB). When she did touch Jesus’s clothes, the gospel says that, “Her bleeding stopped immediately, and she sensed in her body that her illness had been healed” (Mark 5:29, CEB).

          Yet Jesus Christ in being fully God and also fully human got tired, like we all do. He felt tired after this women touch him, and felt some of his power and energy leave him as he said, “Who touched my clothes?” (Mark 5:30c, CEB).

          The disciples then said, Jesus there are people all around you, and you are seriously asking us, “Who touched me?” (Mark 5:31c, CEB). Yet Jesus knew what he meant, even if the disciples didn’t. Then the woman “full of fear and trembling, came forward” (Mark 5:33a, CEB). The gospel then says that says, “Knowing what happened to her, she fell down in front of Jesus and told him the whole truth” (Mark 5:33b, CEB). Jesus then responds to her, “Daughter, you faith has healed you, go in peace, healed from your disease” (Mark 5:34, CEB).

          Now the story for today doesn’t end here. I mean remember Jairus’ daughter? Yes her. Well Jesus hasn’t even gotten to her yet. Remember she was the one who was twelve year old, and was very sick.

          Well as Jesus was speaking with the woman who touched his clothes and was healed, “messengers came from the synagogue leader’s house, saying to Jairus, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher any more” (Mark 5:35b, CEB). Why bother Jesus anymore?

          Jesus overheard this conversation and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just keep trusting” (Mark 5:36b, CEB). Jesus then went to Jairus’s house, but only allowed, “Peter, James, John, and James’s brother” to come with Him (Mark 5:37b, CEB). My guess is Jesus was trying to grow the faith of these particular disciples.

          When they arrived at Jairus’ house, they “saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly” (Mark 5:38b, CEB). Jesus then asked everyone why they were so upset and crying. Jesus then tells them that Jairus’ daughter, “Isn’t dead. She’s only sleeping” (Mark 5:39b, CEB).

          The people laughed at Jesus when he said this, and then, “he threw them all out” of the house (Mark 5:40b, CEB). Jesus then went to the room where the child was, with her parents and the four chosen disciples, and said to her, “Talitha koum,” “which means, “Young woman, get up” (Mark 5:41b, CEB).

          The young woman then got up, and began to walk around her room. Jesus then “gave them strict orders that no one should know what had happened,” as he was not ready to be given up yet for the sins of humanity (Mark 5:43, CEB). Lastly, Jesus, “told them to give her something to eat” (Mark 5:43b, CEB). For this twelve year old girl had been healed and had been restored.

I would like to share a story with you this morning, called “Picture of Peace,” by author unknown. Here is how it goes: “An artist was commissioned by a wealthy man to paint something that would depict peace. After a great deal of thought, the artist painted a beautiful country scene. There were green fields with cows standing in them, birds were flying in the blue sky and a lovely little village lay in a distant valley. The artist gave the picture to the man, but there was a look of disappointment on his face. The man said to the artist, "This isn't a picture of true peace. It isn't right. Go back and try again.”

“The artist went back to his studio, thought for several hours about peace, then went to his canvas and began to paint. When he was finished, there on the canvas was a beautiful picture of a mother, holding a sleeping baby in her arms, smiling lovingly at the child. He thought, surely, this is true peace, and hurried to give the picture to the wealthy man. But again, the wealthy man refused the painting and asked the painter to try again.”

“The artist returned again to his studio. He was discouraged, he was tired and he was disappointed. Anger swelled inside him, he felt the rejection of this wealthy man. Again, he thought, he even prayed for inspiration to paint a picture of true peace. Then, all of a sudden an idea came, he rushed to the canvas and began to paint as he had never painted before. When he finished, he hurried to the wealthy man.”

“He gave the painting to the man. He studied it carefully for several minutes. The artist held his breath. Then the wealthy man said, "Now this is a picture of true peace." He accepted the painting, paid the artist and everyone was happy.”

“And what was this picture of true peace?? The picture showed a stormy sea pounding against a cliff. The artist had captured the furry of the wind as it whipped black rain clouds which were laced with streaks of lightening. The sea was roaring in turmoil, waves churning, the dark sky filled with the power of the furious thunderstorm.”

“And in the middle of the picture, under a cliff, the artist had painted a small bird, safe and dry in her nest snuggled safely in the rocks. The bird was at peace midst the storm that raged about her.”

So this morning brothers and sisters, friends, Jesus tells us, “Don’t be afraid; just keep trusting” (Mark 5:36b, CEB). You see sometimes we will experience the healing that we ask God for, but no matter what, we can have healing in our souls. At the very core of our Christian faith then, is the idea of spiritual healing, of spiritual awakening, of God’s grace, of peace and healing. Sometimes this healing is physical, but we can always have spiritual healing. Sometimes God heals our bodies, but God can always heal our souls. If spiritual healing is available for all then, then we need to do as Jesus Christ says, “Don’t be afraid; just keep trusting” (Mark 5:36b, CEB). For we will all be healed. How though, where though, and when though, those are sometimes unknown. Yet Jesus Christ says to us all this morning, “Don’t be afraid; just keep trusting” (Mark 5:36b, CEB). Amen.