Sunday 06/27/21 - Sidney UMC
Sermon Title: “Who Touched My Clothes!”
Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 130
New Testament Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:7-15
Gospel Lesson: Mark 5:21-43
One of the hardest, and dare I say
loudest couple of weeks that some of the church staff at this church experience,
is the first couple of weeks of the Tri-Town Nursery School reopening each September.
Do not get me wrong, there will always be noise with children, parents, and the
great TTNS teachers. Some of this noise is missed over the summer, and it is
nice to have the clamor and the joy back in the church building each fall.
What I struggle with though, and what
the church staff struggles with though, is that some of the kids in the TTNS
program get very emotional when their parent or parents drop them off for school
at the beginning of each school year. In my limited experience, this happens
for about a week or two. Some of the kids, as soon as their parent or parents
are out of sight just loose it. They cry and cry, and sometimes shout for mom
or for dad. Sarah, Ron, and I always feel bad about this, as the TTNS teachers
are trying to calm the kids and settle them. This does not last forever, but
every fall without fail, we will have TTNS kids that are emotionally upset that
their parent has left them at school. By the end of the school year however,
most of these kids are not too concerned about this!
The power of presence and touch is amazing.
I watched once as a mother walked out of her house to get the mail. Her husband
was there, as was I visiting, and as soon as she walked out, her toddler looked
at her out of the sliding glass door that she had just shut. The baby began to cry
and say “mama”. There were tears that came down the baby’s face. Then the woman
walked back in a couple of minutes later, and that baby jumped on her like an
NFL linebacker. At once that baby calmed, the tears subsided, and the baby was
back to normal functioning.
I also remember one time that I was at
a church function, and a woman had just given her baby a bottle. After the baby
ate, the baby got fussy and cried some. The mother was trying to comfort the
baby and she seemed baffled at what was wrong with her baby. She held the baby close
and began to pat the baby’s back that had just eaten. The baby continued to be
upset, until one of those light back taps produced a burp that sounds like a
lion roaring. So loud and unexpected was this baby burp, a few people turned
around shocked. That one subtle tap of the mother on her baby’s back, released
the gas in the baby, and his fussing and crying stopped.
During these many months of pandemic,
it has been so hard for many of us to not be able to shake hands, hug, or in
some cases even physically be in someone else’s presence. The power of presence
and touch is powerful indeed.
I remember different times as a pastor
that I prayed with someone who was suffering, or who was trembling. As I
grabbed their hand and prayed, I asked God to fill them and to calm them.
Sometimes after that prayer, the person was no longer shaking, and their fear seemed
to have subsided. The power of presence and touch is a powerful indeed.
In our gospel of Mark reading for this
morning once again, a woman who has suffered hemorrhages for twelve-years sought
healing from Jesus. She had spent all of her money on doctors trying to heal
her, and not only did she not get any better, but she actually grew worse (Mk.
5:24b-26, NRSV).
This woman had heard about this Jesus,
his power, his authority, and his ability to heal. In fact, the gospel of Mark
says once again in 5:27-28:
27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well” (Mk. 5:27-28, NRSV).
Some of the children who start a new school year in the
Tri-Town Nursery School, can be calmed and restored with but a touch from there
parents. The baby who cried “mama” when she went to the mailbox, was restored
with one touch from his mother. The baby who had gas after being feed, who
burped like a lion, was restored with one touch, or tap from his mother. Do we
have faith and hope like this?
The woman this morning who was sick and suffering believed that if she just touched Jesus’ cloak she would be healed. Not Jesus himself, but just his cloak. For so holy was Jesus to this suffering woman that even if she was not able to place a hand on Jesus’ body, she would be healed just by touching his clothes. This woman believed this, and in our sermon picture and in many other depictions we see this clear faith and desperation. Do we have faith and hope like this?
The scripture tells us to have faith like a child. Given
the examples that I provided about children, and our gospel reading for this
morning about this sick woman, faith like a child is powerful indeed.
In our reading for this morning from Psalm 130, it says once
again in 130:6:
my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning (Ps. 130:6, NRSV).
As we wait for the touch of God, the timing of God, do we
still believe in the power of what God can do in us and through us? Further if
God gives us so much through Jesus Christ, what are we willing to give to God?
In our reading for this morning from 2 Corinthians 8:7-15
once again, the Apostle Paul encourages the Corinthians to be generous and to
show their love through their generosity (2 Cor. 8:7-15, NRSV). As God touches our
hearts, we can change people with our touch of God’s love in us.
In getting into our gospel lesson from the gospel of Mark more
for this morning, let us here once again what the word has to say:
21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. 22 Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 23 and begged him repeatedly, “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.” 24 So he went with him (Mk. 5:21-24a, NRSV).
Jesus again, has been asked by one of
the leaders of the synagogue Jairus to heal his dying daughter. Jesus goes with
Jairus to his daughter. As Jesus does the gospel says this happened:
And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29 Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease (Mk. 5:24b-29, NRSV).
So, one the Synagogue leaders named Jairus
asks Jesus to heal his dying daughter, and on the way a large crowd followed
him and pressed in on him. As this was happening the woman who had been sick
and suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind Jesus to try to
touch his cloak. She then did just that, and maybe the reason she did not try
to touch Jesus’ body, is because since she had hemorrhages and blood, she was
ruled ritually unclean by the religious leaders. This woman may have been worried
therefore, that if she touched Jesus’ body that she would intern make him unclean.
This certainly would not happen to Jesus, but this was and is the religious
laws of devout Jews.
When the woman touched Jesus’ cloak,
not his body, immediately her hemorrhage stopped, and she felt healed. Again,
this woman had spent all of her money on doctors and healers that took her money
but did not heal her.
So once again, Jesus was asked by a
leader in the synagogue named Jairus to heal his dying daughter, and Jesus goes
with Jairus. As they head to Jairus’ sick daughter, the crowd presses in and
the sick woman with hemorrhages touches Jesus’ cloak.
Now if you were in a crowd full of
people and you had a baggy shirt on, do you think you would be less likely to
notice that someone grabbed your baggy shirt, versus someone touching your body?
Further, if you are in a loud and pressing crowd, how would notice such a light
touch?
Well,
as the gospel reading continues once again, it says:
30 Immediately aware that
power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who
touched my clothes?” 31 And his disciples said to him,
“You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched
me?’” 32 He looked all around to see who had done
it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her,
came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole
truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made
you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
So, this woman, in perfect
childlike faith, reaches out, believing that she can be healed by touching
Jesus’ clothes, and her faith made her well. This was Jesus’ plan for this
woman. Sometimes we pray for healing, and we do not get the healing we want or
the healing that we think we need, but God is always with us.
Just to review once again, a leader in
the Synagogue named Jairus asks Jesus to heal his sick daughter. On the way to
do so, a large crowd pushes in on Jesus. The sick woman with hemorrhages touches
Jesus’ cloak, and her faith has healed her. Jesus then blesses her, and she
goes on her. The gospel reading then pick up once again saying:
35 While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38 When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at him. Then 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. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43 He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat (Mk. 5:35-43, NRSV).
As the crowd presses in on Jesus, and as
the woman with the hemorrhages who touches Jesus’ cloak is healed, Jairus’ daughter
dies. Jesus said though, that girl is just sleeping, and people mockingly laughed
at Jesus. Jesus then goes into the house where the child is laying, tells her
to get up, and she does. Jesus told the few disciples with him to not tell anyone
what happened yet, and then Jesus told them to give the girl something to eat.
It is amazing what presence and touch
can do. So often in the gospels people are healed or Jesus pronounces them
healed because of there faith. Jesus did not heal everyone and bring everyone
back from the dead, however. Yet he performed miracles to show his disciples,
the world, and us that he was and is the Son of God. Sometimes when we call
upon God for healing, God heals us and restores in the exact way we are asking
for healing and restoration. Sometimes this does not happen though, as God’s plan
is not always to give us exactly what we want, and when we want it. Jesus is teaching
us that he is always with us, that God’s love is carried in us, and that is
eternal.
All we need in this world and in the
next is faith. We will struggle, we will suffer, but we also have God with us,
if we but call upon him. Sometimes God heals the way we want, sometimes God does
not, but if we call upon God through Jesus Christ, he is always with us. Jesus has
promised us that through faith in him that we will be with him forever, even
though this world that we live in is so fallen and broken. Make we all keep the
faith, faith like a scared or uncomfortable child. Faith that reaches out to
touch Jesus’s clothes. Faith that gives us the peace that passes all understanding.
Amen.
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