Sunday 1st July 2012. Mark 5 v 21.
It is somewhat odd having this passage of scripture to teach and preach from when both Janet and myself over the past weeks have had our difficulties health-wise. Janet has suffered a complicated painful hernia and for myself it was a blocked artery and high blood pressure which was off the charts.
This passage in scripture has always proved challenging to me in particular the story relating to the older woman who was unwell.
All of us at some stage in our lives have been unwell – and for a minority often hospitalisation is required. For myself some weeks ago – I had been feeling unwell for a day or two – was it man-flu!!!! – no. I knew it was something else-therefore on the Tuesday morning I knew I had to make an appointment with the GP. So off I went. After having various preliminary tests etc. – waiting outside probably for the GP to consult – I was called back into the surgery and advised I had to go to the A&E immediately. So home I go, and then the shock and realisation that something more serious was wrong. Then onto A&E and the questions being asked ’why Lord? what now, what have I done wrong, I do not need this now Lord – so many questions and so much anger – then hoping it was not as serious as first anticipated, then comes the response from A&E. We need you to stay overnight for a few more tests. The disappointment and annoyance begins to niggle yet again and settle, then the results come, they show there is something not quite correct, coronary care beckons, the transfer to Heartlands and the questions coming again and again! For me at my weakest and most vulnerable like most people or was it just me – I prayed the more – wanting Jesus to be beside me – as if openly talking to him. Everything was now outside of my control, I had to learn and be patient – the whole wards were filled with men and women all with similar heart defects of varying descriptions. All of us were wanting that touch of healing, patiently waiting to hear that treatment would be effective; waiting for that healing touch.
For myself wanting to know if I will be that same person again, will my life continue normally? Then finally was it the surgeon that touched and partly corrected the fault or was it my closeness to Jesus that gave the power to the surgeon – I believe it was both!
Compared to many my story is insignificant. Many people suffer terrible bouts of pain and anguish, multiple operations and investigations to improve their standard of life. Many have to suffer terminally, we can never begin to understand the pain and the anguish unless you face the same.
We have a dear childhood friend Sylvia who at present has suffered a massive heart attack. We await the outcome with much concern – we can believe how we would want and how we should expect ourselves to react when confronting these problems, but when face to face with that problem – it can all be so very different!
The woman who touched the cloak of Jesus – the unnamed woman I consider to be one of the most beautiful and poignant of all the stories and events scripted in the Bible!
The story of a woman diagnosed as terminally ill – continuous bleeding, separated from society for sure, as probably many today may feel once they have a terminally ill disease. Consider her, the despair – the loneliness, the vulnerability and her illness, all of which she was suffering with such dignity.
She had heard of this man Jesus – how? Somebody would have told her. (How important and vital to our spiritual growth that we inform others of the message of the gospel; the person of Jesus Christ that is a talent we can all use!! There was no radio or media that she could read of or hear about him – like today. Somebody had informed her of this man named Jesus of Nazareth.
What thoughts would have gone through her mind; would it not be lovely to see him; maybe talk to him; tell him of my problems; share with him my feelings and my pain. I have heard so much about him, healing of the sick, kindness to all people. If only I could but touch him, I will be well again.
As the story unfolds, there were many people surrounding Jesus by the lakeside, crowding him, wanting him to heal them, wanting to speak with him, asking for and seeking hope and guidance and assurance – not just the sick, but the homeless, the mentally wounded, the distraught, the lonely – all wanting that acknowledgement – that touch!
Then she was near to him! (This week Janet and I were in Wimbledon at the Tennis championships. I remember saying to her whilst we were in the gift shop, ‘turn around slowly – Stefan Edberg is right behind you’; the look of surprise and delight on her face).
This woman was so close to Jesus – then she touched his cloak – her life immediately transforming – unable to understand her sudden sense of relief -rushing away into the deep crowd sensing something was different from inside of her. From the greatness and majesty of Jesus, flowed from him his healing power – and he knew somebody had touched him differently from all the others clinging around; someone with their deep feeling of belief and faith and he wanted to see that person personally. He wanted to hold them in his arms.
He tells his disciples ‘somebody has touched me’.
‘Sure’ they reply. ‘See this crowd, how is it not possible; everybody is milling and crowding around you’.
Picture the scene – a beautiful scene of compassion and understanding and a special love – the man Jesus searching in amongst the crowd – the woman hiding as fear engulfed her – ‘I am different – I am – I am healed, I have to tell someone – I have to tell this man Jesus what he has done.’ Trembling, she comes to Jesus – falling at his feet, afraid now of the immense future ahead of her.
Jesus says ‘My daughter your faith has made you well, go in peace; you are healed of your trouble’. What more beautiful words could she expect – for she had touched the healing cloak of Jesus.
Jesus was there amongst all those hundreds of people looking for her. Jesus is still here – there looking for each one of us to come closer! For sure Jesus is here, to hear our prayers and our requests so that we bring to him the needs of the world, the needs of our Church, our families , our friends, all about the problems of the world that we face and he wants to hear from us so that we are not self-centred and selfish!
But also he wants us to come close to him – closer every minute of our lives. This is me Lord; this is who I am – with all my fears, my questions, my little faith – this is me with all my failings. We need to realise that we too must touch the cloak of Jesus. We may need healing health-wise. We may need his presence more prominently in our lives, allowing him to be more powerful, in our decision making. We may not be healed of our pain, or our suffering or our anguish. It may all continue but Jesus is with you and he will be with us.
Jesus is reaching out his hands to each one of us; not just his healing hands of body and mind but his healing hands, his touch of comfort – his touch of inner peace – so that no matter what difficulties or problems we have to face which of course we shall encounter. You and I – we have to learn and believe that Jesus will take us through the next stage of our journey of life. We may not be able to touch the visible cloak of Jesus but we can feel his presence – touch Jesus. As we bring our Christian brothers and sisters together at the feet of Jesus feel that inner peace growing – filling your heart, mind and soul as we come closer to Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Brian Scotcher, Lay Reader.