Sixth Sunday after Pentecost 2024

Mark 5, 21- 43

Rev. Neli Miranda

Jesus’ ministry was not controlled by the social and religious conventions of his time, which protected and favored the rich and powerful. Rather, it was driven by God’s deep love that helps all humans in need regardless of their social status, gender, or age. Jesus even crossed geographic borders to proclaim the Kingdom of God outside of Israel, to gentile regions, considered outside God’s grace. Last week, Mark told us about Jesus’ first mission trip outside the borders of Israel and how this journey implied risks and threats. Upon arriving on the other side, in gentile territory, Jesus liberated a man with an unclean spirit, whose name was Legion. This man represented the entire community oppressed and tormented by the Roman occupation, a legion consisting of 6000 Roman soldiers.

Today’s Gospel narrates Jesus’ healing of a woman and a girl, both of whom belong to the most marginalized social group in history, women! The passage begins with Jesus and his disciples returning to Jewish territory where, immediately upon their return, Jesus is surrounded by a large crowd who were surely seeking his healing touch and yearning for his teachings.

While Jesus walks, a moving scene occurs amid the crowd: a father pleads for his daughter’s life. Mark identifies him as Jairus, one of the synagogue leaders.  Mark says that coming to Jesus, Jairus “fell at his feet and pleaded with 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” (5,23).  So, Jesus immediately went with Jairus.

As Jesus walks amid a large crowd towards Jairus’ house, a suffering woman approaches Jesus. According to Mark, this woman had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years, and she had spent all her possessions on physicians with no result. Contrary, her condition only worsened. Jewish law considered three forms of uncleanness that led to exclusion from society: leprosy, uncleanness caused by bodily discharges, and impurity resulting from contact with the dead. So, according to this code, the woman approaching to Jesus was considered unclean due to her condition of hemorrhage. However, despite her condition of “uncleanness” and risking exposure in the crowd, this suffering woman approaches Jesus from behind and touches his cloak. With radical faith she says, “If I but touch his cloak, I will be made well” (5,28).  Her faith in God becomes her healing!  Mark says that “Immediately her flow of blood stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease” (5,29). Alleluia!

It is Jesus who touches and heals the people; yet, now, it is Jesus who has been touched by the faith of a woman, and he has felt her touch. So, while the woman desires to leave unnoticed from the crowd, Jesus publicly praises her faith saying, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your disease” (5,34). Jesus calls this woman his daughter while the religious system rejects her. She, who has experienced social exclusion due to her illness is now embraced as part of Jesus’ larger family. How remarkable is this woman who discerned that religious codes that exclude people are not the word of God!  Perhaps, when breaking some rules like this woman, there would be more restoration in our communities and many people could go in peace…

While Jesus was still speaking with the restored woman, Jairus receives the terrible news that his daughter has died. Jesus is not alarmed, but rather asks Jairus, the religious leader, to imitate the healed woman saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe." (11:36).

The two women in this account, although distinct in age, are linked not only by their gender but also by their state of “uncleanness” in society. Yet, once again, Jesus is going to challenge the Jewish purity code to save a woman. This time he will come in contact with a corpse, Jairus’ daughter. So, when Jesus arrives at Jairus’ home, he approaches the girl and takes her by the hand saying, “Talitha koum”, which means, “Little girl, get up!” (5,42).  Immediately the girl stands up and begins to walk.  Jesus has recued her from the clutches of death!  What kind of barriers, rules, are we willing to break in order to help those who are in need?

In today’s Gospel, two women, an adult and a young girl, are saved by Jesus from the borders of exclusion, pain, silence, and death. The woman is saved from a life filled with pain and shame, and Jesus publicly affirms her and restores her dignity as a human being. The girl is rescued from societal indifference towards girls, and her life is now destined to flourish. Certainly, Jesus desires women to experience a full and abundant life!

Dear sisters and brothers, what are the social and religious codes in our midst that lead to the exclusion of women and other marginalized groups? How can we save women who face discrimination and violence in our own communities? How can we rescue girls who are condemned to a bleak future?

May we have the courage to break with those social, religious rules that exclude people in our communities. May we, like Jesus, have the courage to face death and rescue women and girls who are condemned to suffering and death in our time.

Amen.