Why keep it secret?
Bible section for Tuesday, March 21.
Gospel of Mark 5:21-43
Two people, both in need of healing. One was a little girl, daughter of a respected man and prestigious family. Her father loved her enough to risk the disapproval of the Pharisees, go to find Jesus; and beg him to come and lay healing hands on her before she died.
The other was a woman, alone, no family to encourage her. She had been ill for 12 years and had spent everything she had, trying to find a cure. Her illness was one she could not talk about in public; people shunned her in case she contaminated them.
Jesus had just assented to the appeal of the father of the sick child and was on his way to heal the dying girl. The woman dare not delay him when every second counted. She did not want the crowd to know what her illness was, because they would have little tolerance for a person who might be making them ritually unclean just by contact with her clothes. As the father of the dying girl hastened towards his home accompanied by Jesus, she reached out and secretly touched the hem of Jesus’ garment.
Jesus knew what had happened but would not let her hide. His miracles were not remote and impersonal. His healing was not like magic or lucky charms. When Jesus healed it was a sign; a sign that God the Father was reaching out to his created children with healing, forgiveness and love. If this woman went away healed in body but without any word from Jesus, she would have no spiritual healing to accompany the physical healing. Since she had spent all her money, and was not accompanied by family, she would go home alone. Jesus insists that whoever touched him come forward; greatly fearing, the woman stands before him, and tells him her story. The response of Jesus was to tell her that her faith had healed her and to go in peace, but he also addressed her as ‘Daughter’. Jesus was between 30 and 33 years old, scarcely the right age to address someone who had been ill for 12 years as ‘daughter’, but it established a relationship. She was reminded that she and all other women are children of a loving father who sent Jesus into the world to heal the world’s diseases. From that moment on she knew herself, loved, protected and cared for by God himself and by his representative on earth.
We know that a group of women went with Jesus and his companions, seeing to their food and their other needs. It is pure conjecture on my part, but I like to think that one of those women took this newly healed woman into the loving care of the group, so that she could become friends with them and have family-in-Christ. It is conjecture but very likely, because that is what the Church world-wide had always done.
The little twelve year old dearly-loved daughter of the family of prestige and position had died when Jesus got to the house. This time Jesus heals privately. Only the parents and his three closest companions are there when Jesus takes the hand of the dead girl and instructs her to get up. “Tell no one,” he says.
Why? Why did he demand public recognition from the woman, and deny it to the parents of the girl brought back from death?
Because the people wanted to crown him king. They were trying to do this whether he agreed or not, someone would come and anoint him with oil and the crowd would proclaim that he was king. Jesus did not want to be crowned in this way. It would be dangerous for the whole nation because they would be seen as rebelling against Rome. More important his kingdom was not of this world. An earthly coronation would distract and confuse his true purpose. He had come to win back his Father’s kingdom. The heavenly kingdom without limitation of time, over-arching all geographical boundaries, and encompassing all of human history. Tell no one, Jesus said, and went on his way towards the death which he had come to die.
John 6:15, John 18:36,Luke 8:2
Gospel of Mark 5:21-43
Two people, both in need of healing. One was a little girl, daughter of a respected man and prestigious family. Her father loved her enough to risk the disapproval of the Pharisees, go to find Jesus; and beg him to come and lay healing hands on her before she died.
The other was a woman, alone, no family to encourage her. She had been ill for 12 years and had spent everything she had, trying to find a cure. Her illness was one she could not talk about in public; people shunned her in case she contaminated them.
Jesus had just assented to the appeal of the father of the sick child and was on his way to heal the dying girl. The woman dare not delay him when every second counted. She did not want the crowd to know what her illness was, because they would have little tolerance for a person who might be making them ritually unclean just by contact with her clothes. As the father of the dying girl hastened towards his home accompanied by Jesus, she reached out and secretly touched the hem of Jesus’ garment.
Jesus knew what had happened but would not let her hide. His miracles were not remote and impersonal. His healing was not like magic or lucky charms. When Jesus healed it was a sign; a sign that God the Father was reaching out to his created children with healing, forgiveness and love. If this woman went away healed in body but without any word from Jesus, she would have no spiritual healing to accompany the physical healing. Since she had spent all her money, and was not accompanied by family, she would go home alone. Jesus insists that whoever touched him come forward; greatly fearing, the woman stands before him, and tells him her story. The response of Jesus was to tell her that her faith had healed her and to go in peace, but he also addressed her as ‘Daughter’. Jesus was between 30 and 33 years old, scarcely the right age to address someone who had been ill for 12 years as ‘daughter’, but it established a relationship. She was reminded that she and all other women are children of a loving father who sent Jesus into the world to heal the world’s diseases. From that moment on she knew herself, loved, protected and cared for by God himself and by his representative on earth.
We know that a group of women went with Jesus and his companions, seeing to their food and their other needs. It is pure conjecture on my part, but I like to think that one of those women took this newly healed woman into the loving care of the group, so that she could become friends with them and have family-in-Christ. It is conjecture but very likely, because that is what the Church world-wide had always done.
The little twelve year old dearly-loved daughter of the family of prestige and position had died when Jesus got to the house. This time Jesus heals privately. Only the parents and his three closest companions are there when Jesus takes the hand of the dead girl and instructs her to get up. “Tell no one,” he says.
Why? Why did he demand public recognition from the woman, and deny it to the parents of the girl brought back from death?
Because the people wanted to crown him king. They were trying to do this whether he agreed or not, someone would come and anoint him with oil and the crowd would proclaim that he was king. Jesus did not want to be crowned in this way. It would be dangerous for the whole nation because they would be seen as rebelling against Rome. More important his kingdom was not of this world. An earthly coronation would distract and confuse his true purpose. He had come to win back his Father’s kingdom. The heavenly kingdom without limitation of time, over-arching all geographical boundaries, and encompassing all of human history. Tell no one, Jesus said, and went on his way towards the death which he had come to die.
John 6:15, John 18:36,Luke 8:2
posted by Jessie Coates at 9:00 PM
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