osprey jan 2005

Feb 1 Healing

Feb 1, 2005 Healing Mk 5:21-43

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd
gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly
with him, saying, "My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live." He went off with him and a large crowd followed him.

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly
at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured." Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?"
But his disciples said to him, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, Who touched me?" And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."

While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said,
"Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?" Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid; just have faith."
He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, "Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep." And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out.
He took along the child's father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum,"
which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!" The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.

This is one of the few parts of the Bible where the original Aramaic is used when Jesus said "Talitha koum." I am not sure of the full linguistic implications of this but another point is at Good Friday and the aramaic is again a quote from Jesus. There is a possibility it is a historical quote from a witness to the event that was passed down orally then eventually written.

"Do not be afraid; just have faith." Jesus again tells the people to have faith instead of fear. So many times throughout His ministry He tells us do not be afraid. It is a weakness we all naturally have. It is so easy to fall into fear or to be fearful when those around us are fearful. There is a real freedom in being filled with faith and not falling into fear. The lack of fear is in itself a healing from faith.

The healing described in the reading involved touch. Touch is a part of the healing of God. Belief in being healed is another part.