In the midst of unmanageable-ness

IN THE MIDST OF UNMANAGEABLE-NESS

There are times life seems unmanageable. We read of two such instances in the Luke today. One, possibly something that comes out of nowhere. We do not know if Jairus’s daughter had been sick for a long time, or if it was sudden. The immediacy of the situation is clear. His act of imploring Jesus screams desperation, for he is. Then we meet the unnamed woman. Her situation is somewhat clearer…and chronic. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all report this event. Luke and Mark report she has spent her life’s savings, and the normally brief Mark adds a bit about how she has suffered.

People refer to this as a sandwich, where the center adds to, amplifies, the flavor of the outside surrounding story. They are of course stories of faith…and stories of Jesus compassion and healing. In one, the unapproached Jesus, the Jesus who is not even asked for help…this Jesus possesses so much power that merely touching him leads to healing. The meat (or at least part of it) is the Power of the Person of Jesus. And there is power in the story about Jairus’ dautghter…and also compassion.

If you have not read the text, then take a moment to do so, and then I have a one more thought on Jesus’ compassion.

Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus's Daughter

⁴⁰ Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. ⁴¹ And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus' feet, he implored him to come to his house, ⁴² for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. ⁴³ And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. ⁴⁴ She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. ⁴⁵ And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter^[f] said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” ⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” ⁴⁷ And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. ⁴⁸ And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

⁴⁹ While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler's house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.”⁵⁰ But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” ⁵¹ And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. ⁵² And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” ⁵³ And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. ⁵⁴ But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” ⁵⁵ And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. ⁵⁶ And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

In these short blogs I have to skip over quite a bit of detail that is behind the story, but let me offer you a little today. The woman with the flow of blood, because of her blood flow, is pigeon-holed into a terrible place in her society. She is “unclean.” Being “unclean” means that she is to stay away from people…if she touches someone, even just brushing up against them, she makes them unclean. I have read that when she walked down the street, if someone was approaching her, she was to yell out “UNCLEAN” so they could avoid her. I imagine in a small town everyone knew this woman was “unclean.”

So her being in the crowd…what a risk to take…imagine if someone saw her! And then she reaches out…she is going to “touch” Rabbi Jesus…and she does. Jesus stops, wonders aloud, the crowd of people get quiet. All of sudden everyone looks and they recognize her…and she admits to touching him…can you sense the high drama of the moment?

And then you hear the Rabbi speak, “Daughter…” He calls her daughter. The unnamed woman with her unmanageable life, goes from unclean exiled stranger…to being the Rabbi’s daughter.

And so it is for us, for all who, in the midst of our unmanageable lives, reach out to Jesus.