COME TO GOD IN YOUR OWN WAY

Mark 5:21-43

This gospel reports two stories of healing presented like a sandwich. One story tells us about a father’s great love for his dying daughter. The other story tells us about a desperate woman who risks much as she seeks healing from Jesus. In each story, the request for healing is itself a courageous act of faith, and yet very different circumstances are represented by the lives of each suffering person.  

To contrast the two persons, one is a man, the other is a woman. One is a public official, an important person in the community; the other is a woman who has lost everything to find a cure to the condition that separated her from the community. One approaches Jesus publicly, the other approaches him secretly. Yet in each case faith leads them to seek out Jesus in their time of need.

Looking at these stories we find that Jairus was not afraid to walk right up to Jesus and present his request but the sick woman was different. Though she was determined and believed that doing so she will be cured, she was very afraid to approach Jesus. Unlike Jairus who came publicly, she sneaked up behind Jesus, touched him and then sunk back into the anonymity of the crowd. But Jesus discovers: Who has touched me? He asks. Jesus feels that this touch is different from the normal collisions of shoulders and elbows and sandals and hips and legs in the crowd. He feels that "power has gone from him". He senses that someone has touched his clothes with a definite purpose and a definite need in mind.

From these stories we can learn that the power of God can never be prevented by what we are. All we need is faith. Whether you are timid or shy, young or old, leader or outcast, Jesus will still accomplish his mission if you come to him with faith. Your personality, your temperament, your status, even your sinful condition cannot prevent Jesus Christ to accomplish his mission. All that we need is to take courage and to express our need with faith and trust in whatever way works for us. Whether you choose to express your request publicly like Jairus, or you choose to sneak up behind him and touch his cloth like the woman, he will still help you. No matter what situation we are in, whenever we approach Jesus with sincere and honest faith, He turns to us without conditions; in his own wonderful way he save us.