"Death No More": A Reflection on The Gospel For July 1st, 2018: Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mark 5:21-43

21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him; and he was beside the sea. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Ja'irus by name; and seeing him, he fell at his feet, 23 and besought him, saying, "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." 24 And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well." 29 And immediately the hemorrhage ceased; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, "Who touched my garments?" 31 And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, `Who touched me?'" 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had been done to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." 35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" 36 But ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, he saw a tumult, and people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he had entered, he said to them, "Why do you make a tumult and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping." 40 And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside, and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, "Tal'itha cu'mi"; which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." 42 And immediately the girl got up and walked (she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

“Overwhelmed” is the word that comes to me when I read this raising story in Mark’s Gospel. In it we meet Jairus, a respected leader in the synagogue. His daughter is dying. Every effort to save her has failed, and Jairus now is overwhelmed by desperation. He no longer cares what others think about him; he is simply driven to get help. Jairus turns to Jesus. In front of a “great” crowd, he falls on his knees, begging Jesus to lay hands on his daughter and make her well. Jesus is moved with compassion and leaves the crowd to go with him. On the way, when Jairus receives the very news he is dreading—his daughter has died—Jesus encourages him: “Do not fear, only believe.” And Jairus carries on.

When they arrive at Jairus’ house, they meet people who tell them the daughter has died; it is too late. But Jesus dismisses them. Then He calls into the home those who are willing to believe—Jairus and his wife, and Peter, James and John—and there they witness a miracle: the power of Jesus to overcome death.

Our Church is living this story today. As death threatened the daughter of Jairus, death threatens many parishes in the Church throughout the world. We may feel desperate, but like Jairus, we need to throw ourselves at the feet of Jesus. We need to ask Him to come into our parishes, lay His hands on our Church communities and restore us to life. And, as He did in this Gospel story, Jesus will come. He will send away those who say it is too late, and He will raise up those courageous enough to believe and to act.

Jairus touches my heart not because he had easy faith but because, when he was desperate, he found the courage to believe in the Messiah and then to seek Him out. Sometimes we must hit a wall of failure before we find true courage. Then, to make progress, we must turn away from that wall and walk in another direction.

Praise to our God, who has power over death in all its forms.

Donna Davis

"We need to ask Him to come into our parishes, lay His hands on our Church communities and restore us to life." - Donna Davis (Ora Reflections)