A man comes to Jesus in the last throes of desperation. There is no other chance for his daughter. Only the Lord knows what he has tried thus far to save his little girl. Jesus is his only remaining option. "Come, lay hands on her and heal her."
Jesus agrees
and they start off. They are headed from
the synagogue to his home. There is a
crowd, things are moving in slow motion because that is how crowds move. How close is the father to exploding for
everyone to get of the way, to move things along. Until Jesus stops, looks around and asks the
most inane question imaginable, “Who touched me?”
His disciples
speak the words that I can feel in the heart of the little girl’s father. “Are you nuts? You are Jesus, the Messiah, the popular one. This is a crowd. Maybe the question is better asked ‘who did
not touch me’ instead of who did?
Just when
it seems like the question is nothing but a “blow off” of precious time, a
woman comes out of the crowd to take ownership.
After Jesus spends who knows how much time with her, after Jesus has gotten
all tender and wonderful, so that screaming in frustration is not a viable option, the crowd begins to move once again.
Only for
messengers to come from the man’s house to let him know it is too late. His daughter has died. “Do not bother the teacher (Jesus) anymore.” Jesus overhears this conversation (according
to the NRSV). Jesus says, “Do not fear,
only believe.” The people are going to
laugh at Jesus when they get to his house.
He claims some nonsense about ‘sleep’, not death.
Mark 5: 21 to the end of the chapter, I invite you to read
the story.
Peace,
Pastor Peter
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