Skip to main content

A Tale of Two Females

 In a book called, "The Year of Living Biblically" by A.J. Jacobs, he tried to follow all 435 commands found in the Torah or Pentateuch. One of those commands was that you couldn't touch a woman while she was having her period so he wouldn't hug, kiss, or hold the hand of his wife during her cycle. She learned that he couldn't sit where she sat, so when she became frustrated with him she would sit on every piece of furniture in the house so he would have to stand or sit on the floor the whole day. We don't know what kind of hemorrhaging this woman in the crowd was suffering, but for her to be so afraid of Jesus and the crowd that she didn't ask for healing, but just touched his cloak and had faith that she would be made well, we have to assume that she has spent twelve long years not being able to hug, kiss, or hold hands with her family and friends. This physical and social isolation seems to be more damaging as she persisted with this illness for twelve years. 

Yesterday, we had a large community show up to say good-bye to Nancy. There were many tears shed, stories told, and laughter shared. In our story today, other translations named that the mourners didn't just laugh at Jesus, but they mocked him. Some of them were probably professional mourners who came to help the family mourn the loss of their daughter. So they had little emotional ties to the family, though they were probably in a town where everyone knew everyone. We don't know much about the girl except she was about 12 years old and her father risked public humiliation by prostrating himself in front of Jesus to beg that she be healed. This was something that wasn't done, for it bordered on idolatry and resembled the Romans bowing down to their Caesar. 

I titled this sermon "A Tale of Two Females" though this story found in the gospels isn't about two individuals, it is about community. It is about the large crowd that shows up, maybe some of them are here to see the 'miracles', maybe many of them are following Jesus because they see something real and God-centered in him that they haven't experienced in their lives. It is about restoration of the woman that she may freely move about and interact with her community, becoming a part of them again. It is about the restoring the life of a girl who will soon become a woman and take her place as a member of her community. 

It is about no matter who you are, whether a wealthy highly religious guy or a woman who has been shunned for 12 years, or where you come from, you are welcome here. As we go into our annual meeting in a bit, may we work to restore relationships, heal the whole person who is in need, and be the body of Christ and kingdom of heaven here on earth. Amen.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Covenant of the United Church of Christ

That they may all be one! This was the dream of the these different denominations and churches coming together in 1957. That they may all be one! While many denominations were splitting and continually finding reasons that they couldn't be siblings with those Christians over there, a group of mainline Protestant leaders came together that united and uniting was the future of the Church. Yes, it was mainly four major denominations which are: 1. Congregational 2. Christian 3. Reformed (German) and 4. Evangelical Synod (Lutheran). There were many other smaller groups that joined as well, that included Back, Native, and Hungarian. But if you look at the first General Synod picture, it was pretty much white, middle class men. With global communication becoming easier, travel, television, and the United Nations, they had a dream and vision that all Christians could live together, worship together, and be one as we are one in God with Christ.  That they may all be one! is the United Churc...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sabbath

 In the Five Books of Moses where also known as the? (Pentateuch) What was the last thing written of the Pentateuch, the last story? Hint: it was a poem. (The First Creation Story) The Seven Day Creation Story was put in its final form, the first time it was written down was while the people of Israel were in the diaspora spread throughout the Babylonian Empire in the sixth century BCE. It became widely shared because the prophet Jeremiah told the people to marry amongst the people wherever they were at and to settle in. Yes one day, they would return to the towns and Jerusalem, but for now, continue to live. The people of the nation of Judah were there for about seventy years, so there were a couple of generations happening and their children and grandchildren were forgetting their language, their heritage, and their God. Then, the poem about God creating the world in seven days was used as a reminder, a balm, and a way to remember who and whose they were. It centered on the sabba...
Post a Comment
Read more