Lenten Lesson 5 -- It's all about Jesus

It's not about the quantity of faith, or even the quality of faith. It's not about physical healing or even raising someone from the dead.

It is about Jesus. And his revealed authority over death. It is, in fact, a scandalous tale about Jesus and the promise of resurrection he gives us, because he conquered suffering and death, even death on a cross, and is, himself, resurrected.

The Rev. Dr. Mary Hendricks, pastor at St. Alban's Episcopal Church, brought to life "a story of two daughters" found in Luke 8:40-56, Friday afternoon during the Community Lenten service at Memorial United Methodist Church.

"One of these daughters, the daughter of Jairus, at the threshold of womanhood, lay dying in her father's house," said Hendricks. "The other was suffering a common affliction of womanhood, forced by an incessant hemorrhage into a life of living death."

Scripture speaks of an issue of blood that had lasted 12 long years and defied every physician's cure, impoverishing the woman.

"According to the law, this issue of blood made this woman ceremonially unclean," explained Hendricks. "She was a social outcast."

The scene is a familiar one. Jairus, a synagogue ruler, falls at Jesus' feet, because his 12-year-old daughter is at home, dying. Jesus, answering Jairus' plea to come to his house, begins to make his way, along with his disciples, through a crushing crowd. Along the way, the woman, who has dared break all societal rules to even be in the crowd, comes up behind Jesus, touching the edge of his cloak.

Jesus immediately asks, "'Who touched me?'" confounding his disciples. Peter offers a reasoned response, "'Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.'"

Jesus persists, "'Someone touched me; I know that power has gone our from me.'"

And the woman comes forward admitting that she had touched him, believing that when she did, she would be healed of her affliction. And so it was.

Jesus did not upbraid her for her presence in the crowd, nor did he chide her for daring to touch the hem of his robe. Instead, he commends her with the words, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

The scene shifts quickly back to Jairus and his dying daughter when Scripture says that a servant from the house of Jairus arrives to tell him that his daughter has died and there is now no reason to bother the teacher.

Jesus, hearing the conversation, contradicts the servant and encourages Jairus to believe for his daughter's healing. The crowd continued on to the house of Jairus and on arrival, Peter, John, James, Jesus and the girl's parents entered the house amid the mournful wails of the crowd.

"'Stop wailing,' Jesus commanded. 'She is not dead but asleep.'" But the crowd laughed.

Jesus took the girl's hand, and called out "'My child, get up!'" Scripture says her spirit returned and she stood up.

After telling the girl's parents to give her something to eat, he then orders their silence.

This story, according to Hendricks, is not contained in Scripture just as a history lesson, or to show that Jesus was a "nice guy" who went around doing miracles just for the sake of doing miracles. Nor was it included so that we could somehow muster up "enough faith so our own child doesn't die," said Hendricks. And it is not included to demonstrate that we have the "kind of faith" that allows for healing.

"Not that there isn't a certain attraction to these teachings," admitted Hendricks. After all, we desire answers that "make sense."

And from our earliest memories, we hunger for a sense of omnipotence, that "whatever happens, happens because of me." Hendricks said, identifying man's egocentric nature. "Enough faith, the right faith, as if it all depends on us."

And, she added, some of us just want it to be just what the story says, nothing more, nothing less.

It is none of these, she stated emphatically. There is more to be revealed in the resurrection miracle, and in the healing miracle, things that cannot become clear until after the cross. In all of the healing miracles of Jesus, Hendricks offered, there is more than just the miracle of the healing.

When we see the miracles through the lens provided by the cross, the grave and the resurrection, we begin to understand the reconciliation that Jesus has brought to man.

The road to the cross, the cross itself, is where Jesus joins us in our suffering, through his suffering, transforming ours.

"We aren't freed from pain, suffering and death," Hendricks explained, "nor are we freed from joy, passion or happiness."

Jesus, in experiencing these, joins us in them so we can know "We are not alone, God is with us," said Hendricks. Not only that, she continued, he promises us a resurrection. And in that promise, our lives have meaning, our lives have hope, even our death has meaning.

"Jesus is not just the 'go-to' guy when someone is sick or hungry," warned Hendricks. He is the one who faced the scandal of the cross so that all of us, the woman with the hemorrhage, Jairus' daughter, each one of us, can have new life."

This is a scandalous grace, said Hendricks. "The suffering, the cross, the shame."

A scandalous grace has reconciled us.

"Those who are reconciled are called to be reconcilers," said Hendricks. "The forgiven are called to forgive, those who have new life are called to offer new life."

"The time comes to all of us," Hendricks counseled, "The time will come when each of us will be called to be a minister of reconciliation, even if in doing so, we ourselves become a scandal, become something scandalous."

When that time comes, she said, "May we see past the scandal and welcome the Christ."

Hendricks, offering the fifth Community Lenten service to a community congregation of 112, was joined by the Rev. Jason VanPelt, associate pastor at McCook Christian Church, as worship leader and the Rev. John Strecker-Basler, pastor at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, singing "Healer of Our Every Ill," and Marie Coffey, organist.

The service was followed by a luncheon of a tuna macaroni salad and dinner rolls, side salads and a variety of cakes, provided by members of St. Alban's Episcopal Church.

The annual Community Lenten services are sponsored by the Red Willow County Ministerial Association. A free will offering in support of the work of the ministerial association is accepted at the entrance to the sanctuary. A second free will offering is accepted in the Fellowship Hall to help defray the cost of the meal provided by the preaching minister's congregation.

The series of lessons continues at 12:05 p.m., Friday at Memorial United Methodist Church with the Rev. Lance Clay, pastor at Memorial United Methodist Church, addressing "The Blind Man on the Road".

For more information on the Red Willow Ministerial Association and to listen to an audio recording of each service, go online to: www.mccookchurches.org