sermon for pentecost 4B

Revd Rowena Francis, Moderator, Northern Synod, The United Reformed Church

Mark 5: 21-43
2 Samuel 1:1,17-27
2 Corinthians 8: 7-15

Tears of Blood.

Many years ago now I had in my mind a powerful image that would not go away. I had it incorporated into a stole that was designed for me. The image was of tears of blood that were leaves on a tree, gently falling to the earth. The image spoke to me, as a then practising midwife, that only when the bleeding ceased was new life conceived and only through water and blood is human life birthed. It was even more poignant as at that time my own body would not stop bleeding and there was no new life or conception – no baby as for Hannah or Elizabeth. It was a Gethsemane time when tears of blood escaped from the pain of my heart.

Frank had a different experience of the tears of blood.  (Source: http://www.esermons.com) He came to faith in a mid life crisis after a difficult childhood where faith didn’t count for much. He started to worship in a large lively town centre church with a great flexible building and wonderful preaching. But Frank was troubled. He went to see the minister. Eventually he managed to put into words what he was feeling. ‘Yes, everything’s marvellous here but on a Sunday morning you would never believe these people are bleeding.’

Frank couldn’t believe the congregation were bleeding. There were no tears of salt water or blood apparent.

• No pain for the world such as Christ had.
• No bleeding for the friends and family with cancer,
• No bleeding for the children of the world exploited, their lives and bodies enslaved for the profit of others.
• No bleeding for the homeless in tents of refugee camps for yet another winter and carrying their bags yet another mile.
• No bleeding for those being slapped on the cheek as humanity resolves conflict with violence.
• No bleeding for the islanders whose home and livelihood is being taken by rising sea levels through climate change.

The pain and anguish of human everyday life was not leading them to bleed and Frank experienced that as not fully of Christ. So he went to the margins to find Christ and to touch in the name of Jesus. Frank went on to find his spiritual home in a tiny shop front inner city congregation.

King David shed tears and lamented for Jonathan his friend and Saul his predecessor following their death. Here were very complicated relationships of competition and jealousy, fear and passion. Yet the tears of blood fell in grief and in recognition of love shared.

The woman in our gospel story had been shedding tears of blood for twelve years. This is a significant time, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, the people of God. It is Holy. As Frank sought a congregation to be part of that bleeding which he could experience as holy. As David shed tears for Jonathan and Saul seeing God as being in their lives too. As the Corinthian church were challenged to shed tears and be generous to the saints in Jerusalem. As Christ, the Holy one of God bleeds for creation on the cross, and is Holy. So we are to bleed, to suffer, to die to find healing, wholeness and life in God. This is the path of holiness.

This woman, who bled for twelve years, was marginalised, excluded, impure. She was a nameless person to be steered clear of. Yet she bled and recognising her need; she reached out and touched Jesus. The woman was healed thereby and brought into the community. Often it is only when we recognise our need, when we acknowledge that we are bleeding – and that the life force is ebbing out of us that we turn to Christ for healing and for life and surrender to his touch. Only then do we recognise that we belong and are part of the community of God’s beloved.

The woman touched the hem of Jesus’ garment – such a simple step and was healed. We only need to reach out to Christ, to surrender in faith to God’s love for us, in order to discover life and healing. But we find that so hard. Instead we rely on ourselves. We are independent. We hold our arms stiffly by our sides. But if we stretch out our hand and touch then we can feel the power for life flowing into us from Christ. This is all we need to do to find life; recognise that of ourselves and without God, we are as nothing, as good as dead. Then to simply reach out to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment and so encounter God who is the life force that is love which encompasses all.

We touch the healing hem of Jesus’ garment when we work for peace and arbitrate within our families, or reconcile people within our church or teach our grandchildren to resolve arguments in a positive way. By such healing is realised.

We touch the healing hem of Jesus’ garment when we serve the community around us, recognising where they are bleeding and what their needs are. For older people who are isolated and struggling with mobility this may be by offering transport and friendship. For parents worried about children getting into trouble it may be through offering parenting classes. By such healing is realised.

We touch the healing hem of Jesus’ garment when we seek trade justice and buy fairly traded goods, allowing people in the developing world to earn a living wage and so have a sustainable lifestyle. By such healing is realised.

We touch the healing hem of Jesus’ garment when we work the club areas of our towns as street pastors, offering coffee and chat to the drunks and lost, showing that they count.

We touch the healing hem of Jesus’ garment when we give generously and regularly to support others in their needs and in working for a better world.

This is all well and good but there is danger of romanticising the poor. The gospel stops us doing this entirely for this story of the healing of the woman struggling with bleeding for twelve years is sandwiched within another healing story. A twelve year old girl, the daughter of Jairus, is sick. Again there is that special number that represents the whole people of God, the tribes of Israel – the Holy people. God is not only at the margins, open to being touched by those who recognise their need he is also there for the Jairus’ of this world.

The upright citizens, the leaders of the synagogue, organised and efficient, can also meet Jesus. Jairus’ daughter was sick. Jairus knew what he wanted; his daughter healing. So he went to persuade Jesus to come to the house and to heal her. He expected Jesus to come and to respond. It is OK to be a Jairus church, confident and clear in our leadership and organisation, with lots of resources, knowing what we want of God just as it is OK to be a church bleeding on the margins.

Yet note that God responds to Jairus in what could be seen as a humorous way. You can picture Christ offering healing to Jairus’ daughter with a wry smile on his face. For Jairus wanted his daughter healed. He believed Jesus could do that. But by the time they had got there, having been distracted by the woman who was bleeding, his daughter was dead. So instead of Christ healing the young girl he raised her from the dead. Sometimes the way we encounter Christ and receive healing is not what we expect and sometimes the Jairus’ amongst us and amongst the churches find that very difficult.

Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead. Again touch was significant. He took her hand and said ‘Talitha cum – Little girl get up’ and she did. Then her parents were told to give her something to eat. Touch is still how healing is offered. Whether that is the cool cloth on a fevered brow, the tender replacement of dressings on a wound, the laying on of hands for pray for healing, or the comforting hug in grief.

The Menninger Institute once did a fascinating experiment. They identified a group of babies who did not cry because they had been abandoned and left to cry for hours. They had learned that it was not worth the effort of crying. They were hurting and folk at the institute knew it. The experiment enabled people from nursing homes, to hold these babies and rock them daily. The aim was to get these babies to cry again. And it worked. It was physical touch that made the difference.

As important as physical touch is, there is another kind of touch that is also important. It is spiritual touch. This is that special touch that influences and impacts the lives of people. A telephone company some years ago had a slogan: “Reach out and touch someone.” They were, of course, referring to a meaningful relationship.

This spiritual touch is two way. We need to reach out and touch Christ, offering ourselves to live for God who is love rather than self, and recognising our human weakness. God is always available, even if not recognized by us and even if that availability is not always in the ways we would anticipate. Then empowered by Christ and being filled with the Holy Spirit we are to reach out and touch the world as Christ’s body. This will enable healing, wholeness and life to be experienced and known.

Amen.

Tagged as: 2 corinthians 8: 7-15, 2 samuel 1: 1-27, 5 marks of mission, fair trade, god's preferential option for the poor, jairus' daughter, Lawrence Moore, lectionary blog, mark 5:21-43, northern synod of the united reformed church, ordinary 13b, proper 8b, revd rowena francis, serving the community, spiritual touch, the new community of god, the united reformed church, The Windermere Centre, the woman with a haemorrhage