A way to live a mission in your home and with your friends:
Begin learning about healing prayer with a sore throat; put a hand on your throat and pray, “Lord, heal my sore throat.”
Based on Mark 5:21-43 (see a readable retelling below); a reading that comes from the Revised Common Lectionary for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, 7/1/18.
A crowd gathers around Jesus as he stands on the shore of Galilee. A leader of the synagogue comes and begs repeatedly for Jesus to heal his young daughter who seems close to death. “Just lay your hands upon her and she will recover,” says the father. [Laying on of hands is a frequent part of payers for healing.] Jesus goes with the father. A crowd follows Jesus and the father.
A woman in the crowd has been suffering from bleeding that no earthly power has been able to stop. She has heard about Jesus. She believes he has supernatural power to heal. She believes she needs only to touch his clothing even if he does not know what she is doing. She touches his cloak; she is healed instantly, and knows it.
Jesus, in full control of his healing power, knows some of it has flowed out of him. When he asks who touched me, his followers say that there are so many crowding around that it is impossible to know exactly who touched his clothes.
Jesus looks over the crowd for the one who has touched his clothes. He knows power has gone out from him. The woman sees him looking around and comes forward to tell him. She is in fear and trembling that she has done wrong. Jesus reassures her that she had the right kind of faith – faith that the saving power of God is at work in the world in Jesus. He addresses her with affection, “Daughter,” and says her faith in his healing power saved her and she should go on her way healed of her disease.
While he is talking, people come from the leader’s house saying to the leader that his daughter has already died and Jesus need not come. Jesus overhears them and says she is not dead but sleeping. [Sleeping is a euphuism for death. Can Jesus raise the dead is the question.] It is believed that Jesus will bring the dead back to life in the next world. Jesus’ healing of the girl will bring this future event into the present.
Jesus sends the mourners away. They have no hope. Her death is the end as they see it. Therefore, they laugh at him when he implies life is still possible.
With the parents and some followers, Jesus goes to the dead child, takes her hand in his, and says, “Little girl, get up.” She rises and walks around. All are amazed. Jesus says tell no one what has happened. [A command that is impossible to keep.]
A theme: The healing power of God is at work in the world and is met in Jesus.