Do Not Be Afraid, Just Have Faith

Do Not Be Afraid, Just Have Faith

Mk 5: 21 – 43

13^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today’s Gospel talks about two stories. One story is about the healing of the woman who was afflicted with hemorrhages, the other about the daughter of Jairus who was sick and dying. Each of these stories can stand on their own. But the evangelist Mark places them together to highlight a particular point about faith.

The gospel begins with Jesus arriving on a boat by the lakeside. Mark tells us that a large crowd had gathered there waiting for him. Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue official,  approached Jesus, fell at his feet and pleaded with Jesus, saying: “ My daughter is at the point of death. Please come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live. “ Jesus then readily goes with him to see the child.

Mark then tells us that the crowd that had gathered there followed Jesus and pressed upon him. We could just imagine the commotion and tumult as Jesus tried to pass through the large madding crowd.

While all this was happening, Mark inserts the story of the woman with a hemorrhage. She has been sick of hemorrhage for twelve years. She has spent all that she had in trying to get cured but has since remained ill. She then gets near Jesus amidst the unruly crowd, hoping to touch Jesus’ cloak. As she reached out to Jesus, she said to herself: “ If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” Then, as she touched Jesus, she realized that her flow of blood dried up and knew there and then that she has been healed.

Then Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned to the crowd and asked: “ Who has touched my clothes!” Anyone who was present there might have thought that Jesus’ inquiry was a little strange, considering that the crowd had been pressing and touching him all this time. Then the gospel tells us that the woman, realizing that she was cured of her illness, approached Jesus in fear and trembling and told Jesus what had happened. Jesus affirmed her saying: “ Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

After this, news reached Jesus that Jairus’ daughter has died. The news bearers dissuaded Jairus from troubling Jesus any further as the child was already dead. Jesus disregarded the news and tells Jairus: “ Do not be afraid, just have faith.” Then together with some of his disciples, Jesus heads to the home of Jairus.

When Jesus arrives, he finds people in commotion as people were weeping and wailing. He tells the people : “ Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” People then started to ridicule him. Then he went inside the room where the child was, took the child by the hand and said to her: “ Talitha koum which means little girl I say to you, arise!” The girl arose immediately and walked around. Then all were utterly astounded.

Mark presents to us this story to highlight a very important aspect in our relationship with Jesus: our faith. Mark presents these stories in such a way that any kind of miracle or healing would have been impossible right from the very start.
In the story of the woman suffering from hemorrhage, Mark describes the scene as so tumultuous and chaotic that any kind of personal contact with Jesus would have been impossible. There was just so much commotion, noise and the crowd's overpowering frenzy.
In the story of Jairus’ daughter, Mark tells us that the girl was already dead. There was no longer any reason to ask Jesus for any healing since she was already dead. Even the people at Jairus’ home found it ridiculous to believe in Jesus’ claim that the child was just asleep because they themselves knew and have seen the child to be dead.

The noise, the confusion, the chaos and the tumult around us can make faith very challenging. The many voices that we hear, the confusion that envelops our lives all add up to the impossibility of believing and hoping for any kind of healing to happen. Yet in the midst of all the confusion and noise, Jesus tells us that it is still possible to hope for healing. This possibility is created by faith.

 Faith pierces through God’s heart and allows for streams of divine love and grace to flow and bless us. Even in the midst of the noise and chaos that surrounded her, it was the woman's faith that pierced through God’s power, making even Jesus realize that indeed, power had gone out of him.
 In Jairus’ case, it was the faith of Jairus who believed in Jesus' power to heal despite the news of her daughter's death that pierced through the Lord's compassion. This made the gift of life possible which flowed from Jesus’ own hand to the young girl’s body.

Believe in Jesus in the midst of the confusion that life may bring. Believe in Jesus despite the many and confusing voices that we hear in our lives. Believe in Jesus, even if our minds tell us that things are hopeless and are no longer possible.   Believe so that you may experience the healing and saving power of our Lord in your life and in the life of those you love.  Amen.


" Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. " - Hebrews 11: 1