Tag Archives: Mark

Jesus is the Suffering Servant

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on June 28, 2015
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Knock – Knock — Who’s There? — Rev. David J. Schreffler

June 28, 2015
Sunday

“Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” He looked all around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” Mark 5:25-34

“And so I find myself recalling today a seminary professor who told us to remember that everyone whom Jesus healed did also one day finally die. Jairus’ daughter, if she was so blessed, outlived her father and grew to be a mother and grandmother herself. The hemorrhaging woman, finally declared ‘clean,’ was able to return to a full life which had been denied her for twelve years. No doubt both of them felt a deeper gratitude for God’s gifts because of all they had experienced. But in the end, like all of us, they one day died as well.

I intentionally use the word ‘wholeness’ here because like any physical disease hers was one that isolated in ways you and I can hardly imagine today. And while, to be sure any one of us who has ever struggled with illness or what the world perceives as disability has some idea of what her life must have been, what would be different is in Jesus’ day she would have been considered ‘unclean’ and therefore prohibited from entering the synagogue, the temple. She would not have been allowed to enter the ‘holy places’ of her time. We can only begin to imagine how she was treated by her family, her community. Indeed, we can be certain that her illness had broken more than her body. And yet we hear that even in her desperation, she does not have the courage to go to Jesus to ask for what she needs. Rather, she believes if she can just get close enough perhaps some of the goodness Jesus offers will also be hers. It turned out that this was so.

Only the story doesn’t end there. Rather, it ends with Jesus turning to her and acknowledging the connection they now share. It ends with Jesus’ promise that her healing was not only physical — but would now extend to all of her life. And somehow that larger promise is only spoken and received in the relationship formed between them. When they speak face to face. The no longer hemorrhaging woman realized healing or wholeness not only when the bleeding stopped, but when she finally looked into the face of Jesus. In that moment she was lifted up from being one who felt she had to sneak up behind Jesus and anonymously receive the gifts of God to one who was recognized by and acknowledged by Jesus himself.” Rev. Dr. Janet H. Hunt On Healing and Wholeness June 23, 2012

I remember learning about a woman who wanted to attend a local church, but she was not a “churched” person. She had not grown up in a church, she did not know what church was really about, but she wanted to be a part of a church. So she walked by the doors of a church for seven years — each time thinking this would be the time she would enter — but it took seven years to get the courage to come inside. That may sound crazy to many, but it speaks to the nervousness of those who are “outsiders”, who want so much to be “insiders”, but they are afraid. They feel like the woman from our reading today — like they either have a disease and no one will accept them, or like they want so much just to get close to Jesus, but they don’t know how others will react.

What can you do today in your church to make “outsiders” feel like they are truly welcome? How can we, as a church, or as individual members of a congregation, help people feel more “whole” in their faith lives?

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on June 21, 2015
Tags: , , , Mark   

“Third Wheel Keep On Turning” — Rev. David J. Schreffler

June 21, 2015
Sunday

“On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him.” Mark 4:35-36

Did you ever feel like “the third wheel?” Did you ever hear the phrase “Two is company, three is a crowd?” I have often felt like the “odd man out” in many experiences in my life. I have lived for many years feeling like I just do not fit in, like I am tolerated but not really welcome, like I exist but I am really invisible. Why I have these feelings I cannot put clearly into words. But I cannot negate my feelings. It most likely hearkens back to the time in my life where I knew I existed, but I did not know how to get along with the rest of the world. Just ask my siblings about my childhood, and they will roll their eyes and say something like “he really was a handful”. And I would respond “they are being kind” although sometimes I might say they are invoking revisionist history. I was more than a handful because I didn’t know how to “get along”. I was in the “other boat” — witnessing all of the things that were going on, wanting desperately to be a part, but knowing I couldn’t truly understand — because I was one of the “others”.

Who were those people in the other boat or boats who were with Jesus when the disciples set sail that day? We have no idea, but we do know they benefited from being with Jesus — they also experienced the miracle — even though they had no idea who calmed the storm. So by being in proximity to Jesus, their lives were impacted — their lives were better. We have a lot of churches today — too many to count. All of these churches are filled with people who call themselves “witnesses” for Jesus. We have the words, the writings, the oral and written traditions that come from the Apostolic period of the church — those who had witnessed all that Jesus had said and done, and then passed it along to “others”. For that to be most effective, there had to have been more than just the twelve — and we know that along with the women, and the others, there were more than we can imagine.

Today we have people in the church who are the captains, we have the workers, and then we have the “others” — those who are in the boat but who don’t necessarily feel as if they belong. But we all belong. It doesn’t matter when we have come into the vineyard to work, we all receive the same reward — eternal life with G*d. It doesn’t matter which boat we are in — all of the boats are landing on the same heavenly beach — and all of the passengers along this ride with Christ will benefit from his love, mercy and grace.

Take time today to assess if there is someone in your church who may be feeling like the “odd person out” — and then do what you can to make them feel welcome, loved, and a part of the “boat” that is the church of Jesus.

Pastor Dave