Miracles

 Church of the Redeemer, Chestnut Hill                        The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

 Mike and I frequently offer a blessing at the end of our liturgy which has been attributed to the Swiss moral philosopher, poet, and critic named Henri-Frederic Amiel, who lost his parents at a very young age. The words of the blessing go something like this: “Life is short. And we do not have too much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel the way with us. So, be swift to love and make haste to be kind.”

The Wisdom of Solomon is part of the apocryphal or deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament, which is also known as the Hebrew scriptures. It is like the book of Ecclesiastes (6:12), whose author wrote, “Life is short and meaningless, and it fades away like a shadow. Who knows what is best for us? Who knows what will happen after we are gone?” Similarly, the Wisdom of Solomon addresses these very same issues of life and death; however this author has some answers for Ecclesiastes’ questions.

“God did not make death, and God does not delight in the death of the living,” wrote the author of the Wisdom of Solomon. True that, echoed Jesus to Jairus, whose daughter was at the point of death, and who was begging Jesus for help. Desperate, with his back against the proverbial wall, Jairus implored Jesus to “lay his hands on her, so that she be made well, and live.” So Jesus went with Jairus to do just that.

Now, because the crowds around Jesus had been growing in numbers, on both sides of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus wasn’t always aware of who was with him or around him. And yet, for some reason, he knew that a person had touched his clothes and that power had gone out of him. St. Mark tells us that there was a woman, who shared the desperation of Jairus. She had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years and had endured much under many physicians. She had spent all that she had and yet she had only grown worse in her affliction.

Like Jairus, this woman believed that Jesus could help her. “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well,” she said to herself. Not falling on her knees in front of Jesus, nor showing her face to him, she was different from Jairus. She didn’t beg Jesus repeatedly. She didn’t ask him to lay his hands upon her so that she would be made well. No, unclean women like her were prohibited from touching others, especially holy men like Jesus. So she was circumspect in her approach to Jesus, while still believing that He could help her. And He did, for immediately her hemorrhage stopped.

And yet she was called out by Jesus. “Who touched my clothes?” Jesus demanded. Rather than hiding, or running away, the woman fell at his feet and confessed to him what she had done. Jesus did not rebuke her, however, as was his right, and perhaps as she feared, but lovingly responded to her confession. Without laying his hands upon her, Jesus confirmed her miracle with his words. “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

The miracle stories in St. Mark’s gospel keep rolling off his pen as if Jesus was curing everyone without any interruptions. But this woman’s appeal delayed Jesus from attending to Jairus’ daughter. And so, while Jesus was still speaking to this woman, some people came from the leader’s house to tell Jairus, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?”

Now it may be tempting to point to the differences between the lives of this particular woman and that man. Jairus was a man of power, a leader in his own right, while this poor woman had no power and no privileges. Would Jairus not be angry that she had interrupted Jesus, especially after hearing that his daughter had died? St. Mark doesn’t tell us specifically about Jairus’ reaction; he just writes that Jesus told him not to fear, only believe.

In her sermon entitled, The Problem with Miracles, Barbara Brown Taylor wrote, “Sometimes I wonder if the miracle stories in the Bible do more harm than good. They are spectacular stories, most of them, and there is a lot of comfort to be had from watching Jesus still the storm, heal the sick, and raise the dead. The problem with miracles is that it is hard to witness them without wanting one of your own. Every one of us knows someone who is suffering.” (p136-7, Bread of Angels)

Overhearing what some people had said to Jairus, Jesus encouraged him with His words “Do not fear, only believe.”  And today’s reading from the Wisdom of Solomon claims that God did not make death; but that we are made in the image of God’s own eternity and our righteousness is immortal. It was rather through the devil’s envy that death entered into our world and those who belong to the devil’s company will experience it. In other words, your behavior and your beliefs are critical to your life.

Context can offer us some more insight. It is believed that the author of the Wisdom of Solomon lived in Alexandria, Egypt possibly during the city’s conquest by Rome in 30 A.D. The author wanted the Jewish community to take pride in their faith while they endured the anti-Jewish riots that began in 38 AD. There was a new emphasis on the immortality of their souls because they faced imminent death, and so the author is encouraging their belief in the Wisdom of God. (NRSV, 1497-1499)  Ethical people, faithful people, will know that their souls are incorruptible and immortal. Keep your faith in God; for God does not delight in the death of the living!

Wisdom literature became known as Sophia Wisdom or Woman Wisdom and was understood as an eternal emanation of God’s power and glory. Later it became known in this Jewish community as the Logos of God. That is the Word of God. (NRSV) And so, as was written in the gospel of John only a few decades later, Jesus was described as the Logos of God, and the one who emanated God’s wisdom, power, and glory in human form. In God’s Word made flesh.

“Do not fear, only believe,” Jesus told Jairus. Believe that God did not make death, and does not delight in the death of the living, and that God created all things so that they might exist. Of course if you’re a realist, a person of practicality, and someone who cannot imagine holy mysteries, you will laugh at Jesus, as they did outside the house of Jairus, where the crowds had gathered once again and were weeping and wailing over this little girl’s death.

 Jesus would not allow everyone to follow him into this little girl’s room, however. Only Peter, James, and John, along with Jairus and the girl’s mother, were allowed to witness the miracle. It wasn’t a matter of space; for even with the best of intentions, the impact of people’s words can make a difference. So Jesus wanted to be surrounded by a small and intimate crowd of people who trusted and believed in him and God’s power.

After Jesus took the little girl’s hand and told her to get up, those in the room were overcome with amazement. Amazement overcomes us when we suddenly realize that a miracle has happened, and it is not limited to miracle stories like these two women in St. Mark’s gospel. Amazement can overcome us when we see the sunrise emerging over our horizon, and we awaken to a new day of life, after a night of weeping. We are amazed when we witness the miracle of new birth, when the Celtics win the NBA finals after several years of failed attempts, when we realize with gratitude how fortunate we are, and how blessed we have been in our relationships.

Miracles do happen and yet they are not for everyone. Furthermore, miracles are not something that we can control. In the words of Barbara Brown Taylor, “Faith does not work miracles. God does. Even if Jesus had walked into Jairus’ daughter’s room, closed her eyes with his fingertips, and pulled the sheet over her head, her father’s belief would have become the miracle at that point, his willingness to believe that she was still in God’s good hands even though she had slipped out of his.” (BBT,139,140)

The Wisdom of Solomon encourages our righteous and faithful behavior. The author claims that the ungodly, that is the devil’s companions, will not escape punishment, and that wisdom dwells only in a sincere, holy, and disciplined soul. The ungodly people will say that life is short and meaningless and physical death is the end of our existence. Conversely, Wisdom claims that our immortality is a gift from God, not due to the nature of our souls, but rather to our vital and eternal relationship with God. Faith will see us through the dark nights of our souls when we put our trust in God who has created us for incorruption and immortality. For life and not for death.

Some say Jairus’ daughter was a sign of resurrection in St. Mark’s gospel. God only knows. And so we cling to the here and now, reminding ourselves that “life is short and we do not have too much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel the way with us.” But we can be like Jesus, and consider our companions on the journey. Like Jesus, we can “be swift to love and make haste to be kind.” “Do not fear, only believe” Jesus said. "That is our job," wrote Barbara Brown Taylor. "The rest is up to God.” (BBT p140)

Wisdom of Solomon 1:13-15; 2:23-24    2 Corinthians 8:7-15    Mark 5:21-43