February 4, 2025

Now there are attacks from all sides, like a swarm of dagger strikes coming in everywhere all at once. These are the attacks on the poor and vulnerable by those in power. On the one hand, the dagger strikes cannot really hurt you in the eyes of God. On the other hand, those wielding the daggers are harming their own souls and are creating an atmosphere of cruelty. Clearly this is not the moral way, and it most hurts the working people and the poor. Maintain composure and fight on. Take care of oneself and of others, this is most important.  As we have said for months, link arms with those who seek peace and justice. Prepare for hard times ahead. These messages remain the same.

Mark 5:21-43

In today’s reading, a synagogue official, likely considered an important person, asked Jesus to come heal his daughter who was on the point of death.  As Jesus walked with him towards his house, a poor woman in the crowd, who had been hemorrhaging of blood for twelve years despite consulting every doctor she could find, out of desperation took it upon herself to come up behind Jesus and touch his cloak, believing she would be healed.  And immediately her hemorrhage stopped and she was healed.  Jesus felt the power go out from him immediately and turned to see who it was who touched him, with such faith as to be healed.  The woman bravely came forward to identify that it was her. Jesus tells her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you.  Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

Here in this story, both an upper class official (on behalf of his daughter) and a poor woman who had been regarded as unclean for twelve years both sought healing from Jesus and both received his attention.  This means that Jesus’ healing is equally available for rich and poor, VIPs and outcast. We should not think it is OK to just let people be hungry, sick, or dying.  It does our own souls more harm to harden our hearts and be apathetic or paralyzed. Therefore, do what we can, speak up where we can.  That is all.