St. Paul’s Church in
Bergen, Jersey City NJ
June 28, 2015
Year B, Proper 8: The
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27
Psalm 130
2 Corinthians 8:7-15
Mark 5:21-43
Trusting the God of
New Life
A
while back I mentioned to you that when I was a teenager I participated in my
high school’s retreat program – retreats that had and continue to have a deep
effect on my life.
The
retreats took place over a long weekend down the Shore in a rambling old
Victorian house, bringing together classmates, some of whom knew each other
very well and others who might not have even known each other’s names.
Since
over the course of the retreat it was common for us kids to share some personal
stuff, it was important for us to build trust right from the start so we could
share without fearing it would be the talk of the cafeteria after we got back
to school.
So,
early on we were asked to do a trust exercise that began with all of us pairing
off.
Then,
we took turns turning our backs on our partner, stretching out our arms and
falling backwards, hoping – trusting
– that our partner would catch us before we fell onto the hardwood floor.
Some
of us had no trouble taking the plunge while others had great difficulty
believing, trusting, that the other
kid would actually care enough and/or be strong enough to save us.
But
it was only through trust – through
trusting each other and trusting God -that we could be open to – could receive
- the experience of the retreat.
In
today’s gospel lesson, we heard the stories of two miracles performed by Jesus
– miracles that seem to require people to trust Jesus.
In
one, a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue, comes to Jesus because his twelve
year-old daughter is gravely ill. This distraught father somehow trusts that
Jesus can heal her. He says to Jesus,
“Come
and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.”
But,
first there’s an interruption.
The
second story is sandwiched in the middle of today’s passage. A woman who had
been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years, spending all of her money
only to be tortured and disappointed by doctors – this woman trusts in Jesus
enough that she boldly touches his cloak. She said, maybe to herself or maybe
out loud,
“If
I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.”
The
woman trusts Jesus, reaches out her hand, and the hemorrhage stops immediately.
Her twelve long years of suffering are over.
And
then we’re back to Jairus’ daughter.
It
seems that Jesus may be too late when people arrive with the news that the girl
is dead.
But,
Jesus tells Jairus, “Do not fear, only believe.”
The
bleeding woman trusted that Jesus would give her new life.
Jairus
trusted that Jesus would offer his daughter new life.
So,
here’s the point: Faith isn’t so much a matter of believing certain religious statements
to be true.
That’s
what people often think but it’s just not the case.
No,
instead, faith is much more a matter of trust – for us, faith means placing our
trust in God and in Jesus the Son of God.
Faith
is trusting the God of new life.
Unfortunately,
and for lots of good reasons, trust is hard.
On
my high school retreat it was hard for some of us to trust and let ourselves
fall back into a stranger’s arms.
I’m
sure it was hard for Jairus to trust there was new life for his daughter when
everybody was saying that she was dead.
It
was hard for that poor suffering woman – bleeding for twelve long years – to
trust that Jesus might actually offer her new life.
And,
trust is hard for us, too.
Many
of us have faced betrayal.
And, maybe some of us ourselves haven’t
always been trustworthy, haven’t always lived up to the trust that others
placed in us.
So,
yes, trust is hard for us.
But,
it’s necessary.
All
God really asks of us is to trust – to trust God who never betrays a trust – to
trust God who is always standing by, ready to catch us, to heal us, to offer us
new life.
It
has been a very emotional, roller-coaster week, hasn’t it?
The
Supreme Court has been busy saving the Affordable Care Act and declaring
same-sex marriage legal in all 50 States.
And
then there’s Charleston.
Like
many of you, I’m sure, this past week I’ve continued to follow the story,
reading many different articles about Emanuel AME Church, its amazing pastor,
Rev. Clementa Pinckney and the eight others who were killed in the attack,
about the alleged perpetrator and especially about how the people of this
church – the relatives and friends of those who were killed - how the people of
this community have responded to horror.
Over
and over they have shown themselves to be people of faith. They are people of
faith not because of the different religious ideas they have in their heads but
because they have a radical trust in the God of new life.
This
trust must have been built over the years through practice – through practice
so that when the time of testing came they trusted God completely.
The
sister of one of those killed said, “Emanuel does not harbor hate in her heart.
That’s not the God we serve. It’s important for us to know that the young man
(the alleged killer) is a mother’s son, a father’s son. If he can earnestly
repent, God will hear him.”
Trusting
the God of new life.
One
family who lost a loved one has started the “Hate Won’t Win Challenge” that
invites people to “commit an act of love” and post it on social media.
Trusting
the God of new life.
Another
said, “We are here to combat hate-filled actions with love-filled actions. And
is what we want to get out into the world.”
Trusting
the God of new life.
The
sister of another victim said, “Forgiveness is the only way. Others may not
agree with me but that’s the way it has to be.” And, she added, “I believe that
our God is a god of purpose.”
Trusting
the God of new life.
Over
and over the families and friends of those killed at Emanuel Church have,
despite the evil hatred and deadly violence they have endured – despite the
racism they have faced their whole lives – despite the perfectly human desire
for revenge – over and over these beautiful Christian brothers and sisters have
radically and wholeheartedly put their trust in Jesus Christ the Son of God.
Faith
is trusting the God of new life.
And,
look at what’s happened in our country in the days since the massacre!
New
life. New life all around us.
For
decades many, many people have been deeply unhappy about the display of old
Confederate symbols on public property – at state capitols, as part of state
flags, on license plates, and so on.
And
yet there just hasn’t been the political will to do much about it.
Until
now.
New
life.
And,
I sense a new spirit in our land – a new spirit that President Obama expressed
in his amazing eulogy of Rev. Pinckney on Friday – a new spirit, a new grace, a
new willingness to finally, finally face our old problems and prejudices.
I
sense a new spirit in the land to set aside our own misgivings and
misunderstandings, our own prejudices and to accept – and, yes, even celebrate
– when, yet again, love wins, as it surely did at the Supreme Court last week.
New
life.
Faithful
Jairus trusted Jesus with the life of his daughter.
The
faithful woman bleeding trusted Jesus with her very life.
Their
trust led them to new life.
And,
what was true for them long ago is true for the people of Emanuel Church - and
for us - today.
All
God asks us is to trust – to trust the God who is always standing by, ready to
catch us, to heal us, to offer us new life.
Faith
is trusting the God of new life.
Amen.
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