Reading: Wis.1:13-15;2:23-24; Ps.30; 2Cor 8:7.9.13-15; Mark 5:21-43
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia
SINFUL HUMANITY IN NEED OF GOD’S MERCY, RESTORATION AND SALVATION
There is no doubt that people are going through a lot of difficulties as a result of the active presence of evil in the world which manifests itself in the form of trials, temptations, sickness and challenges both physically and spiritually. So every day we struggle against these troubles and tribulations, and people are doing everything they can to overcome them.
But oftentimes, it seems as if we are not making progress because we don’t have enough faith to subdue our challenges and out of fear we fall victim and are helpless. The fact remains that, we have faith but we have not been able to actively and radically put it into action like the synagogue official whose daughter had died but came to Jesus for help and also the woman with a haemorrhage in our Gospel passage today.
In this passage, one of the officials came to Jesus and said, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live.’ Jesus then rose and his disciples followed him to the official’s house. On their way, a woman who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years came behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, ‘If I can only touch his garments I shall be well again.’
Jesus turned round and saw her; and he said to her, ‘Courage, my daughter, your faith has restored you to health.’ And from that moment the woman was well again. When Jesus reached the official’s house and saw the crowd making a commotion he said, ‘Get out of here; the little girl is not dead, she is asleep.’ And they laughed at him. But he went inside and took the little girl by the hand and said Talitha Cumi; and the girl got up and walked.
Here, the father of this little girl had faith and radically put his faith into positive action, for he confessed great faith in the resurrection. He believed that even Jesus’ slightest touch would restore life in his daughter, likewise the woman with a haemorrhage. This story of the little girl and the woman with haemorrhage has interesting similarities: Both were called “daughters”, and both were restored at the demonstration of radical faith in the touch of Jesus. The woman had been ill for twelve years, and the little girl was twelve years old. Both the woman and the little girl have been cut off from normal societal activities.
On the other hand, there were also differences between them. First, the official is an influential man in the community, but the woman is unclean and an outcast. The man approaches Jesus boldly, but the woman approaches him timidly. The girl was raised based on the father’s radical faith, the woman was restored through her faith for she was very sure that the very moment she touched the Lord’s garment all her troubles would end, for her body was made whole again.
This woman and the little girl actually represent the sinful humanity in need of God’s mercy, salvation and restoration. The faith and intercession of the synagogue official signifies the great intercessions of the saints and the people of God towards the restoration of humanity. The woman’s bleeding signifies the iniquity of all humanity who are defiled by the constant shading of innocent blood through violence, wars and abortions, thereby making humanity unworthy of God’s presence.
Her reaching out to touch Jesus and her restoration signifies the effort each one of us needs to make to reach out to God in order to be restored, the father of this little girl represents the importance of helping and interceding for one another reminding us about the power in the intercession of the Saint, the Church and our dear ones. And finally, these stories show us the willingness of Jesus to heal all of us just as he had healed the woman from all of her troubles and restored the girl back to life. But this requires that we radically put our faith into action.
The ability to put our faith into positive action is what St Paul is addressing in our second reading today when he said: You always have the most of everything: of faith, of eloquence, of understanding, of keenness for any cause, and the biggest share of our affection. So you are expected to put them into use. Remember how generous the Lord Jesus was: he was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty.
And in our first reading, we heard the truth that God never intended for any one of us to endure suffering in any of its forms or to experience death. For death was not God’s doing, he takes no pleasure in the extinction of the living. For humanity are meant to share fully in the love of God and to share in the glory of his kingdom.
Dear friends, we are called to put our faith into positive action. For if we have no faith in the Lord and refuse to put our faith in action, we will suffer and there is no hope for us. I don’t know why we are often stubborn and often hardened our hearts and minds by refusing to trust the Lord who is so generous and compassionate. Today therefore, we are made to know that, it is not enough to have faith, we must radically put our faith into action no matter the circumstances we find ourselves. It is through active faith that we can reach out to God in prayers and so obtain mercy, salvation, restoration and our hearts desires.
LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of faith, give us the grace and courage to put our gift of faith into positive action that yields positive results. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful Sunday celebration.
