Sermon: March 11, 2012

“Interruptions bring Healing”

Scripture: Psalm 19 read responsively and Mark 5:21-34

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ March 11, 2012

(Continuing series on healing)

Unity Presbyterian Church ~ Terre Haute, Indiana 

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE

Psalm 19 read responsively

It is easy to see that all of creation reflects the handiwork of the creator.  To the Psalmist the Law of the Lord was just as perfect a proclamation of God’s glory as the sun or the moon. 

1.The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
2Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
3There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
4yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat.
7The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes;
9the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.
11Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.
13Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Mark 5:21-34

Last week I told a story about Henri Nouwen and his friend Trevor.  Henri was unwilling to neglect his friend to lunch with the notables invited to be with Henri.  Here a woman takes a terrible risk and interrupts not just Jesus on an errand of mercy, but a religious leader of her community who is desperate to have his little daughter healed.  But this interruption brings a deeper understanding to how approachable Jesus was and is for us all. 
²¹When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea.²²Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet²³and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.”
²⁴So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him.²⁵Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years.²⁶She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse.²⁷She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,²⁸for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.”²⁹Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.³⁰Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?”³¹And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’”³²He looked all around to see who had done it.³³But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth.³⁴He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

SERMON

Having had a week of interruptions by computer problems and crashes, it is hard to imagine any interruption to my plans and focus that could be a source of healing.  Many of you have faced far more destructive interruptions to your lives.  Health and financial crisis let alone what the people from Kansas to Alabama experienced in the wake of 269 tornadoes.  Jesus models for us that we need to be attentive when interrupted.  On Wednesday, Aiden came to the door and said he needed a shovel that would fit his size.  Dawn and his Mom where digging spring potatoes so they would not be destroyed when our garden was tilled.  This interruption lead to a little break out in the balmy weather watching Dawn, Molly and Aiden hard at work with Annie and I supervising.  The result was a bag full of potatoes and onions for our food pantry.  This is the one area of ministry that Jesus has drilled into my head.  Pay attention and be available for the interruptions because they are vitally important.  Jesus could have ignored the power going out of him, but he paid attention and noticed the woman who had been healed by touching him.  Taking the time, even though Jairus’ daughter was dying, models for us that interruptions can have a life altering purpose.  Not only was this woman healed she was welcomed and affirmed as a child of God. 

But there are interruption that are not pleasant and as we are focusing on healing, I want to talk about illness and other forms of loss that interrupt our daily lives.  Where is God when the innocent suffer.

Arthur Hoope wrote a column about his cancer a month before he died.  He titled it “A few good things to say about cancer”:

First of all, of course, it wins you letters and calls from friends you haven't seen for years. My children phone regularly, and my dear wife of more than 50 years and I have never been closer. Cancer brings with it a warm bath of sympathy and love... I (tried) to remember each morning to say, "Thank you, God, for another day." I tried to relish each moment. But I was busy with this and busy with that, and I all too often failed. Any serious illness brings home this ephemeral nature of time. I now do thank God each morning for another day. And while it's impossible to relish every moment, I manage to do it again and again - when I awake from a nap, when my tongue touches that first morsel of lemon cake, when I hug a loved one. Never before have I realized what a wonderful gift is life. I like to think that the greatest benefit of cancer is that it's made me wiser.[1]

Though the interruption called cancer took Hoope’s life, it also gave him wisdom to relish the life he was given

Joseph gets sold into slavery by his brothers.  His life had surly been interrupted.  When he is finally reunited with them his forgiveness of his brothers seems impossible. Joseph has learned wisdom and says, “you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” (Genesis 50:20) Joseph had gloated over his father’s obvious favor when he was young.  The interruption of slavery led to a new perspective on his relationship with his brothers. 

Even the loss of a job can be the opportunity to re-evaluate your choices because you have more time to reflect or enjoy your family, volunteer more and even start a business of your own.[2] 

Elie Wiesel is a Romanian-born Jew who at 16 was deported to a concentration camp with his whole village.  His life was interrupted by real evil.  As a Holocaust survivor, he became an American, writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate. He writes, “There are victories of the soul and spirit. Sometimes, even if you lose, you win.”

Where is God when the innocent suffer?  Joseph said God meant it for good.  Elie Wisel says he is closer to God because of his struggles.  For Hoope it gave him wisdom.  For me it makes me more aware of how precious life is.  It was important for Jesus to respond to Jarius whose young daughter was dying.  But it was also important for a women excluded by most of society because of her illness to find healing.  

Where in your life have you been interrupted?  You never know but this interruption may be brought to you by God’s grace and love.  Amen.

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[1] Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/22/EDRJ174DUN.DTL#ixzz1oT7ISyRs

[2] http://www.ehow.com/info_8416990_positive-effects-job-loss.html  By Stephanie Kain, eHow Contributor| updated May 14, 2011.