Ez18:21-3,30-2; Heb3:7-16; Mk5:24b-34. Lent 2
As preached by Brother Luke,
Holy Wisdom Church
Holy Wisdom Church
She had suffered for 12 years, then she
heard about Jesus.
When I was a
youngster our family regularly watched the popular TV show Perry Mason. He was
a criminal lawyer who always won against what often seemed impossible odds. The
formula rarely changed. Near the end of each episode Perry would be grilling a
witness trying to get a confession to whatever crime had been committed. This
scenario is still played out in most of the police shows today. At some point a
suspect is in jail being questioned by detectives with a view to getting a
confession. Someone must be found guilty.
My guess is that for most Americans, when you speak of confession, that
type of image is what comes to mind.
So, when we talk
about confession in the church, we are up against that popular image. And over
the centuries the Christian practice of confession has changed. Very
dramatically in the West where it has been virtually lost among the protestant
churches and is rarely practiced in some Orthodox Churches, even though Orthodox
and Roman Catholic tradition still places a high value on confession. Current
practices vary, however, if we are looking for a scriptural model of
confession, today’s gospel gives us a valuable insight into what was Jesus’
practice in his ministry.
When we hear
this gospel, of course the healing that relieved the woman of the issue of
blood is what we notice first. However, that is not the only healing, and
possibly not the most important one! If we notice, Jesus does nothing and yet
the woman experiences a healing. The woman touches Jesus’ garment and Jesus
immediately asks “who touched me?” His companions are a bit bemused since they
are in a crowd and many people are jostling around and bumping into each other,
the disciples and Jesus. But Jesus knows that something special has happened.
He felt the power go out from him. But his question is not a Perry Mason
grilling of the unknown person. Jesus was not looking to find a guilty person,
but rather to affirm faith.
Can we even
begin to imagine what this woman went through before that moment with Jesus?
For 12 long years, she suffered from an issue of blood that made her unclean in
her society. She would be shunned and feel ashamed because of her affliction.
She could not touch anyone. She couldn’t circulate in society. How did she take
care of herself? She went to doctors but to no avail. She expended all her
money and got no relief. So, she dared to break through all the societal taboos
and courageously touch Jesus’ garment.
But Jesus would not let this be an anonymous encounter. Why? Because the
healing was not yet complete.
When this woman
reveals herself to Jesus and tells him her story, her confession leads not to
condemnation but to liberation and healing because this is Jesus’ mission. To
make the reign of God present to people. That emerging reality is about
compassion and that is what Jesus shows to this woman. He does not condemn her
for her violation of the purity laws of the Hebrews, rather he tells her that
her faith has saved her, she can go in peace and be free of her trouble. So,
this healing frees her from the shame imposed on her by the law and customs of
her society. These are the barriers Jesus continues to break through. Her
confession and Christ’s compassion lifts more than the burden of the issue of
blood, it allows her to be recognized and not go away in shame. This is the
model of confession that Jesus gives us. Great Lent is another opportunity to
access this path to true freedom. Let us
take advantage of it. Glory be to Jesus Christ!
