{"id":87,"date":"2018-08-23T21:11:28","date_gmt":"2018-08-23T21:11:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/hearthegospel\/?p=87"},"modified":"2018-08-23T21:12:54","modified_gmt":"2018-08-23T21:12:54","slug":"reading-gospel-mark-521-43","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/hearthegospel\/2018\/08\/reading-gospel-mark-521-43.html","title":{"rendered":"Reading the Gospel of Mark 5:21-43"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Windows\"<\/p>\n

Reading the Gospel of Mark 5:21-43<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026he took her by the hand and said to her, \u2018Talitha cum\u2019\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

This passage from Mark 5:21-43 is included in the revised common lectionary provided by the Vanderbilt Divinity Library. The text is from the NRSV. You can hear a recording of this passage here.<\/u><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Reading the Gospel aloud<\/em><\/strong> invites the audience to experience human encounters with the divine as revealed in the Bible. We can leave interpretation and meaning to members of the clergy and other scholars. What we are most interested in as lay readers is the human experience found in the narrative.<\/em><\/p>\n

First Impressions<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/sup>She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

This passage continues the recounting of extraordinary events. Further evidence is offered that Jesus is no ordinary man.\u00a0 He has access to extraordinary power.<\/p>\n

The events recounted here \u2013 of healing and lives renewed are intensely physical. They involve touching, sensing and feeling. People are suffering or are the victims of infirmity. Their bodies are broken. Jesus is administering to their physical beings.<\/p>\n

Jesus is an active agent in their physical world, causing extraordinary things to happen; to happen quickly. These are not mystical or magical events, there are no claps of thunder and flashes of alien light. These are<\/strong> force majeure events.\u00a0 They are disruptions in our understanding of how the laws of physics work in our space and time. Jesus demonstrates how the power of faith is not constricted and limited by our understanding of these laws and how faith has a direct relationship to and effect on the health of the body. Faith triumphs over suffering, disability and our understanding of death. Faith, and the simple laying on of hands – the physical touch — and food<\/strong>: \u00a0\u201cgive her something to eat.\u201d\u00a0 These are not miracles in the sense of the impossible. These acts are demonstrated to be possible for those with faith.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s important in this passage is what Jesus is doing, even more than what he is saying.\u00a0 His physical engagement attracts the attention of the crowd. The crowd follows closely and presses in to see; to be a part of this experience. So, there is the juxtaposition of the public and the private: private encounters in public spaces.<\/p>\n

We are witness to Jesus\u2019 encounters with the powerless and experience the power of faith.<\/p>\n

Text Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n

This passage is action oriented. \u00a0Jairus falls at the feet of Jesus, begging him<\/strong>. The crowd presses in. The woman comes forward with fear and trembling<\/strong>.\u00a0 People are weeping and wailing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The role of women in this passage can\u2019t be ignored or discounted.\u00a0 The words \u201c<\/strong>Little Daughter\u201d, \u201cDaughter\u201d, \u201clittle girl\u2026\u201d<\/strong> recur.\u00a0 Jairus, on of the leaders of the synagogue is powerless to help his daughter.\u00a0 He prostrates himself in front of Jesus and begs for his help.<\/p>\n

But Jesus is about to demonstrate how the least of us in the world, in this case women and daughters have the power and ability to heal and help themselves.\u00a0 Women and our daughters become the leaders in accepting and embracing the power of faith<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Faith is mixed with physical action. Reaching out and touching.\u00a0 T<\/strong>he taking of hands.\u00a0 In modern medicine, pharma and the surgeon\u2019s knife have eclipsed the human touch and faith, \u201d<\/sup>She had endured much under many physicians\u2026\u201d But all three are required for true and complete healing.<\/p>\n

We may think of the Bible as humorless.\u00a0 But humor and incredulity to the point of laughter is an important element in this reading.\u00a0 The passage is full of nervous, even giddy laughter. What\u2019s going on here? How can these things be? \u201cHow can you say, \u201cwho touched me?\u201d \u201cThey laughed at him\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The disbelief of the crowd is counterpointed by the intense faith of the healer and the healed. Laughter is mixed with and transforms into amazement.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reading this passage aloud<\/strong><\/p>\n

The reading of this passage should move quickly. There is palpable excitement in the crowd and crowd scenes.\u00a0 This is a movement taking shape.<\/p>\n

Jesus responds decisively to those importuning him, but tenderly to those who require healing. He is addressing \u201cdaughters.\u201d\u00a0 He has two voices.<\/p>\n

He does not grab or hold or lift. He touches and takes by the hand.\u00a0 There is a lightness in the application of power and likely too in his voice.<\/p>\n

There is much dialogue. \u00a0Many voices are heard. This is human engagement.\u00a0 These are not solemn ritualistic acts but rather direct human contact with voice and touch: real-time human engagement and experience.\u00a0 The action is happening all around you as the reader.\u00a0 Your voice should move.<\/p>\n

The reading crescendos in amazement as the little girls walks but ends with the most mundane of human experiences; give her something to eat.<\/p>\n

The reader should allow the listeners to feel as though they were there.<\/p>\n

What do you hear in this Gospel passage?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading the Gospel of Mark 5:21-43 \u201c\u2026he took her by the hand and said to her, \u2018Talitha cum\u2019\u2026\u201d This passage from Mark 5:21-43 is included in the revised common lectionary provided by the Vanderbilt Divinity Library. The text is from the NRSV. You can hear a recording of this passage here. Reading the Gospel aloud…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":621,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nReading the Gospel of Mark 5:21-43 - Hear the Gospel<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/hearthegospel\/2018\/08\/reading-gospel-mark-521-43.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Reading the Gospel of Mark 5:21-43 - Hear the Gospel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Reading the Gospel of Mark 5:21-43 \u201c\u2026he took her by the hand and said to her, \u2018Talitha cum\u2019\u2026\u201d This passage from Mark 5:21-43 is included in the revised common lectionary provided by the Vanderbilt Divinity Library. 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