THIS Sunday’s gospel is taken from Mark 5:21-43. It narrates two miracle stories – the healing of the woman with hemorrhages and the rising of the synagogue official’s daughter from the dead. So what reflections can we draw from this action-filled gospel?
First reflection is that God is our ultimate Healer. The woman in the story has been suffering from her blood condition for 12 long years. She has seen several doctors but was not cured. Does this imply that it is useless to see a doctor when we are sick? Of course not.
Medical science is a gift of God to humanity. The knowledge of how the human body works, how and why it gets sick, and what interventions may be applied to treat its sicknesses all come from the wisdom of the Greatest Physician, Jesus Christ. While medical doctors attempt to restore their patients back to health through the workings of natural and physical laws, the author of these lawsis no other than God himself.
It is a joyous sight, when sick people see a doctor, take the prescribed medicines, undergo a medical procedure, introduce lifestyle changes, and then get healed. What many do not realize, however, is that the healing came from God, and everyone and everything else merely served as instruments to carry out God’s healing.
On other occasions, despite all the advances and progress made in the realm of medical science, the patient does not get healed; his condition worsens, and ultimately, he dies. To this category, the woman with an issue of blood may have happened to belong.
Was she hopeless in the same way that some patients with so-called serious diseases are given a few months or days to live? As far as human knowledge, may be yes. But as far as God’s omnipotence, the answer is “No.” “What is impossible to man is possible to God” (Luke 18:27).
The woman with hemorrhages had such a strong faith in Jesus, that she said to herself, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” And so, making her way into the crowd, presumably with great difficulty, she reached out for Jesus’ cloak, and lo and behold, she experienced instant healing. Immediately, the flow of blood dried up.
Yes, it is generally the will of God to heal us, his children, but like this woman, we have to have faith in him. When we are sick, we are to pray to God, trusting that as our good Father, He has our best interest at heart. Jesus told us, “Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:9-11).
More than healing the sick, Jesus can also raise the dead back to life. That was the second miracle in this Sunday’s gospel. Approaching the corpse of a 12-year old girl, Jesus said, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” and life was restored to her dead body.
Can God perform this same miracle today? The answer is yes, if he chooses to. “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow” (Hebrews 13:8).
But why can’t we see much of this miracle happening today? The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) may give us a hint.
Both dead, the rich man in the parable was suffering in Hades, while poor Lazarus was enjoying his time on Abraham’s side. The rich man then begged Abraham to send Lazarus to his family, so they may be warned to reform their lives and not end up in the same place of torment. Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.” “No, Father Abraham,” the rich man said, “but if someone from the dead (like Lazarus) goes to them, they will repent.” Notice Abraham’s answer, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”
We know someone who, after 3 days, rose from the dead. His name is Jesus. His resurrection is the greatest miracle of all times. No other rising from the dead, even if God wills it to happen, could ever equal this miracle. Yet, if people with hardened hearts do not repent even with the good news of Jesus’ resurrection, neither will they repent with the rising of others, no matter how many.
Miracles happen not for fanfare but for the purpose of building up the church’s faith in the God of healing and life. In his sovereignty, God can and may do anything He pleases, but all these must lead to the most important miracle that could ever happen to our lives – the salvation of our souls.