Sunday Reflection: Jesus said, "Do not be afraid; just have faith"

June 28, 2009

GOSPEL (Mk 5:21-43)

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him, and he stayed close to the lake. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing Him he fell at his feet an pleaded earnestly with Him, saying, "My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her hands on her that she may get well and live." He went off with Him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon Him.

There was a woman afflicte with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured." Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from Him, turned around in the crowd and asked. "Who has touched my clothes?"

But His disciples said to Him, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you and yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'"

And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happene to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told Him the whole truth.

He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."

While He was still speaking, people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said, "Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?"

Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid; just have faith." He did not allow anyone to accompany Him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.

When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, He caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, "Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep." And they ridiculed Him. Then He put them all out. He took along the child's father and mother and those who were with Him and entered the room where the child was.

He took the child by the hand and said to her. "Talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!" The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said thats she should be given something to eat.

REFLECTION: In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus emphasized the power of faith and that nothing is impossible with God. He cured two people in this Gospel. First is a woman with severe hemorrhages, which has been troubling the woman for twelve years. This woman has heard of the miraculous works of Jesus and has said to herself that if only she could touch the clothes of Jesus then she could be cured. Jesus then said to the woman that her faith has cured her. In this statement from Jesus, He could have acknowledged His healing power being responsible for the cure of the woman, but He opted to say that her faith was the one that cured her. The second miracle that Jesus showed in this Gospel is when He raised from the dead a little girl who the people were saying was already dead. Jesus told those who were weeping for the little girl's death, to be not afraid and have faith. This is a very powerful statement coming from Jesus. It gives us the assurance that God will do everything if only we have the firm faith in Him. We should never lose faith amidst the trials and tribulations that we are facing in our life. But we should always put in our mind that we should not panic and do not be afraid to face all our problems because if we have faith then nothing is too impossible for God who has power over all things.