Daily Lesson for May 8, 2015

Today's daily lesson comes from Luke chapter 8 verses 40 through 48:

40 Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. 41 And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus' feet, he implored him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.
As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. 43 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. 44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.

What a story.

Today's lesson has the two persons of highest and lowest station in the village both coming to Jesus for help. On one  hand there is a woman whose physical condition has left her unclean and destitute -- the poorest and most shameful woman in a village society based on shame/honor.  On the other hand there is Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue -- the position of highest honor in the village.

Twelve years ago, the woman fell ill and then began her descent to the outer fringes of community.  While Jairus enjoyed the privilege of station, she was on the edge -- with the rest of the unclean beggars, prostitutes, and social outcasts. But something else happened twelve years ago. Jairus had a daughter born to him, and now twelve years later that daughter is sick too -- sick unto death.

And now each -- the most honorable and the most shameful -- is driven to the healer; and he embraces both.  The woman touches Jesus' cloak fringe (there's that fringe word again) and power comes out of him and the bleeding is stopped.  But that is not all; after, Jesus then encourages her to speak. He not only heals her, but hears her also. In other words, he helps her find her voice. And then he moves on to Jairus' daughter.  Though she is said to now be dead, Jesus enters the space of death -- "Talitha cum," he says.  "Little girl, get up."

The healing of Jairus' daughter is even more astounding when we realize the synagogue for which Jairus is ruler is the same synagogue where Jesus was earlier in his ministry asked to leave. It was the same synagogue where devout people first began plotting to have Jesus' killed. Jairus was certainly privy, if not a part of the scheming. He set the ball rolling or at least did not try to stop it. It is still rolling. It will finally catch up with Jesus. But in Jesus there is no hatred or vengefulness. He heals Jairus's daughter anyways. He enters into her death. He gives his own life for hers.

In the end, there is absolutely equality before God. The most shameful and the most honorable all at one point come and kneel in desperation and prayer before God. 

And God heals all -- the most honored in the seat of power, and the most shameful on the fringe of society, and even the daughter of those who killed his son.

This story astounds me. And it makes true the words to the old hymn, "There's a Wideness in His Mercy".