13th Sunday Year B - Homily 5

Homily 5 - 2021

Might today’s Gospel be saying something that we in today’s Church could well consider closely.

Centuries before Jesus, at a time in Israel’s history when the Jewish kingdom faced extinction and the people deportation to Babylon and possible genocide, the prophet Jeremiah spoke of the desperate nation as the “virgin-daughter of Israel”.

As the nation once again faced a threshold moment in its history, Mark in his Gospel showed Jesus dealing with two flesh and blood “daughters” of Israel, one, just twelve years old, daughter of the establishment, due to cross from childhood into adulthood but facing the prospect of physical death; and the other, whom Jesus tenderly referred to as “My daughter”, at her wits end after twelve years of physical pain and social and religious exclusion and consignment to the margins.

Today our Church is changing. We seem to  be losing members fast, committed members, and we are not sure what to do.

Could we see the synagogue official, father of the desperately sick little girl, as symbol of the Church’s hierarchy and clerical class generally? In that case, we might see the older woman as representative of the laity.

The woman clearly trusted that Jesus could, and would, answer her need — but she had to deal with her fear. Hoping to remain anonymous and avoid notice, she managed, at least, to approach Jesus from behind and surreptitiously touch his clothes. When discovered, even though she knew she was cured, she came forward “frightened and trembling”. Jesus then gently encouraged her to grow from hesitant trust to personal relationship with him, from healing to wholeness — such that she was able to find the courage even to share with him “the whole truth” of herself and her life. By healing her, Jesus brought her in from the edges, freeing her for responsibility within the community. It was to her that Jesus said, “My daughter, your faith has restored you to health; go in peace and be free from your complaint”.

There are significant differences with the synagogue official. His initial request to Jesus seems more like desperate hope than confident trust. Jesus needed to lead him further into faith and trust. He raised the stakes, as it were: by spending time with the woman, Jesus had allowed the little girl to die. Healing sickness was one thing. To trust Jesus to do that was challenge enough. That Jesus might restore his dead daughter to life called for a radical readjustment and a level of trust in Jesus bordering on total. And then, what would it mean to him in his situation, a responsible official of the religious structure, and to the whole establishment of which he was part, if Jesus could restore the dead to life? It would mean moving well beyond the familiar and the comfortable. It would mean risking radical change, facing the unknown, moving into genuine personal relationship with Jesus. Gently, encouragingly, Jesus asked two things of the man, firstly, “Do not be afraid”, and then, “Only have faith [that is, total trust].”

If ever, whenever, you start worrying about the Church and its future, remind yourself of what we heard in today’s Gospel. Respect your fear, but be guided and encouraged by the words of Jesus:

“Do not be afraid! Only have faith”.
“Your faith has restored you to life.”

What does our Church need in these times? Courage and total trust.