“Impossible?”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Saturday, June 4, 2022
Matthew 9:18-26 (Forward, p. 37) CEV p. 992
From having read and being rather familiar with all three accounts of today’s double healing, I was rather surprised at what Matthew included—or, more to the point, what he didn’t include in his rendition. Mark goes into some detail about the inadequacies of doctors and medical care in general and both Mark and Luke explain, in some detail, the hemorrhaging woman’s great faith in Jesus. Matthew, however, just ‘cuts to the quick’ and gives the bare details.
With Matthew, we are confronted directly with the sheer impossibility of the two situations. The little girl is not ‘just’ at the point of death but has actually died. Here the faith of the synagogue official is even more evident. He knows fully well that the girl had died and yet he still thinks that Jesus can return her to life. And likewise, the woman, in spite of time and all the previously inadequate and futile attempts to give her relief, is still convinced that Jesus can heal her. Two ‘impossible’ situations, yes, but not for Jesus!
What this does for me is call into question those situations, of which there are many, that we would write off as ‘impossible’. International or national crises, for one, or the pandemic or other health issues, or severed or impaired relationships, or the seeming decline of mainline churches in the West: each of these things are ones that we might well describe as ‘impossible.’ But, are they really impossible for God? Maybe we need to have more faith, and like the synagogue leader and the woman, simply come to Jesus with faith and expectancy and ask Him to do what only He can do. It’s worth a try. Amen.
Forward notes: “Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well’’ (verses 20-21).
“When Jesus heals the woman suffering from hemorrhages, he does more than restore bodily health. Her twelve years of physical suffering are compounded by being defined as unclean and thus unable to participate in much of religious and social life. By healing her, Jesus restores her to her place in society.
“It can be tempting to think that modern people are past such exclusionary practices toward the suffering, but that’s not the case. The many residents of the long-term care facility where my mother-in-law lives can testify to that. So can those whose grief over a lost loved one outlives the brief time that society’s norms set aside for mourning.
“Jesus calls us to follow him to the cross, which means he calls us to dwell with people in their suffering. True Christian community is found where illness, pain, and grief are borne together. In such a place, sorrows are eased, and burdens are made light.”
Moving Forward: “Do you know someone who has lost a loved one in the past year? Send a note of encouragement—or plan to share a meal or time.”