By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp.
(Wis.1:13-15,2:23-24, Ps.29:2.4-6.11-13, 2Cor.8:7,9,13-15 & Mk.5:21-43)
The three readings focus on life, suffering, sickness, and death, and portray the divine intention to give life to all men and women. God heals the sick and restores the dead to life, calling us to be the channel through which he reaches out to the needy.
The Bible opens with the account of creation, showing us that God created humans in his image and likeness (cf. Genesis 1:27). From the very beginning, therefore, humanity shared the life of God and enjoyed his companion until the event of man’s disobedience (cf. Genesis 3), which the first reading refers to as the origin of death occasioned by the envy of the devil. That event brought about rejection and suffering emanating from the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden where God frequently walked with them. Being separated from God is, therefore, regarded as being dead since God is the source and sustenance of life. As Romans 6:23 puts it, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The first reading emphasizes that death was never the intention of God, but that humanity might live eternally with God. Disobedience, which is commonly associated with the devil, is portrayed as arising from envy sold out by the devil to the first parents when they took the devil’s advice and sought to be like God by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That act opened the doors to suffering and death. But God, in His love and mercy, does not leave humanity to suffer the full consequence of his failure. Therefore, Jesus comes to “undo the works of the evil one” (cf. 1 John 3:8) and restore humanity to life, health and happiness.
The gospel presents us with vivid examples of physical death, as well as a human situation of suffering that is nearly as good as dead. The case of the little girl who was raised by Jesus stands for physical death, while the woman with a flow of blood symbolizes a soul directly separated from the community, and remotely alienated from God. The condition of the woman was a state of uncleanness which brought with it untold sufferings in those days due to the recommendations of the Jewish ritual laws. The law states: “when a woman is afflicted with a flow of blood for several days outside her menstrual period, or when her flow continues beyond the ordinary period, as long as she suffers this unclean flow, she shall be unclean” (Lev. 15:25). The situation is so unfortunate that she contaminates anything or person she touches while under such a condition. As a result of that, she suffers ex-communication from the liturgical and social life of Israel. This separation from the covenant life of Israel in those days mirrors the effect of sin in the soul of a Christian today which leads to spiritual death.
The issue of sin and the manner it separates men from the goodness of God are implicated in the two readings (first reading and the Gospel). Disobedience leads to sin which separates a person from the covenant relationship with God and is considered spiritually dead. This is implied in God’s fore-warning to Adam and Eve against the forbidden fruit: “… for the day you eat of it, you shall die” (Gen. 2:17). Evidently, Adam and Eve did not die physically on the day they ate the fruit; but they did spiritually. They were alienated from God. Again, in the parable of the prodigal son, the father described his returnee son as one who “was dead and has come back to life” (Lk 15:24). He was dead when separated from his father. This is the lot of those pilgrim souls that are separated from God. Hence, the prophet says: “It is sin that separates us from God” (Isaiah 59:1-2). Those who on account of their sins (uncleanness) are separated from God are spiritually dead, though physically they are deemed to be alive. That is why Jesus describes the church in Sardis as a dead church saying: “You are reputed to be alive whereas you are dead” (Rev. 3:1).
The good news is that Jesus has come to restore us to life. He is here to take away our suffering, pain, and death (cf. Isaiah 54:4). Both the father of the little girl raised by Jesus and the woman with hemorrhages demonstrated the faith required to connect to the power of Jesus to restore life and health. There were many people following Jesus, touching and pushing all around him. But the moment the woman with the flow of blood touched Jesus, power went out of him, and she was healed. Faith is what made the difference. Jesus confirmed her faith when he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction” (Mark 5:34). Hebrews 11:6 has it that without “without faith it is impossible to please God”.
The centurion whose daughter died demonstrated similar faith when the people came to tell him that his daughter has already died. Jesus said to him, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” The centurion believed the words of Jesus and refused to listen to the people asking him to stop disturbing Jesus. He believed that Jesus is capable of raising his daughter from the dead. That faith worked for him. Jesus always needs us to believe. Otherwise, we can’t connect to him. When Jesus came to the grave of Lazarus in John chapter 11 and asked that the grave be opened, you remember what he said to Martha who was worried that Lazarus would be smelling, having died four days ago? Jesus said, to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). The question is not about what God can do. God can do all things. The question is whether we believe it or not. That is what made the difference between the touch of the woman with the issue of blood and the touch of those following Jesus around without faith. It is what made the difference between the centurion and the people letting him leave Jesus alone because his daughter is already dead.
Dear friends, coming to God without a living faith is like going to a social gathering. What marked out the early Christian community, inspired them to live and preach the Gospel as well as remain steadfast in the face of the persecution they went through is their unwavering faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is not a theoretical or abstract concept. It is a supernatural gift of God that enables us to believe and live out all the teaching of Christ which the church teaches. It is faith that enables us to recognize our need for God, return in contrition when we have sinned, and live joyfully the message of the Gospel. Faith and action go together because, as James puts it, “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17). Paul, therefore, calls our attention in the second reading to put our faith to action, not just with regard to our own interests, but more importantly in what concerns the welfare of those in need.
The faith we profess becomes concrete and serves as a witness to Jesus when its effect is felt among those in need. What marked the ministry of Jesus was his going about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil (cf. Acts 10:38). We have seen that in the two healings in the Gospel reading. We cannot claim to be the followers of Jesus without walking in his steps, doing good to those in need of our help, bringing life and love to all around us. Paul began his appeal in the second reading by assuming that we already excel “in every respect, in faith, discourse, knowledge, all earnestness, and in the love we have for you” before appealing that we also excel in being charitable. That indicates that works of charity are an expression of what we have within us as Christians, and its expression is simply a sign of our collaboration with God who does not will suffering and death for mankind. Our call, therefore, is to believe as well as play active roles in the mission of Jesus Christ who comes to heal and give life to all.
May God grant healing to the sick, heal the brokenhearted, restore the spiritually dead to life, and grant us the grace to walk in his footsteps bringing joy and life to all we meet. Amen.