Your Faith Has Made You Well

“Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord;

Lord, hear my voice;

let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.” (Psalm 130, v1)

In exile, far from their home in Judah where their temple and sacred way of life had been destroyed by pagans, the Israelites cried out to the Lord - “Lord we are waiting for you to once again rescue us from slavery and oppression. We are waiting for you to save us. We know that you are merciful; we know that if we turn back to you, you will redeem us for our sins. We are waiting for you Lord - waiting more than a watchman for the morning”

How familiar are these thoughts and words written over 2500 years ago in the ancient cities of Babylonia where the Israelites, defeated by Nebuchadnezzar, waited in exile for over 50 years until the Persian King Darius invited them to return to their homeland and rebuild not only their temple but also their way of life of worshipping one god only and adhering to the commandments brought down to them by Moses, years before.

How familiar are these thoughts and words to us and to all Christians today as we struggle with horrific world events, both national and international, that target Christian men, women and children as they go about their day to day life, committed to following the way of Jesus and a life dedicated to love, forgiveness and peace.

Today’s refugees - exiled - just like the ancient Israelites. Today’s people in exile praying daily to God,  “Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice; let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.”

I have to believe that no matter how terrified, how despondent, how lost in darkness those who live in exile must certainly be - no matter what their circumstance or frame of mind - I have to believe that all of these people have faith - faith that God - the Lord - will hear their cries and will redeem their souls. 

Perhaps, I believe this only to heal my own pain as I consider the mass pain of the Christian world, but I do believe it. I believe that as we face exile - no matter what sort of exile, literal or figurative - God sees us and knows us. God is with us as we face anxiety, depression, fear, discomfort, tremendous personal loss, and in many cases, death. I believe that not only is God with us, but that if only we reach out to him, the terror of our personal exile will become bearable, and a new way to walk forward in life with courage and hope - with faith - will become evident.

In today’s Gospel story we hear about two such examples of faith. The women who has suffered from hemorrhages for twelve years, and Jairus whose daughter was ill and on the brink of death. Both are suffering. One from a prolonged and physically, as well as financially, draining illness. The other from the very real prospect of the unimaginable - loosing a child. Both are in a state of exhaustion, anxiety, and darkness. Both intuitively know that if they reach out to Jesus, he will somehow salvage the situation in which they find themselves. Both take risks in forging the crowds of people in which they find themselves and in imagining that Jesus will actually have time for them.

The chronically ill woman, trailing after Jesus as he walked through the crowd, finally was able to grasp a piece of his robe - immediately her hemorrhaging stopped. Sensing someone had touched his clothing Jesus turned to look at the women. In fear and trembling she fell before him, confessing that it had been she who reached out to him. He said to her, “Daughter your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

Your faith has made you well….

Because of the woman, Jesus was delayed in reaching Jairus’ daughter. Seemingly, in these few brief moments of delay, the child died. Jesus was advised by the crowd that it would not be worth his while to visit Jairus’ daughter who had already died, but Jesus looked around at the crowd and said, “why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” Jesus continued on with Jairus and his wife, they entered the home, Jesus spoke to the child, and she was healed.

The child’s parents followed Jesus in patience and with faith in his ability to heal.

Being in exile is not always a physical upheaval from one’s home. There are so many different ways in which we as creatures in this unstable and turbulent world experience exile. Exile is all about being separated - separated from what ever we hold near and dear - separated from God. Exile is all about living in fear and darkness.

Coming out of exile is not always a return to the home or state of being from which we were separated. Coming out of exile can mean that we enter a whole new way of life - one that we might not necessarily have chosen for ourselves.

Surviving exile is staying close to God. Reaching out to touch his presence in ourselves and in those around us. 

Surviving exile is having patience and following Jesus as he guides us through the steps of loving, forgiving and finding a new way to see how we might survive.

Surviving exile is allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to inspire us in ways we cannot imagine, and allowing the Holy Spirit to give us the courage to do the unimaginable for ourselves and for others.

Surviving exile is ensuring that we are all members of one body - the body of Christ - and that as that one body, we are working, as Walter Brueggemann would say, “for the good of the neighborhood.”

Surviving exile is all about having faith.

Peace be with you.