A woman finds healing by touching Jesus’ cloak, and a girl is restored to life when he takes her by the hand. In both cases a boundary is crossed: in Jesus’ time the hemorrhaging woman was considered ritually unclean, polluting others by her touch, and anyone who touched a corpse also became unclean. In Mark’s gospel Jesus breaks down barriers, from his first meal at a tax collector’s house to his last breath on the cross as the temple curtain is torn in two. We dare to touch Jesus in our “uncleanness” and to live as a community that defines no one as an outsider.
Join us this week as Deacon Kelly reminds us that Jesus’ power is enough to provide new life for both the rich man’s daughter and the poor woman and is strong enough to cross all boundaries.
image: The Daughter of Jairus by Jorge Cocco Santángelo. Copyright © Jorge Cocco Santángelo. All rights reserved. Used by permission of the artist.