“GRACE IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU’RE BUSY MAKING OTHER PLANS”

MARK 5:21-43

21  When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea.

22  Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet

23  and begged him repeatedly, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live."

24  So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him.

25  Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years.

26  She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse.

27  She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,

28  for she said, "If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well."

29  Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.

30  Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?"

31  And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, 'Who touched me?'"

32  He looked all around to see who had done it.

33  But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth.

34  He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."

35  While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader's house to say, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?"

36  But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe."

37  He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.

38  When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.

39  When he had entered, he said to them, "Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping."

40  And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was.

41  He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha cum," which means, "Little girl, get up!"

42  And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement.

43  He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.  There are different ways you can interpret that saying. What do you think it means?  I believe it’s a warning.  I believe it’s a warning not to let life slip through your fingers while you’re chasing things that really aren’t that important.

That happens a lot unfortunately. It happens when you work long and hard to climb the ladder of success. Then when you get to the top of that ladder you realize that you’ve got a really nice house but you don’t really have a home. Here’s a couple more for you. Parents put a great deal of effort into making sure their kids have the best of everything. Despite all those efforts though, drinking and drugs are a huge problem in our schools. Or, you spend years saving your pennies for your retirement.  Then all those plans fall apart when the doctor tells you that you’ve got a terminal illness. Or, you push yourself to graduate at the top of your class with a 4.0 GPI. Then as you stand there with that diploma in your hand you wonder if it was really worth it.  

When something like that happens you feel the same way a college student felt one day while listening to a lecture that went on and on and on. The only one who was really paying attention to what was being said though was the professor who was giving the lecture. Several students were actually having a hard time staying awake. All of that changed though when the professor paused after making what he thought was a particularly impressive point. “Well,” the professor said with a little bit of self-serving pride, “What more can I say?”  Just then a voice from the back of the lecture hall said with enthusiasm, “How about ‘Class dismissed’?”

I’m convinced that a lot of people today feel that way. They’re busy, but bored. They’re successful but stressed out. They’re out there making a really good living but do they really have a decent life? All of this is why I think it’s a good idea to pay attention to what happened that day when Jesus was asked to heal that little girl.

It all started when a man by the name of Jairus came to Jesus and told him that his daughter was seriously ill. Now Mark tells us that Jairus was one of the leaders of the local synagogue.  So, Jairus was a very important man.  He was a man with a lot of clout and connections.  That wasn’t why Jesus went with him though.

That’s obvious when you look at what happened on their way to his house. As they made their way through the village a crowd gathered around Jesus.  There were people everywhere. In the midst of all the commotion an elderly woman came up behind Jesus and touched the hem of his robe. She did that because she wanted to be healed. For twelve years she had suffered from a bleeding that couldn’t be controlled.. That bleeding, by the way, made her ritually unclean. That’s why she didn’t ask Jesus to heal her. You see, if people knew that this ritually unclean woman was standing there with them they would have been furious. In fact, the probably would have stoned her to death.

So, she couldn’t shout at Jesus and wave her hands to attract his attention. What she did instead was quietly reached in and touch the hem of his garment. That’s all it took for her to be healed. 

Now this is where things get really interesting. Instead of leaving well enough alone Jesus stopped and asked that question that surprised the disciples. “Who touched me?”  This is what I want to know. Why didn’t Jesus keep on going? That elderly woman had already been healed. She certainly didn’t want him to stop and put her on the spot like that.  Jairus certainly didn’t want him to stop either. Not with his daughter teetering on the brink of death.

At that moment though Jesus didn’t seem to care that Jairus was the leader of the local synagogue.  He didn’t care that Jairus was a very important man.  He didn’t care that Jairus was a man with a lot of clout and connections.  Jesus wasn’t going with him to earn a few brownie points.  Jesus wasn’t going with him to make a few friends in high places.

At that moment what Jesus was concerned about was that elderly woman’s well being.  You see Jesus knew that she had been physically healed, but that she still needed to be spiritually and emotionally healed. That’s because this elderly woman had been unclean for twelve years. For twelve years she’d been an outcast. For twelve years people had shunned her, refused to touch her or even speak to her. So deep down Jesus knew that she was carrying a lot of guilt and shame. Deep down her self-esteem was probably next to nothing. Jesus changed all that though when he put his hand on her and tenderly said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace…” With that touch and those words Jesus embraced that elderly woman with a love that healed the guilt and the shame that be with her all those years. That elderly woman was physically healed when she touched Jesus.  She was emotionally and spiritually healed when Jesus touched her.

It was a wonderful grace filled moment. It wouldn’t have happened though if Jesus had only been concerned with making a good impression on Jairus. It wouldn’t have happened if Jesus had only been concerned with making some connections with this very important man and his very important friends.

Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. Or, if you want to look at it theologically, grace is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. So consider if you will what Jesus did that day a great big stop sign. It challenges you to stop and take a look at what you’re doing and where you’re going. Are you so busy trying to impress everyone that you’re missing those grace filled moments that God is giving you?  Are you so busy trying to get ahead that you’re missing those grace filled moments that God is giving you?  Are you so busy trying to acquire the things that you think will make you happy that you’re missing those grace filled moments that God is giving you?

That’s a question that I’d like to ask the man I saw a year or so ago. It happened while I was eating my lunch at the Hornet’s Nest down the street. While I was sitting there a cell phone suddenly started to ring. People looked up, annoyed as most people usually are when someone’s cell phone goes off like that in a public place. They became even more annoyed when the man started talking in a fairly loud voice on his cell phone. Suddenly another cell phone started to ring. Everyone started looking around in disbelief; especially when that same man took a second cell phone out of his other pocket and started talking on both of them at the same time.

He must have been a very important person. I can’t help but wonder though how many grace filled moments he’s missed over the years. Grace is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. Grace is what you miss when you’re busy climbing the ladder of success or trying to impress your neighbors or your friends or doing your best to make all your dreams come true.  All of this is brings to letter that an 83 year old woman wrote one day to a friend.  This is what she wrote:

Dear Bertha,

I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting in the yard and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time working. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not to endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them. I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, or the first Amaryllis blossom. I wear my good blazer to the market. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties, but wearing it for clerks in the hardware store and tellers at the bank. Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. I'm not sure what others would've done had
they known they wouldn't be here for the tomorrow that we all take for granted.  I think they would have called family members and a few close friends. They might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think they would have gone out for a Chinese dinner or for whatever their favorite food was. I'm guessing; I'll never know. It's those little things left undone that would make me angry
if I knew my hours were limited. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and parents often enough how much I truly love them. I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God.”

So, what it all comes down to is this. Think about what happened that day when Jesus was with Jairus and that elderly woman. Then ask yourself are you like that 83 year old woman knows that every breath truly is a gift from God or are you like that man who was walking around with two cell phones in his pocket? Just remember. Grace is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.  Amen.

Rev. Dr. Richard A. Hughes

July 2, 2006