Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Today’s Scripture
Today’s Author
Rob Sparks
Today’s passage is an interesting layering of two distinct healing stories. First is a little girl whose condition is dire; she’s dying. The second is a woman who has a chronic condition, not life-threatening, but of such a nature that she is ritually excluded from her Jewish community. Jesus heals both, but his ministry to the little girl is intentional (it’s not just a healing but a resurrection) while the woman surreptitiously touches his cloak and finds restoration.
I find it curious that Mark chose to interweave these two stories. So doing, he reveals something about the mission of the Body of Christ, the church. The Good News of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ came to earth to defeat the powers of sin and death. We boldly proclaim with word and action that, “Jesus saves!”
The second healing, however, shows that Jesus wasn’t solely focused on his heavenly mission. He repeatedly greeted outcasts, sinners and healed or exorcized demons from the possessed. He took pity on the less fortunate or those excluded from the faith community, sometimes through their own behavior but often through no fault of their own; Jesus offered welcome, help, and restoration.
The woman who drew near to him and found renewal and acceptance into her faith community is a powerful reminder that the mission of our community continues. We don’t just preach that Jesus is Lord but call each other to support the weak, help the suffering, feed the hungry, and heal the sick.
Summer Devotional
God Goes With Us
This summer’s devotional is a walk through the Bible. Join our pastors and staff for daily reflections on scripture passages from Genesis to Revelation. In the beginning, God said, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” Come and see how this covenant promise changes through time yet remains steadfast from generation to generation.
Each Sunday, Chris Holmes will share a short message on the texts for the week, and written reflections will go out every Monday through Thursday morning.
We wish you blessings and deeper faith this summer!
