13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Wisdom 1:13-15, 2:23-24
2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15
Mark 5:21-43
June 28, 2015
Jesus heals both a woman who had been hemorrhaging for twelve years and a twelve year old girl who “died.” Only the girl died a physical death but the woman’s life was severely altered by the hemorrhaging.
There are the physical aspects of her illness that would have been bad enough alone but because she was hemorrhaging she would have been considered unclean and not allowed to have relations. While she still lived, her life was, in a sense, still taken from her.
She had tried many doctors and spent all her money trying to find a cure. There seemed to be no cure to be had but then she hears about Jesus. In faith, she goes to Him and is healed, her life restored.
Likewise, the synagogue official’s daughter is very ill and dies. Or does she? Jesus restores her life. Death may be inevitable but 12 years old is much too soon.
Death is a reality but we hear in our first reading that God created us to be “imperishable.” How can we die and still be imperishable?
We need to look at what “death” means. When we think of death, we think of an end. Our bodies have grown tired and weak to the point of death. After death our bodies decay. None of this points to being “imperishable”.
We are not created only to live in this world. There is eternal life to come in Heaven. It is there that we will live as “imperishable beings” forever.
If we accept that there is eternal life after death in this world, it must change the way we live in the here and now. It must affect our priorities.
We want to enjoy life in this world but to what extent?
We need a home, clothing, and food but to what extent? What is our standard of living? I like to say I live a simple life. When I moved here three years ago this week, I brought everything I needed in two carloads. I don’t have a lot and I like it that way. That’s my simple life but recently I wonder how simple my life really is. I have my tech gadgets (cell phone, tablet, and laptop). Is this living simply? I have and need a car but how nice a car?
I don’t eat fancy food but I do like to eat more than needed.
So maybe I don’t live as simply as I should but I find the simple life freeing. The more we have, the more we need to take care of. In trying to live simply I don’t have so many expenses. I use the “free money” to help others by giving to the church and other charities.
Sometimes we might desire to live more simply but it seems too difficult. We think we need to change all at once. Sometimes we can but we can have commitments that we can’t change all at once. We shouldn’t let that stop us from making little changes.
Even the little changes can be freeing and help us open ourselves to God. What’s going on in your life that you would like to let go of to make room for God and eternal life?