(A sermon for Mark 5:22-24 Presented at Christ Christ, Bordentown, NJ, June 29-30, 2024)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus deals with a couple of things that happens to us all. The first is that he has to deal with someone else’s pain _ in this case, a father whose child is near death. The second is other people telling the child’s father, “don’t bother Jesus because the situation is hopeless” _ in that the child is already dead.

So let’s first deal with someone else’s pain. How do you deal with someone else’s pain face-to-face, who is clearly distraught and troubled about the present, and wishing for a better future? Most people I know don’t repeat Jesus’ advice from today’s Gospel, which is “do not fear, just believe.”

We may want to say that. But it’d probably sound hollow coming from our mouths. Instead we listen as earnestly as possible, maybe hug to ensure the person that they are seen, heard and loved.

And we say that we will pray for them, and say, “It’ll be OK” or “I’m sure it’ll all work out”.

Which for the most part, “It’ll be OK” can be just another way of saying, “do not fear, just believe”.

But when you give these comforting words, you may think, will it really be OK? What does it mean, that it’ll be OK? Is this also just another hollow sounding expression? Or maybe should I have expressed myself more?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus shows us that even a few words go a long way.  Because in the long run, as Christians we understand there is the suffering of this physical world, but there is the joy of eternal life after our time in this physical world. And our assuring words of ‘It’ll be OK’ is actually the truth.

That doesn’t mean that this truth is easy to accept. So to bring another perspective into this sermon, I’ll read a quote from the Christian saint and female monk from the 4th century, Syncletica of Alexandria, who had this to say_ “If we go blind, let us not be upset. We have lost one means to excellence, yet we can contemplate the glory of God with the inward eyes of the soul. If we go deaf let us remember that we shall no longer hear a lot of silly talk. If suffering has weakened the strength of your hands, you still have inner strength against the enemy’s attacks. If the whole body is afflicted by disease, your spiritual health is still increasing. “

Like most of you, I’ve had my fair share of searching for the moments of feeling “OK” with this physical world. Four years ago for example, we started to hear about COVID-19 spreading over the world, and when I look back to March 2020, I’m still amazed about how life’s events unfolded. All of a sudden, we couldn’t go to places, and we had to think differently about our normal routines, such as buying groceries, traveling, or attending church. Thank God we are past the strangeness, and the more worrisome and fearful parts of those years, and now just routinely exist with COVID in our lives.

But I remember the conversation I had with Father Matt the week before the Church shut its doors. He listened to me say how difficult it was to imagine how the world functions with everything shutting down. And he said to me, “whatever you do, don’t be afraid.”

And I reflected on those words quite often during those years. It was a constant reminder to choose the path of walking unafraid, no matter what I saw along the way.

And you see this in Jesus’ reaction to those who are telling the child’s father not to bother Jesus_ because the situation is hopeless. Jesus demonstrates to us to nevertheless walk unafraid toward those who are in pain, and to offer our comforting words, our saving words, our healing words, and our prayers, even if it appears on the surface_ hopeless.

Jesus’ actions of walking to the child also expels those in the crowd who advised the child’s father, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” Jesus ignores them, and heads to the daughter amongst mocking laughter, and in this motion signifies to us that we are not, never, troubling our “teacher” Jesus Christ, the living God, when we are afflicted, mourning, afraid, sad, confused, or just feeling weird.

So in these two moments of dealing with someone else’s pain, and hearing the discouraging words of others’ perceived hopelessness, the lesson our teacher is teaching us is that, not only is God always available to help us, but that as Christians we in turn should not feel like we’re being troubled when someone comes to us feeling afflicted, mourning, afraid, sad, confused, or just feeling weird. We help. Sometimes we help by giving time and/or money. But we help by giving a hug and saying, “It’ll be OK” or “I’m sure it’ll all work out”. And we help by praying because as Christians, praying shapes believing. Believing allows us and others to walk unafraid.

The point is, we may not be able to fully heal someone. But have no doubt or cynicism _ our comforting words and prayers, time and attention, no matter how quick or small in amount, are truly making a positive difference in someone else’s life. These actions help those who feel hopeless.

Hopefully all of these comforting thoughts sound “OK” to you.

Amen.