DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
Saint Mark 5:24-34 (12/4-12/17) Feast of the Great Martyr Barbara
& John of Damascus
Touching the Lord: Saint Mark 5:24-34, especially vs.
27: “When she heard about
Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.” Do
you think that this woman had a great advantage over us, since “when she
heard about Jesus...” she was able to come behind Him and literally touch
His garment? Go slowly! There is another issue for us: since
Christ ascended into heaven, we may ask if we even have her opportunity. Come, let us examine our situation.
We live in a culture that trusts primarily in that which
can be touched, measured, handled, and weighed. Hence, most people see no chance of
being healed by literally touching the Lord’s garment, for such is not
present today. Nevertheless, in the
manner of this unnamed woman, Orthodox Christians affirm that it is just as
possible even now to take hold of Christ’s robe as it was for those who
lived during the years when “...the Lord Jesus went in and out among
us” (Acts 1:21). Of course,
like the woman, we must trust in such an act, be willing to touch the garments
of the Lord Jesus in the ways that He provides at present, and possess a
readiness to admit to ourselves that we need ‘His’ unique therapy.
Note: the Evangelist Mark, the Apostles, and the Fathers
call our attention to the fervent faith of the woman. They encourage us to risk in such
trust. Hear Blessed Theophylact: “This woman had great faith for she
thought she could receive benefit even from His garment. And so indeed she received
healing.” She revealed
reliance on God, in Him Who may not be seen by mortal eye, yet was present in a
Man that she could see and touch. Observe: while the woman saw God
available physically, walking in the human flesh He had assumed, yet more so,
she saw the Lord with the eyes of her heart, and her inner-sight encouraged her
to risk physical touching.
Faith raises the likelihood of the presence of God, given
certain conditions. Witness her
confession to the Lord Jesus that He had healed her. Saint Maximos
the Confessor affirms that “When the Word of God becomes bright and
shining in us, and His face is dazzling as the sun, then also will His clothes
be radiant, that is, the clear and distinct words of the Holy Scripture of the
Gospels now no longer veiled.”
See how the declarations of the Gospels and their witness encourage us
to reach out and take the risk to touch the Lord? How? Read on.
First, we must agree with Blessed Theophylact,
that “he who touches Jesus is the one who does not crowd against Jesus,
and who does not surround with turmoil the Word within himself...[for] those in
tumult and turmoil do not touch Christ; they only throng Him.” Faith comes as the Lord reveals Himself
‘within’ us. Then, we
may dare to reach out and touch Him, believing that He will heal us, forgive
us, and restore us to our true nature by eternal therapy!
Our compassionate Lord understands that we need the
tangible. He goes to great lengths
to provide us with physical means for touching Him, yet, first, we must know
Him within our hearts. He became
Incarnate only once to waken us to the possibility of His physical presence in
many tangible forms. Then, after He
withdrew His physical body, He sent us the Holy Spirit, both in our hearts and
through certain ‘media’ that He commands us to touch for healing:
the Body of Christ we call the Church, the Holy Gifts of His Body and Blood,
the icons, and the words of Scripture.
All these are quite tangible.
Saint Maximos indicates these are His radiant
clothes for to us to reach out, touch and embrace. Who says we cannot touch Him?!
Be aware: if we touch Christ our God through the means He
offers, He may call on us to confess Him openly. He is apt to require us, like the woman,
to admit that we reached out, trusted in His presence, and were healed by Him
through tangible contact. Such
happens!
As the earth is full of Thy mercy, O Master, do Thou heal
me who touch Thy Holy Things.
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