Sermon - 2015-06-28

In the midst of our busy life, we make so many plans.  We plan vacations, family events, and things to do within our community.  However, one place we do not plan to go to is the hospital.  The hospital is a place that we never plan to go to, but we know precisely where it is and what it is for.  It is the place, when we feel sick and can not go on, we go there for help.  They are the ones who will give us the medicine and take the lessons learned from others who have had this affliction or disease that we are suffering from.  Now those in the medical fields have made great strides within the past few decades, however, they can not cure death.  

Death is something that we do not want to talk about in our life.  However, death is indeed part of the journey of life.  We do not know when or how death will come to us, but we know that it is certain.  It could claim us as an infant, a child, a young adult, a parent, or even after many years of life.  It is a humbling reality and one that we as the living do not like to be confronted by.  We don’t like the reminder or the reality.  

Yet, what happens when even the hospital can not help you?  It is then that you turn to your Creator and Sustainer.  Today we hear of two people who did just that.  The first is a man whose daughter is facing death.  In fact we hear for certain that the little girl did die.  This is one of the most tragic and horrific moments that can happen to a parent or family.  A child dying.  It is not the order of things.  It is not what we have planned or expected.  However it happens. Yet in the midst of that tragedy, Jesus was there and saved that child.  

While Jesus is traveling with the crowd, a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years reaches out and touches his clothes.  Think about that, only touching his clothes is all it took for her to be healed.  All the doctors that she visited, all the procedures that she endured, and the medicines that were selected for her; all it took was touching the clothes of Jesus.  

In these accounts we hear of God being with us.  Physically in the midst of our tragedies and in the midst of our suffering.  Knowing and understanding our needs.  In the midst of our life, we experience and bear witness to these events still taking place.  We are reminded that we are indeed still part of this broken world, in need of healing, and more importantly in need of Jesus Christ.  As we gather together as a community of followers of Jesus Christ, may we share the love of Christ, but also enrich others with knowing who Jesus is in their life.  Now and forever.  Amen.