13th Sunday, Year B: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima
Theme: God’s power over sickness, death and all obstacles to our joy
Readings: Wis 1:13–15;2:23–24; 2Cor 8:7. 9.13–15; Mk 5: 21–43
Dear friends in Christ, on this thirteenth Sunday, the Church reminds us that our God is the giver of life, the author of life and of good health. God created us to live, and it is his desire that we should prosper in good health of body and mind.
The first reading of today clearly captures this good intention of God for us. It reminds us of God’s good desire for His creatures to be alive and in good health. This plan of God has not changed at all. God still restores us when we fall ill, and He will never stop doing so. For this reason, He tells us through prophet Jeremiah that: “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future…” (Jer 29:11). Also, God spoke to us through the letter of Saint John saying: “Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers” (3Jn. 1:2). Yes, this is the desire of God for us. Whether we are alive or dead, the plan of God remains unchanged because He is a loving father.
This first reading, therefore, tells us that death is not among the desires of God for us, his creatures. It tells us that God created us for immortality, that he made us in his own image of eternity, and that death entered the world because of the envy of the devil. So, death comes as a destroyer of the good plan of God for us; it comes to snatch the joy of life and good health which God has ordained for us.
In the gospel of today, St. Mark beautifully tells the story of how death and sickness come to snatch the joy of our lives and how Jesus rescues us from the hand of death and sickness, so that we can fully enjoy God’s original plan for us. The first story tells us of Jairus and his little daughter, who died. Saint Mark said that Jairus’ daughter was twelve years old, which means she was at the threshold of womanhood. So, death came to steal the joy of a little girl who was about to enter womanhood, as well as the joy her parents would have while watching their little girl grow into womanhood, because in the tradition of the Ancient Near East, at twelve years, girls are betrothed to their future husbands.
In the second story, St Mark told us how sickness snatched away or stole the joy of good health of a woman for twelve 12 years. This woman has spent all she resources just to get healing, but none came.
In the two scenes, St Mark showed us the power of Jesus over anything that poses as a barrier or a threat to the original plan of God for us, that is, God’s plan of life and good health for us. He showed us the power of Jesus over sickness and death: Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus from death and also healed the sick woman of her serious sickness. Jesus has the power to handle whatever comes as a barrier between us and our good future, and between us and our joy. This is the power of God.
Hence, God’s plan for us remains unchanged: It is life not death, good health not sickness, peace not war, unity not division, love not hatred, and many more good things. We only need to follow Him with faith. Because of God’s plan for us, St Paul reminded us in today’s second reading that: “The Lord Jesus was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty.” The scripture also tells us that: “God did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all” to free us from the power of darkness (Rom. 8:32). Dear friends, to fulfil His plan for us, God is ready to sacrifice anything, even His only Son.
The miracles of today’s gospel tell us that we must demonstrate a strong faith as we call on Christ to intervene in our problems or in anything that seeks to steal our joy. In both cases, we saw faith in action: the sick woman demonstrated her faith by believing that only touching the garment of Jesus will heal her. She was also active in her faith by not giving up despite the crowd that made it almost impossible to reach Jesus. Also, Jairus demonstrated his faith on behalf of his daughter by inviting Christ and by believing in Jesus even when he heard that her daughter had died. Both Jairus and the woman never gave up, instead, they waited patiently until the plan of God was fulfilled for them.
Dear friends, we must learn that it is God’s plan for us to prosper both in body and soul, but we must be patient and walk into this plan with faith. Also, we have a role to play in God’s plan towards others, as Jairus did for his daughter. So, while Christ seeks our welfare every day, we too must constantly seek the welfare of others.
Peace be with you
Fr Isaac Chima