Limitless Mercy

Gospel: Mark 5: 21-43

Today's Gospel portion teaches us much about priorities.  Jesus is approached by a synagogue official requesting that Jesus heal his daughter who is severely ill.  Jesus agrees to do so, but while they are walking along to the official's house, an unnamed woman approaches Jesus, seeking to touch him so that she might be healed of her long affliction with a blood loss.  Jesus takes the time to stop and have a personal encounter with this woman and talk about the healing she experienced.  

Jesus then proceeds to the official's house and proceeds to heal the young girl, who by this time had died.  Jesus restores her to life, and once again he makes the encounter personal for the girl, making it clear that he heals her not because of her father's status, but because of hers as a child of God.  He also has this encounter in private with only a few witnesses so as not to make this a spectacle for crowds.

In all of this we learn two important lessons on love and mercy.  First, Jesus heals two women who have no status in society and who were unable to be helped by anyone.  Second, there is no prioritization of love and mercy.  It is accessible to all, and if any such priority exists it is for those who are most vulnerable, poor, and marginalized in society.  May these lessons guide the work of our church communities as we seek to be the love and mercy of God in the world.