The Extra Mile

"Encounter" from the Duc in Altum church in Magdala. This appears as a12-foot-high mural on the wall behind the altar.

Today's Gospel includes a literary device called a nested story. We start out with Jesus responding to the urgent pleadings of Jairus to come and heal his daughter. As Jesus is on the way to do this, he encounters someone else in need and another story interrupts his journey. While these stories seem to be related only by their location and timing, closer examination will help us to see some important threads that weave them together. We will see that for each of them, Jesus goes the extra mile.

Jairus' daughter was twelve years old and had an unknown illness but was 'near death'. Jairus was a synagogue official - perhaps one responsible for the physical property of the synagogue - so by all accounts a faithful Jew. Jesus responds seemingly without hesitation. The crowd, in anticipation of seeing a miracle follows Him closely. Their zeal for witnessing the miracle will actually conceal the miracle that is about to occur.

We can know a few things about the woman with the hemorrhage. Since she had treated with a physician, she must have been a woman of means at one point. Because of her illness, she no longer is. She has heard of Jesus and like Jairus, has journeyed for His help. Her bleeding issue would have made her ritually impure AND an outcast because others touching her would also become impure for a time. This is why she seeks to 'touch the hem' of his clothes - to be healed without defiling the Master. In order to do this, she must crouch low or crawl on the ground in the midst of the crowd to get to him. This was a 'large crowd', and she was risking significantly to approach Him in this way. Like Jairus, she is throwing herself on the ground at His feet. She is at the end of her rope. Twelve years of isolation and shame and illness have left her desperate.

In an occurrence that is unique in the Gospels, 'power goes out' from Jesus without His willful forethought, as though His natural 'reflex' is to heal. She knows in her body that she has been healed. He knows in his body that he has healed her. The story could end here, right? The 'source', the root cause of her problems has been taken care of - time to move on to the twelve-year-old girl, right? (one is twelve and suffering, one has been suffering for twelve). But Jesus knows that twelve years of shame and disgrace do not go away that easily. He calls her out and brings her to Himself and bestows on her the title of 'daughter'. A beloved one. Beloved by the Master Himself.

Immediately, without giving us time to ponder, word comes to Jesus that the girl has died. He doesn't stop and say 'oh well, you should have come to me sooner' - nope, He goes the extra mile. He assures the mourners that she is not dead (death is not the end) and He calls to her: 'little girl' - a gentle term of endearment and brings her back to life.

This story is a microcosm of salvation history, with God responding the suffering of His people, both long-suffering and acute misery. Not only does he address literally the 'poster child' - the young daughter of the faithful Jewish servant but re-instates the outcast and puts her on equal (or greater?) footing with Jairus daughter. His healing touch is as much about restoring dignity and honor as it is about prolonging our life here. The position of the woman's healing in the center of this literary layout suggests that her healing should perhaps even be seen as the greater of the two. The restoration of us to the Lord should take precedence over our very lives. Jesus could have easily 'triaged' the little girl as more urgent and come back to the woman (I mean, she was already healed, right?).

Jesus put the emphasis exactly where He wants us to see it. Repair our relationship with Him (by the way, that was done the moment Jairus threw himself at Jesus' feet) and then trust that whatever else happens will be OK. Don't forget that in this story, the daughter dies. Wailing and weeping ensued. Sometimes this will happen, even when we throw ourselves at Jesus' feet.

In the end, Jesus brings her to a new life (both daughters). So when we pray, we should pray that we all draw close to him, throw ourselves at His feet, and know that He will always go the extra mile for us. Perhaps He is also calling us to do the same?