9/ 24/ 2000  Worship service            
         
After visiting many homes this week as part of the home visitation program, I realized that many members of our congregation are stricken with poor health.  When I hear of physical suffering of the members of our family as result of ill health, I feel, as the pastor, a great sense of responsibility and mental anguish.  All of us wish for good health as we lead our lives on this earth; however, contrary to our wishes, we are sometimes stricken with mental and physical ailments that lead us to suffering.  The Christian faith places utmost interest in healing the soul, mind, and the body.  Healing countless number of people in suffering was the task that Christ carried out the most on earth.  

Christ healed countless number of people with ailments--those who were blind, paralyzed, infected with leprosy, those who could not use their hands, and many others with physical ailments, as well as many in spiritual suffering as a result of torments by evil spirits.  According to the recorded events in the 4 Gospels, over 20% describe events related to Christ's healing of those suffering with illness.

The God that we believe in wants every one of His children to live in good health.  As it is written in the Third Book of John, 1:2, "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers."  Jesus wants our souls to prosper within God.  If we communicate with God, receive His forgiveness, and find spiritual peace, then our day to day spiritual health will become healthier and we can achieve good physical health.  
I sincerely with that every one of us possess healthy, vibrant faith.  One of the key tasks of this pulpit is healing ministry, or the task of realizing God's healing power, one that can heal all spiritual and bodily ailments, within our very own church.  I want each one of us to pay a particularly close attention to today's gospel, which deal with health and healing.
In looking at Mark 5:25-34, a poor woman meets Christ and receives a cure for her incurable disease.  This woman suffered from hemorrhage for 12 years.  Hemorrhaging is a type of disease suffered by women where constant bleeding occurs in the uterus.  In today's term, it is similar to luecchorea, or discharge from the womb; indeed, it was a embarrassing ailment that was not readily disclosed to others, and hence not readily treated or cured.  According to the laws governing the era of the old testament, women with discharge from uterus could not attend public ceremonies, and worse yet, could not attend church to offer up service to God.  

This woman suffered from constant bleeding, which had greatly weakened her body by the day; however, the most insufferable thing was that she could not freely associated with her family, friends, neighbors, and even God.  It is apparent that this woman, in the course of her 12-year suffering, visited all doctors with reputation and tried taking every medicine imaginable.  However, according to verse 26 of today's scripture, the woman "had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but grew worse."  To reiterate, she visited many physicians to no avail; she depleted all her wealth in search of a medicine that would cure her ailment to no effect.  

This woman, whose body was sick and soul was tired and weak, had little hope.  She could not disclose her predicament to others, and could not freely move about as she had wished; she was truly a lonely person in that regard.
It was at this time that she had heard Jesus was at her village.  She heard rumors that Christ had cured countless people in sickness and was a true friend to those who were poor, lonely, and abandoned.  Although she was in no position to appear in public places, she had determined that either way she was going to die suffering, and it would be better to die after seeing Christ, albeit briefly.  She went to the place where Christ had gathered people around him, snuck up behind Christ and touched His robe.  It was then that, according to verse 29 of today's scripture, "immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction."  

She had suffered from 12 years of hemorrhage; the cause of this problem, the bleeding of the uterus, dried up when she touched Christ's robe.  In other words, fundamental curing of her disease had taken place.  Not only was the symptom addressed, but the root of the problem was cured.  In verse 28, it is stated "for she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  She was ignored and cast out by all of the people around her, and due to the putrid odor emanating from her body she could not appear at public gatherings.  Therefore, she felt that if she could hide amongst the masses, and even just touch Christ's robe, she could be healed.  She clandestinely touched Christ's robe, and the surprising fact was that she knew she was healed, for the fountain of her blood had dried up.

Jesus, realizing that some of the healing power had transmitted out of his Body, asks "Who touched My clothes?"  The woman who had hemorrhaged for 12 years comes forward, kneels in front of Christ, and shaking with fear, confesses that she had received treatment through Christ.  To this Christ replies, as it is recorded in verse 34, "Daughter, you faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  "Her faith had saved her" or "your faith has made you well."  This woman had given up on all the treatments and medicine of the day, and had a firm belief that only Christ could cure her from her affliction; that is why she was able to cure her disease.  According to the latter portion of verse 34, it is stated, "Go in peace and be healed of your affliction."  "Go in peace" was a common farewell used amongst Hebrews during the period of Christ.  

However, the important thing to note is that not only does Christ mentions "Go in peace," but He also adds the Hellenic form of blessing, "be healed of your disease."  The phrase "be healed of your disease," if broken down and analysed, means "Take care of yourself so that you remain healthy."  Jesus is not bestowing some mythical healing spell on this woman.  He is urging her to stay healthy, to be whole, to be complete.  Christ not only commands "stay healthy" and "stay whole" to this woman, but to rest of us as well.  Jesus wants each and every one of us to live in happiness, with healthy minds, souls, and bodies.

According to medical statistics, the time of the day when most people pass away is 3 o'clock in the morning.  It is also shown that most people die within six months of retirement.  As we get older, we must pay particular attention towards our health and, as the term "preventive medicines" alludes to, concentrate on making our minds and bodies healthy so that we can prevent the germination of disease in our bodies.  The most feared illness among elderly is the Alzheimer disease.  Former president Ronald Reagan suffers from this disease, and it is said that he cannot recognize those around him and has difficulties going to the bathroom.  

A woman invited her mother to live with her family one time, and before Alzheimer's her mother hated her son-in-law.  Then, after she showed symptoms of Alzheimer's, she started losing her memory and could not recognize who her son-in-law was; naturally, she stopped fighting with her son-in-law.  It was a good thing that her mother stopped fighting with her son-in-law, but the woman could not stand the fact that her mother seemed to be losing her mind by the day.  And once in a while her mother's memory would come back to her, and on the days that she would recognize her son in law, she would swear at him mercilessly.  I remember reading that before her mother had came down with Alzheimer's, the woman could not stand the fact that her mother hated her son-in-law; after Alzheimer's, however, her mother's swearing and chastising at her husband meant that her mother's mind, for the time being, had returned to normal--therefore, the woman considered her mother's swearing a music to her ears.  If one member of a family contracts an illness, that becomes a suffering for the entire family.  Therefore we must all pray and gather our efforts towards bringing each and every one of us to good health.

I will conclude today's sermon.  There was a woman who had suffered from 12 years of hemorrhage.  She resorted to every known treatment and medicine, at the expense of her wealth, yet could not find any relief.  After hearing that Jesus is coming to visit her village, she had the desperate faith that touching Christ's robe would cure her of her disease.  In the end, this woman's unconditional faith became the impetus for her healing.  Jesus is alive today, and wants to cure our very own disease.  Leave all your spiritual illness, mind's illness, and bodily illness to Christ.  He will cure all illness completely.  The important thing to remember is that when we, like the woman in Mark, hang on to Christ with the unconditional faith, Jesus, who can cure all illness, will help us.  The most important thing is that before we set out to cure our bodily illness, we must first cure the disease of our minds and souls.  Not only does God deeply love every one of us, but is with us to cure our illnesses and afflictions.