Texts of the Readings
June 28,
2009
Thirteenth
Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Betty Jane Lillie, S.C.
Wis 1:13-15, 2:23-24
X
Ps 30: 2, 4-6, 11-13
X 2 Cor 8: 7, 9 13-15 X
Mk 5:21-43
In
approaching the readings for this Sunday we may at first wonder how they
come together. But if we look at Wisdom first, and then at the Gospel from
Mark, we will pick up related themes of immortality, death in the sense of
eternal separation from God, and death as the end of human existence.
The Book of Wisdom is a late book in the Biblical Tradition. It
comes from a Hellenistic Jewish milieu in a time around 28 BCE when the
theological thought in Salvation History moved into an understanding of an
afterlife. In Christianity, of course, the belief found its climax in the
Resurrection of Jesus into which we are incorporated through Baptism.
The sense of the line that God did not make death (Wis 1:13) is
a bit elusive, but it does not refer to death as the end of human existence
on earth, but death as eternal separation from God. The just are empowered
to remain with God forever. Gods own nature is imperishable and in that
image humankind is created. God is righteous, and righteousness is
immortal. Thus the righteous can live forever. (Wis 1:12-15)
In the Gospel
passage we have a literary form that is sometimes referred to as a sandwich
construction. One story is begun and then interrupted (Mk 5:21-24a);
another story is inserted (Mk 5: 24b-34); and then the text returns to
finish the first story (Mk 5: 35-43). In this case one could almost imagine
Jesus and Jairus walking along on their way to the house where Jairus
daughter had died. On the way another healing had occurred. A woman with a
hemorrhage was made well. Then they finally reached the house and the first
incident was resumed and brought to conclusion.
Jesus referred
to the girls death as sleep, and he was ridiculed for that. Nevertheless,
he took the child by the hand and told her to arise. To the amazement of
the bystanders the girl of twelve years rose immediately and walked around.
The ending seems to include a subtle touch of humor. Jesus told the people
not to tell anyone else about the cure. However, a large crowd was at the
house making a tumult because they knew that the girl had died. Then she
was up, walking around, and eating. Imagine trying to keep that secret!
We have here an instance of the healing ministry accompanying
the preaching ministry of Jesus. Later this will also be the case in the
ministry of the Apostles. Just after the healings in our passage, Jesus
went back to his own country and began to teach in the synagogue.
Perhaps the second reading about the collection Paul took up for
the suffering Church in Jerusalem fits into this scenario as an example of
the love for one another that befits the Christian life. In Pauls approach
there was always mutuality in the giving and receiving. Paul also gave
clear instructions on the point that the sharing was not to impoverish the
giver, for that would create a reverse impoverishment that would just be the
same problem all over again for another group.
Along with all of this the Psalmist calls us to sing praises to
the Lord and give thanks to his holy name. The Lord is our helper and we
give thanks to him forever. (Ps 30)
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