Unclean

             And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” (Mark 5:25-34)

Yesterday’s sermon focused on these verses. In case you don’t happen to have had these verses explained to you, a woman with a flow of blood was considered ceremonially unclean. Any furniture she used and anyone she touched (or who touched her) would be considered unclean. Imagine not being able to visit anyone or be visited by anyone at a range of closer than the door for twelve years. Imagine not being able to cook a meal, or go grocery shopping. Well, we’ve been there, sort of. Imagine the deepest part of the COVID quarantine, except it goes on. For twelve years. Only, imagine that you and the people you touched or lived with are the only ones quarantined.

While we might encounter and deal with women with twelve-year flows of blood without qualms now, there are any number of kinds of people who feel the need to cry “Unclean!” as they walk through life. You might be able to point to some. “Yep, she’s one of them. So is he!” There are others who might provoke a response of “They think there’s something wrong with them? They must be crazy!”

I don’t want to point out any particular form of uncleanness. Some are declared unclean by society or some part of society. Others are declared unclean from within. But what we need to notice is the way Jesus treated this woman and other “unclean” folks He met. In some cases, He let them come to Him. In some cases, He sought them out. He never backed away to maintain ceremonial cleanness. At the same time, He never pretended they weren’t unclean and didn’t call all the disciples to join Him in touching the unclean person. But, He touched them, cleansed them, and in this case, challenged her to move toward connection with others as He declared her healed and cleansed. In this case, He didn’t even tell her to go have the priests examine her then make the appropriate sacrifices.

I wonder how long it took her to stop thinking like an unclean person. How long did it take her to stop shrinking away from people who approached? How long before she could walk through her neighbor’s door? How long before her neighbors invited her to do so or stepped into her home?

And what of us? Are you unclean – too ______ or not _______ enough to be accepted? Do you know someone who is unclean in some way? It might even be something as inane as their political philosophy, the self-image, their wealth or lack thereof, their religion or lack thereof, their appearance, their personality, their profession… Yes, those who are unclean need to be cleansed by God. But after that, both the one who has been cleansed and those around him/her need to be brought together again, even if it takes time.