One of my favorite sermons

Going from one side to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Tension between two coastlines, two worlds. Gentiles and Jewish side. Jesus has come to reconcile.
In the middle of the sea, He is most peaceful, restful, sleeping
Jairus's daughter is dying, Bleeding woman is healed. Latter woman's need seems to be more important to Jesus so He stops what he is doing (going to a dying young girl, pressing need there) to address hers. And because of his action, the young girl does die. Cynical person would be upset and outraged
man vs woman, clean vs unclean, synagogue ruler vs outcast from synagogue, honor vs shame, rich vs poor, entourage vs alone, comes as an equal vs reaching for beggar's portion, face-to-face vs from behind, loved by community vs rejected by community
Who should come first?
God in becoming man is now limited, he cannot do everything or be everywhere now
Shows us how to be human and finite, how to prioritize our lives
Jesus had to make a choice here and he chooses the bleeding woman. So counter-cultural and shocking
Camara and homeless woman during interview for IV cohort program
Pre-existing bias revealed when needs of two groups come into conflict.
Jesus loved the rich and powerful (healed, responded to their needs), but they do not come before the poor. They come second. Jesus loves both girls, but there is a preference.
Do our lives reflect this kind of preference?
Shatters every social convention we know. Not to be trifled with, but redefining to its core.
Jesus is not in a hurry, but we often are. He is not self-important, but we are.
Divinity students and needy person on the way; only 40% of them actually stopped & did not matter if they were talking about career opportunities or Good Samaritan passage. 10% stopped to help when they were told they were already late. Discard our ethics, less Christian then. Stopping to say "Are you ok? or letting someone closeby know counted. 9/10 did nothing b/c thought they were in a hurry. Like somehow integrity is a luxury which we lose when we are in a hurry.
We are comfortable with a big ego and a small God. We are uncomfortable with a big God and a small ego.
Ironically, the greatest man who ever lived was less self-important than we are. Had a bigger view of God than we do. He had time for this woman. Refuses to accept the hurried view even
Jesus was often busy, but never hurried.
Do you take time for the outcast in your life? Make this the litmus test for your spirituality. Slowed down and take care of the person with the least prominence. If we measured our communities like this, how would we look?
Juxtiposition: Jesus sees two daughters; not a rich man's daughter and a worthless woman. First one under the provision of father for 12 years and only knows sickness now. And even now has a father going to plead for her healing. Bleeding woman (12 years) is fatherless, under care of uncaring men, no one to plead her case. Her life was defined by men who were supposed to care causing her only more suffering and poverty.
There are two daughters in this passage loved by a Father.
Jesus prefers the one who has no one to care for them.
"The last shall be first, and the least shall be greatest in my kingdom."
Jesus asked who touched him and woman is gripped with fear; she assumes another man is coming after her.
Filled with regret, exposure, shame, embarrassment - like text message sent to wrong person
But Jesus doesn't leave her in that state. Jesus sees that her suffering is so much deeper than her illness. Wants to heal her whole person. She is last, he wants to make her first. She has been last for 12 years and in danger of believing she belongs there. Jesus wants to break this lie.
Her suffering is total - mind, body, soul. He cannot leave her there. God favors the weak, broken, poor
The degree to which you see yourself as broken, in need, with a poverty of spirit is the degree to which you will experience Jesus and his grace in your life.
We prioritize the poor, the needy, the margins. They are central, not peripheral. Though we care for all people, the weakest and most vulnerable are the church's priority.
Those from broken backgrounds, families - You have not been abandoned by God. He knows your name, You are His. Especially His.
Jesus still goes to the dying daughter (middle class, raised Christian, stable home, us with an entitlement problem) and fulfills his commitment to her father. It is good for us to be second for a change, it's God loving us. You can wait on your sister. Like with the prodigal son. It is right for us to celebrate and for you to watch
Accomplishes something along the way, destroys the social code that placed needs of girl above poverty and shame of the woman. He sees more than we see. On his way, he is going to readjust the system that allows the woman to be left alone for 12 years. Refuses to play by its rules. Flips the world upside down. Prefers the poor, but does not forget the rich. Good news for Westerners.
If Jairus had heart of God, he would have rejoiced at the healing of this woman before his daughter. Different economy of the Kingdom
We need to step into the middle of the sea with Jesus, living between the two worlds. "If this is your heart, then it will also be my heart." Choose the weaker, needier person. Step into that third way of Jesus
Little girl - represents Israel and older brother in prodigal story. Jesus lets her die, just like the system, so that He can resurrect a new one. Death of temple, law, ceremonial system. Replace with his Spirit. Rise again with Him. Prominence does not count. People are equalized by their need and by touching Jesus. No more rules or hierarchy. "You are all mine." Let Jesus re-orient your view of the world. Imagine if a whole church did this. Pissing off entitled people and welcoming in the poor and outcast. Ought to look strange to onlookers. Beg the question from them, "Who are they?"